The SN65HVD08 combines a 3-state differential line driver and differential line receiver designed for balanced data transmission and interoperation with ANSI TIA/EIA-485-A and ISO-8482E standard-compliant devices.

The wide supply voltage range and low quiescent current requirements allow the SN65HVD08s to operate from a 5-V power bus in the cable with as much as a 2-V line voltage drop. Busing power in the cable can alleviate the need for isolated power to be generated at each connection of a ground-isolated bus.

The driver differential outputs and receiver differential inputs connect internally to form a differential input/output (I/O) bus port that is designed to offer minimum loading to the bus whenever the driver is disabled or not powered. The drivers and receivers have active-high and active-low enables respectively, which can be externally connected together to function as a direction control.