What the 0/4 driver/receiver count means for your bus
The MAX3096CSE+T is a quad RS422/RS485 receiver — four receive channels, zero drivers, so it listens only and never transmits on the differential bus. This matters for a multi-drop line where each node needs to hear the master but only the master drives the data lines; a transceiver with a built-in driver would add unnecessary bus contention risk if the output enable is mismanaged. Rated for 10 Mbps, the receiver handles the full RS485 data rate ceiling for short-haul links. The 45 mV of hysteresis filters out noise on the bus differential pair, preventing the output from chattering on a slowly rising or noisy signal — a practical benefit when the cable run passes a motor drive or VFD.
Operates from a single 3V to 3.6V rail — compatible with a 3.3V supply and the logic levels of a 3.3V MCU or FPGA without a level translator on the receiver outputs.
Housed in a 16-SOIC narrow-body (0.154" width, 3.90 mm body width), the footprint matches the industry-standard SOIC-16 land pattern. Surface-mount only — no through-hole variant.
Lifecycle and compliance
ROHS3 compliant, so it passes the EU RoHS directive without an exemption.