Single LVDS driver for point-to-point links
It is a simplex device — one driver, no receiver — so it fits point-to-point or daisy-chain transmit paths where you need low noise and low power, not bidirectional half-duplex.
At 600 Mbps, this driver can serialize a 100 MHz parallel bus into a single differential pair, or carry uncompressed video at VGA resolution. The LVDS swing is roughly 350 mV, so the signal stays clean across a few metres of cable or a backplane — common in camera links, display interfaces, and high-speed data acquisition. The 600 Mbps figure is the raw bit rate; the actual payload throughput depends on the protocol overhead, but the driver itself does not limit a typical 8B/10B encoded link at 480 Mbps.
That means TI will continue to manufacture it for existing production customers, but they are not taking new design-ins. If you are starting a new design, look at the DS90LV017A in the same 8-SOIC footprint; it is the active, current-production variant with identical pinout and performance.
Package and footprint — 8-SOIC hand-solderable
You can hand-solder it with a fine tip or hot air — no reflow oven required. The pitch is 1.27 mm, so a standard SOIC-8 breakout board works. No thermal pad, no exposed paddle — just the eight leads. The Tube shipping medium means it arrives in a stick, not a reel, which is fine for prototyping or small production runs.