Recommend LVDS or RS422 / RS485 Driver and Receiver Pair for ~30MHz Signals

Hi Stefan,

Sounds like a high-tech costume. Maybe you can show it to us once you get everything working. :)

At 30 MHz, either LVDS or RS-422 (or RS-485, which is similar) should be able to communicate over a 2-m cable, and the devices that you've selected are both good choices. In general, though the main trade-off is that RS-422/485 uses a higher differential signal amplitude compared to LVDS. This helps in working with longer cables and can translate to better noise immunity. It also translates to higher power, though, and because of the larger signal swing the transition times tend to be slower (limiting the maximum rate of operation). So while 30 MHz is towards the upper end of what RS-422/485 transceivers are typically designed to support, it is well within the capabilities of most LVDS devices. (Using a device capable of higher speeds may be a good idea if you expect your system to be sensitive to signal timing.) Since RS-422/485 is generally used in more industrial environments, it is typically a little more robust against things like short-circuits to higher voltages, ESD strikes, etc.

Another factor to consider if your channels need to be aligned in time (for example, if you have parallel data and clock lines) is the channel-to-channel timing skew. This is something that is specified for most multi-channel parts.

Regards,
Max