Linear Technology Corporation has introduced a line of automotive-grade RS-485/422 transceivers that operate on 5 V supplies. The LTC2856-1, LTC2857-1 and LTC2858-1 operate at maximum data rates of 20 MB/s while the LTC2856-2, LTC2857-2 and LTC2858-2 feature 250 kb/s slew rate-limited driver outputs to control high-frequency emission from equipment or data cables.

Enhanced ESD protection on the transceiver interface pins allows the ICs to withstand ±15 kV for ESD strikes (human body model) without latch-up or damage, the company said. A receiver fail-safe feature guarantees a high output state under conditions of floating or shorted inputs.

The receivers on all three devices have a one-eighth unit load, supporting up to 256 devices on the bus, while the drivers maintain a high output impedance over the entire common mode range when disabled or when the supply is removed. Excessive power dissipation caused by bus contention or a fault is prevented by current limiting all outputs and by thermal shutdown.