The LTC1481 is an ultralow power differential line transceiver designed for data transmission standard RS485 applications. It will also meet the requirements of RS422. The CMOS design offers significant power savings over its bipolar counterparts without sacrificing ruggedness against overload or ESD damage. Typical quiescent current is only 80µA while operating and less than 1µA in shutdown.The driver and receiver feature three-state outputs, with the driver outputs maintaining high impedance over the entire common mode range. Excessive power dissipation caused by bus contention or faults is prevented by a thermal shutdown circuit which forces the driver outputs into a high impedance state. The receiver has a fail-safe feature which guarantees a high output state when the inputs are left open.The LTC1481 is fully specified over the commercial and extended industrial temperature range and is available in 8-pin PDIP and SO packages.ApplicationsBattery-Powered RS485/RS422 ApplicationsLow Power RS485/RS422 TransceiverLevel Translator