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5 V half-duplex RS-485 transceiver

MAX485 Working Principle

Learn how MAX485 works with an illustrated explanation and practical readings.

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MAX485 at a glance

Follow the labeled connections and functional stages

MAX485 working principle: illustrated functional stages, basic circuit and connections
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How it works

3 stages · Explore one step at a time

Step 1 / 3

Choose a direction

For the joined control, LOW enables the receiver and disables the driver. HIGH reverses those enable states.

Step 2 / 3

Drive the differential pair

DI HIGH makes A greater than B. DI LOW makes B greater than A. Only one node should actively drive.

Step 3 / 3

Recover the data

The receiving node compares A − B with its thresholds. UART framing and error handling remain the controller’s job.

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