I want to communicate with the 16F877 over RS232 port.
Most of the users suggest MAX232 . I ve found some other people who is facing the MC and GSM use different ICs such as ST3237EB or SP232EEN level converters.
what differences are there between them ? one more question.
I see many 5 input and 3 output ports for ST3237EB and SP232EEN .
- MAX232 (2 drivers, 2 receivers) is the common IC used for serial communications, thus it is easier to find and also cheap. its maximum data rate is 120 kbps.
- ST3237EB (5 drivers, 3 receivers) have a data rate of between 250 kbps to 1 mbps, basically faster than the MAX232.
- SP232EEN (2 drivers, 2 receivers is the same as MAX232, only different manufacturer.
Datarate AND if data is asynchronous or synchronous, all pc's had asynchronous in the past. Synchronous is very special and only used in some cases with special equipment. in most cases max232 is working for all applications.