This octal bus transceiver is designed specifically for low-voltage (3.3-V) VCC operation, but with the capability to provide a TTL interface to a 5-V system environment. This device is designed for asynchronous communication between data buses. It transmits data from the A bus to the B bus or from the B bus to the A bus, depending on the logic level at the direction-control (DIR) input. The output-enable (OE) input can be used to disable the device so the buses are effectively isolated. To ensure the high-impedance state during power up or power down, OE should be tied to VCC through a pullup resistor; the minimum value of the resistor is determined by the current-sinking capability of the driver. Active bus-hold circuitry is provided to hold unused or floating data inputs at a valid logic level. Use of pullup or pulldown resistors with the bus-hold circuitry is not recommended. This device is fully specified for hot-insertion applications using Ioff and power-up 3-state. The Ioff circuitry disables the outputs, preventing damaging current backflow through the device when it is powered down. The power-up 3-state circuitry places the outputs in the high-impedance state during power up and power down, which prevents driver conflict.