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Texas Instruments MAX3222IDW — Interface & Transceivers

MAX3222IDW RS-232 Transceiver, 250 kbps, 2/2 Driver/Receiver

MPNMAX3222IDW
Active

Texas Instruments MAX3222IDW RS-232 transceiver, full duplex, 2/2 drivers/receivers, 250 kbps data rate, 3V to 5.5V supply, -40°C to 85°C, 20-SOIC package.

$2.8300Ref. price · indicative, final on quote
Texas Instruments MAX3222IDW datasheet (PDF)
Packaging20-SOIC (0.295", 7.50mm Width)
RoHSROHS3 Compliant
Independent supplier — new & surplus stockAuthenticity-screened · ESD-safe packingListing updated Aug 2026

Specifications

MAX3222IDW specifications
ParameterValue
TypeTransceiver
MountingSurface Mount
Supply voltage3V ~ 5.5V
ProtocolRS232
Operating temperature-40°C~85°C
DuplexFull
PackageTube
Data rate250kbps
Case20-SOIC (0.295\", 7.50mm Width)
Receiver hysteresis300 mV
Number of drivers (Receivers)2/2

Product details

RS-232 link at 250 kbps — what the data rate buys you

The MAX3222IDW is a full-duplex RS-232 transceiver from Texas Instruments that handles 250 kbps on each of its two driver/receiver channels. That data rate covers the vast majority of legacy UART links — 115.2 kbps, 230.4 kbps, and the common 250 kbps industrial baud rates — without needing a faster (and pricier) transceiver. The 2/2 driver/receiver count means you get two independent transmit and two receive paths, enough for a dual serial port or one full-duplex link with hardware flow control (RTS/CTS). Supply range spans 3V to 5.5V, so the same part works in a 3.3V microcontroller design or a legacy 5V backplane. No separate level translator is needed between the UART and the RS-232 bus — the transceiver handles the voltage translation internally.

Receiver hysteresis — noise margin on the bus

The receiver hysteresis is specified at 300 mV. That means the input threshold has 300 mV of built-in deadband between the falling and rising edges, which rejects noise on long RS-232 cable runs. In a noisy industrial environment — motor drives switching nearby, long unshielded cable — that hysteresis keeps the receiver from chattering on coupled transients. It's a spec that matters more for the layout and cable quality than for the baud rate.

Sourcing this part for a production BOM

For a production BOM, the key procurement check is the package — 20-SOIC wide (7.50 mm width) — and the temperature grade.

Frequently asked questions

Is MAX3222IDW compatible with 3.3V logic?

Yes. The MAX3222IDW operates from a 3V to 5.5V supply, so it works directly with 3.3V UARTs. The RS-232 bus side still swings the ±5V to ±15V levels required by the RS-232 standard, but the logic interface to the microcontroller is at the supply voltage — 3.3V in this case. No external level shifter is needed.

What is the difference between MAX3222IDW and MAX3222EIDW?

The MAX3222EIDW is the enhanced-ESD variant of the same base transceiver. The 'E' suffix parts typically add ±15 kV ESD protection on the RS-232 bus pins (IEC 61000-4-2 air-gap), compared to the standard ±15 kV HBM on the MAX3222IDW. The core specifications — 250 kbps data rate, 2/2 driver/receiver count, 3V to 5.5V supply, 20-SOIC package — are identical. If your cable interface is exposed to the outside of the enclosure (panel-mount DB9, for example), the EIDW variant gives extra ESD margin without changing the footprint.