Active RS232 transceiver for 5V industrial serial links
The receiver hysteresis is specified at 500 mV, which helps reject noise on longer cable runs typical in factory automation and industrial control panels.
At 120 kbps, this transceiver covers standard UART baud rates up to 115200 without margin issues. If your design needs 250 kbps or 1 Mbps RS232, this part won't get there — you'd step to a MAX3223 or similar. For most PLCs, barcode scanners, and serial printers, 120 kbps is plenty.
Sourcing and lifecycle: no obsolescence worry
That means it's still a safe line-item for new production builds and repair stock alike.
Package and footprint: 16-SOIC wide-body
Housed in a 16-SOIC with 7.50 mm body width (the wide-body variant), the MAX232IDWG4 uses the same footprint as the MAX232IDR (narrow-body 3.90 mm) but with a wider pad pitch — verify your board's land pattern before swapping. Surface-mount only, shipped in tube.