The MAX3471 half-duplex transceiver is intended for lithium battery-powered RS-485/RS-422 applications. It draws only 1.6µA (typical) supply current from a 3.6V supply with the receiver enabled and the driver disabled. Its wide 2.5V to 5.5V supply voltage guarantees operation over the lifetime of a lithium battery.This device features true fail-safe operation that guarantees a logic-high receiver output when the receiver inputs are open or shorted. This means that the receiver output will be a logic high if all transmitters on a terminated bus are disabled (high impedance). The MAX3471 has a 1/8-unit load input resistance. When driver outputs are enabled and pulled above VCC or below GND, internal circuitry prevents battery back-charging.The MAX3471 is available in an 8-pin µMAX package.ApplicationsBattery-Powered Differential CommunicationsLevel TranslatorsRemote Meter Reading