July 1998
DS36C278
Low Power Multipoint EIA-RS-485 Transceiver
General Description
Features
n 100% RS-485 compliant
The DS36C278 is a low power differential bus/line trans-
ceiver designed to meet the requirements of RS-485 stan-
dard for multipoint data transmission. In addition it is compat-
ible with TIA/EIA-422-B.
— Guaranteed RS-485 device interoperation
n Low power CMOS design: ICC 500 µA max
n Built-in power up/down glitch-free circuitry
— Permits live transceiver insertion/displacement
n DIP and SOIC packages available
n Industrial temperature range: −40˚C to +85˚C
n On-board thermal shutdown circuitry
— Prevents damage to the device in the event of
excessive power dissipation
The CMOS design offers significant power savings over its
bipolar and ALS counterparts without sacrificing ruggedness
against ESD damage. The device is ideal for use in battery
powered or power conscious applications. ICC is specified at
500 µA maximum.
The driver and receiver outputs feature TRI-STATE® capabil-
ity. The driver outputs operate over the entire common mode
range of −7V to +12V. Bus contention or fault situations that
cause excessive power dissipation within the device are
handled by a thermal shutdown circuit, which forces the
driver outputs into the high impedance state.
n Wide common mode range: −7V to +12V
n Receiver open input fail-safe (Note 1)
1
n
n
⁄
⁄
4
unit load (DS36C278): ≥128 nodes
unit load (DS36C278T): ≥64 nodes
1
2
n ESD (human body model): ≥2 kV
n Drop in replacement for:
— LTC485, MAX485, DS75176, DS3695
The receiver incorporates a fail safe circuit which guarantees
a high output state when the inputs are left open. (Note 1)
The DS36C278T is fully specified over the industrial tem-
perature range (−40˚C to +85˚C).
Connection and Logic Diagram
Truth Table
DRIVER SECTION
RE*
X
DE
H
DI
H
L
DO/RI
DO*/RI*
H
L
L
H
Z
X
H
X
L
X
Z
RECEIVER SECTION
RE*
L
DE
L
RI-RI*
RO
H
DS012040-1
≥+0.2V
≤−0.2V
X
Order Number DS36C278TM, DS36C278TN,
DS36C278M, DS36C278N
See NS Package Number M08A or N08E
L
L
L
H
L
Z
L
L
OPEN (Note 1)
H
Note 1: Non-terminated, open input only
TRI-STATE® is a registered trademark of National Semiconductor Corporation.
© 1999 National Semiconductor Corporation
DS012040
www.national.com