I am new to this, so excuse the basic question. I am using the 8051SD mini board from Rigel Corp that includes an 8051, pullup Rs for P0, etc. It has a 8-pin DIP socket for a MAX232 for use in serial communication. Is this IC necessary when hooking the 8051 to a serial LED driver like the A6276 from Allegro Micro? Looking through the app notes and datasheets, its not clear if I need this IC to interface between the two or only if connecting directly to a RS232 type cable. Thanks!