Multiprotocol Transceiver Cuts Size In Half

Supporting RS-232, RS-485, and RS-422 serial standards, the SP335 transceiver measures 5 by 5 mm²—less than half the size of a comparable discrete design, according to developer Exar. It doubles the number of serial interface channels that can be assembled in the same board space, facilitating the combination of multiple serial protocols over the same connector. By incorporating programmable end-of-line termination and multiple configuration modes, all three protocols can be used interchangeably over a single cable or connector with no additional switching components. The transceiver supports up to 20 Mbits/s in RS-485/-422 modes (1 Mbit/s in RS-232), and can be slew-limited to 250 kbits/s in any mode by toggling a single control pin. Bus pins are protected against high electrostatic-discharge events and can tolerate direct shorts to dc or ac voltages as high as ±18 V. A separate supply voltage for the logic interface pins allows the SP335 to interface directly with low-voltage UARTs and MCUs without voltage translators or level shifters. Logic supply voltage can be as low as 1.65 V.

EXAR CORP.