RS-232 transceiver in a 28-pin DIP — what it is and where it fits
The Analog Devices MAX214CPI+ is a full-duplex RS-232 transceiver packing three drivers and five receivers in a through-hole 28-PDIP package. It handles data rates up to 116 kbps over a 4.5 V to 5.5 V supply rail, with 500 mV of receiver hysteresis for noise rejection on the line. This is the kind of part you find in legacy industrial controllers, point-of-sale terminals, or serial-port expansion cards — anything that needs a reliable RS-232 interface on a single 5 V supply and a socketable DIP footprint.
Through-hole DIP — field-swappable without a hot-air station
The 28-DIP package (0.600" wide, 15.24 mm pitch) is a field-service win: it fits a standard socket, so you can swap it on site with a puller and a fresh part — no lab bench, no hot air. Orientation is obvious from the notch, and the through-hole leads are robust against handling without ESD precautions beyond the usual wrist strap. If you are maintaining equipment where the serial interface is the first thing to fail after a surge, this is the kind of part you keep in the kit.
Active production — no obsolescence worry
The MAX214CPI+ is listed as Active in production and ROHS3 compliant. No last-time-buy, no end-of-life notice to plan around. For a BOM line that needs a 5 V RS-232 transceiver in a DIP package, this part is a straightforward, current-manufacture choice — no surplus-channel scavenging required.