RS422/RS485 digital isolator for industrial bus isolation
The MAX14948EWE+T from Maxim Integrated is a 3-channel digital isolator purpose-built for RS422 and RS485 serial interfaces. It uses capacitive coupling to deliver 5000Vrms of galvanic isolation between the bus side and the controller side, with a data rate of 500kbps — right in the sweet spot for fieldbus links, instrumentation loops, and industrial automation backplanes. The unidirectional channel arrangement (2 inputs on side 1, 1 input on side 2) matches the typical TX/RX pair plus a control line for a half-duplex RS485 transceiver. Rated over -40°C to 85°C, the part fits motor drives, PLC I/O modules, and remote sensor interfaces where ground potential differences demand robust isolation.
Isolation and signal integrity — what the ratings mean for your BOM
Propagation delay is 1.04µs max in both directions, adequate for 500kbps polling cycles. The 900ns rise/fall time (max) means the output edges are clean enough for a 5V logic input without extra schmitt-trigger buffering.
Lifecycle and sourcing
The MAX14948EWE+T is an active, current-production part per Maxim's lifecycle status. The part is ROHS3 compliant, so it meets EU directive requirements for new builds. Sourcing is straightforward through independent distribution — we can quote this against an RFQ with current pricing and availability confirmed at quote time.