RS-485 at 250 kbps — the speed limit that defines the fit
250 kbps — not a high-speed part, and that matters
The 250 kbps data rate is the single most important selection gate. This transceiver is not suited for high-throughput automation backplanes or camera links that need 10 Mbps or more. It fits RS-485 buses carrying Modbus RTU, BACnet MS/TP, or simple sensor polling at moderate update rates. At 250 kbps the slew-limited output keeps edge rates slow, which helps pass radiated emissions testing without external filtering — a practical advantage for a PCB layout engineer trying to keep the BOM lean.
If your system runs 5 V, this part needs a regulator or a 5 V-tolerant transceiver. The 80 mV hysteresis is a real noise-margin advantage over older 50 mV parts on long stub runs or when the bus is lightly loaded.
No date-code gambling or surplus-market contingency needed.