What this RS232 driver is and where it fits
The AD230AN is a 5V CMOS RS232 driver from Analog Devices, part of the AD230 series. It provides five RS232 line drivers with no receivers on-chip — a pure driver, not a transceiver. The 500 mV receiver hysteresis gives noise margin on the bus, and the industrial temperature range (-40°C to 85°C) suits it for factory automation, outdoor telecom, and motor-drive interfaces where the ambient stays warm.
5 drivers, zero receivers — what that means for your BOM
With 5 drivers and 0 receivers, this part is for applications that only need to transmit RS232 signals — not receive them. If your design requires both transmit and receive, a transceiver like the ADM208EANZ (4/4 drivers/receivers) or ADM222ANZ (2/2) would be the functional match. The AD230AN is the right choice when you have multiple TX lines and handle RX separately, or when the RX side is handled by a different interface chip.
Lifecycle and sourcing reality
The AD230AN is listed as Active — no end-of-life notice, no last-time-buy clock. It is RoHS non-compliant, so verify your assembly line's solder profile if you are running lead-free. For dual-sourcing or a second-source option, the ADM208EANZ is a through-hole RS232 transceiver with a similar footprint, though it carries 4 drivers and 4 receivers rather than the AD230AN's 5/0 split.