The SP3232EBCY-L/TR is a 3.0-5.5V RS-232 transceiver from MaxLinear (formerly Sipex/Exar) in TSSOP-16, providing 3 drivers and 3 receivers compliant with TIA/EIA-232-F. The key innovation is the on-chip charge pump that generates +/-5.5V from a single 3.3V supply, eliminating the need for bipolar power supplies. The charge pump uses four external 0.1uF capacitors: C1 and C2 form a voltage doubler (V+ = 2 x VCC), then an inverter generates V- = -2 x VCC. The doubled and inverted voltages power the RS-232 drivers, which swing between +/-5.5V minimum (exceeding the +/-5V RS-232 requirement). The drivers accept TTL/CMOS input levels (0.8V LOW, 2.0V HIGH) and output RS-232 levels with slew rate limited to 30V/us (per RS-232 specification for <150kbps). The E version supports data rates up to 250kbps. The receivers accept RS-232 input levels (as low as +/-3V, up to +/-25V) and output TTL/CMOS levels with 0.2V hysteresis for noise immunity. The device draws only 1mA quiescent current. The -L/TR suffix specifies TSSOP-16, lead-free, tape-and-reel. The auto-powerdown feature (on some variants) reduces supply current to 1uA when no valid RS-232 signal is detected. Applications include: embedded systems RS-232 ports, GPS modules, barcode readers, and industrial serial communication.