This isn't entirely off-topic, since the parts have been around for WAY over
20 years.
These things are an 8-pin package with one RS-232-compatible receiver/driver
pair. There's a dearth of these parts here, for now, and if somebody would
care to send me a couple of them, I'll happily reimburse for parts +
shipping. Radio Shack lists them at $0.99 but doesn't have them in any of
the stores I called.
thanx
Dick