I've used them in general application at 160 kbps with the 1 uF caps. 
Hint:
you can do this with a PC parallel port if you change the crystal from 3.xx
to 5.12 Mhz.  Just change your dividers.  This is pushing the hairy edge of
the PC's capability, but PIClisters are hackers anyways. No?

However,  depending on the batch, some of them have had communication
problems at this speed.

However, there is a type of MAX232 rated for higher than 160 kbps, so we
started buying that.  Check your supplier.


----------
> From: Brian Schousek <schousek@GEOCITIES.COM>
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re: Another MAX232 question
> Date: Wednesday, March 04, 1998 1:55 PM
> 
> 
>     Looking at the max23x datasheet I've got on my hard-drive(doc
19-4323;
> Rev 6; 3/96) page 1 shows the max 232 1u (.1u) capacitors and in the Data
> Rate (kbps) column it shows 120 (64) I would take this to mean that the
232
> can do 120 kbps w/1u and 64 kbps w/.1u.
>     The '232A is shown as achieving 200 kbps with .1u caps. I assume this
> means the 232A charge pump operates at a higher frequency.
>     To bring another thread into this, note that the acronym kbps is
> ambiguous. Could be kilobits, could be kilobytes. Only by looking further
> into the data sheet do we see kbits/sec spelled out. Therefore the 232 is
> capable of 64000/(8+1+1)->6400 baud with .1u caps.
> 
> Brian
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Calvin <tgo@CHIH1.TELMEX.NET.MX>
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
> Date: Wednesday, March 04, 1998 12:29 PM
> Subject: Another MAX232 question
> 
> 
> In the MAX232 datasheet they indicate 1uF caps for the charge pump, but
they
> also show 0.1uF caps in parenthesis. As I understand it they mean that I
can
> still use it with the 0.1uF caps, but only achieve a lower speed; am I
> right?
> BTW, I could not find any info about the parenthesis values on the
> datasheet.
> 
> TIA
> 
> Calvin
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alessandro Zummo <azummo@ITA.FLASHNET.IT>
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
> Date: Miˇrcoles 4 de Marzo de 1998 9:48 AM
> Subject: Re: PIC's USART with MAX232, possible?
> 
> 
> >Il 04-Mar-98, Clyde Smith-Stubbs scrisse:
> >
> >>> I am planning to use a MAX232 to get true RS232 levels on a project I
am
> >
> >> Use a MAX202 - same price, only needs 0.1uF caps instead of
> electrolytics.
> >
> >use MAX233ACPP, no caps at all :-) anyway the price il slightly
> > higher :-)
> >
> >--
> >
> >   - *Alex* -
> >
> >  http://freepage.logicom.it/azummo/
> >