Intersil announces new full-duplex RS-485/422 transceivers with 15 kV ESD protection.

Intersil Corporation (Nasdaq:ISIL), a leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog solutions, has announced two new LINEARLINK full-duplex RS-485/422 transceivers, the ISL8489E and the ISL8491E. These new transceivers are drop-in upgrades from competing parts of similar nomenclature and offer full 15 kV ESD protection and high performance for a wide range of applications including, but not limited to, factory automation, process control, security networks and building environmental control.

"The ISL8489E and ISL8491E provide industry leading speed, reach, data integrity, reliability and flexibility that designers of copper pair bus networks need to meet today's high-performance demands," said Michael Althar, Vice President of Intersil's Analog Solutions Product Group. "Intersil continues to expand the LINEARLINK interface products portfolio with the addition of these new high-performance full-duplex RS-485/422 transceivers."

These new RS-485/422 transceivers are full duplex, configured for four-wire RS-485 networks, which allows simultaneous transmit and receive capability, or for RS-422 networks where only one driver is allowed on a bus. The ICs are ESD protected to 15 kV on all transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) bus pins and up to 7 kV on all logic pins, which greatly improves survivability from random static charges during manufacturing and use. Packaged in a 14-lead SOIC, the devices are rated for the industrial temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees. Exceeding the tolerance of many competing parts, the ICs operate with a +/-10 percent tolerance from a 5-V supply (4.5 to 5.5 V range).

Both the ISL8489E and ISL8491E are single-unit load devices that allow up to 32 nodes per bus and offer a choice of speed. The ISL8489E is a 250-kbps data rate device that has slew rate limited drivers intended for long-run applications. The slew rate limiting reduces EMI and minimizes reflections from improperly terminated transmission lines or non-terminated stubs in multi-drop and multi-point applications. The ISL8491E is a 10-Mbps device designed for high-speed short runs.