IC Packaging Types

Integrated circuits (ICs) come in many different forms depending on several factors, such as if it will be used on a breadboard or a PCB, whether it needs many pins or only a few, if it needs to be large or small, etc. This wiki will list the most common package types, their purpose, and where you may encounter them.

DIP has a rectangular housing with two parallel rows of pins that can be through-hole mounted on a breadboard, PCB, or a socket.

DIP is usually appended with a number indicating how many pins the IC has. For example, DIP-8 chips have two rows of four pins. Most common ICs offer a DIP package option.

A PLCC has pins on all four sides. The pins are J-leads with spacings of 0.05” (1.27mm). Pin counts range from 20 to 84.

PLCC is usually appended with the number of pins it has. For example, PLCC-44 has eleven pins on each side.

SOIC is similar to DIP except that the pins extend out horizontally rather than vertically. SOIC occupies approximately half the space of the equivalent DIP package, making it suitable for PCB surface mounting.

SOIC is sometimes referred to as just SO. SOIC is usually appended with the number of pins it has. For example, SOIC-14 has two rows of seven pins.