Driver/receiver count and signal levels
The MAX202CPE+: With two drivers and two receivers, this transceiver supports a full-duplex RS-232 link — one driver/receiver pair for transmit, the other for receive. The receiver hysteresis is 500 mV, providing noise immunity on the incoming data lines.
Package and board integration
Housed in a 16-lead PDIP (0.300-inch body width, 7.62 mm), the MAX202CPE+ is a through-hole part that fits standard 0.100-inch pitch DIP sockets or solders directly into plated through-holes on a PCB. The wide pin spacing makes it breadboard-friendly for prototyping. Supply decoupling — a 0.1 µF ceramic close to each supply pin — is standard practice for this class of RS-232 transceiver to keep the charge-pump ripple off the 5 V rail.