I suppose thats a possibility. Im using the hardware UART so its a little harder but still possible.

Is there anything faster than a 555? What about bypassing it? I noticed the output from the MAX232 chip seems to be inverted but if i could invert it again and connect it and the 555 through resistors to the MAX485 then it should be a lot faster because it doesnt rely on the 555 to turn it on, the 555 will simply keep it turned on for a short while after the data stops.

I guess the only problem now is that the MAX485 chip might be too slow to react too