The LTC1480 is an ultra-low power differential line transceiver which provides full RS485 compatibility while operating from a single 3.3V supply. It is designed for data transmission standard RS485 applications with extended common-mode range (12V to 7V). It also meets the requirements of RS422 and features high speed operation up to 2.5Mb/s. The CMOS design offers significant power savings without sacrificing ruggedness against overload or ESD damage. Typical quiescent current is only 300A while operating and 1A in shutdown. The driver and receiver feature three-state outputs, with the driver outputs maintaining high impedance over the entire common-mode range. Excessive power dissipation caused by bus contention or faults is prevented by a thermal shutdown circuit which forces the driver outputs into a high impedance state. The receiver has a fail-safe feature which guarantees a high output state when the inputs are left open. I/O pins are protected against multiple ESD strikes of up to 10kV.