• Many microprocessors are TSOPs, or thin small outline packages.processor image by Witold Krasowski from Fotolia.com
  
  Integrated circuits, or ICs, are etched into tiny silicon chips. ICs may be part of larger electronic circuits or they may be a complete system by themselves. These components are packaged in ceramic, plastic, leadless or glass. The sizes of the packages have assigned names and specifications.
  
  

Through-Hole Device Packages

• Through-hole devices fit into an open slot or socket. A CQUAD, or ceramic quadruple side, has 52 leads or connectors and has a footprint measuring 16.26 square inches. A SIP, or single inline package, has 30 leads and a maximum footprint of 3.105 square inches. A transistor outline package, or TO, refers to the size of a single transistor. A TO may have three to eight leads and measure about 0.21 square inches.
  
  

Dual In-line Packages

• A DIP, or dual in-line package, has several variants: the CDIP or ceramic DIP; the HDIP or hermetic DIP, also known as Sidebraze Ceramic DIP or SBDIP; and PDIP or plastic DIP. All DIP variant packages have between eight and 40 pins and a maximum footprint of 33.5 square inches.
  
  

Pin Grid Array

• PGA, or pin grid array, has three variants: CPGA or ceramic PGA, PPGA or plastic PGA, and SPGA or staggered PGA. All PGA packages have between 68 and 387 pins and a maximum footprint of 2.67 square inches.
  
  

Surface Mount Device Packages

• Another major category of circuitry is surface-mounting devices. These circuits are mounted directly atop other components. SOICs, or small outline integrated circuits, have eight to 28 leads and a maximum footprint of 9.25 square inches.
  
  

Ball Grid Array

• BGA, or ball grid array, is a category of surface-mounting device that includes these varieties: ceramic BGA or CBGA, fine pitch BGA or FPBGA, plastic BGA or PBGA, and micro-BGA or mBGA. BGA package varieties have between 196 and 544 leads and a maximum footprint of 1.39 square inches.
  
  

Leadless Chip Carriers

• A leadless chip carrier, or LCC, is another category of surface-mounting package types; varieties include ceramic LCC or CLCC and plastic LCC or PLCC. LCCs have 18 to 68 leads and a maximum footprint of 0.96 inch.
  
  

Leaded Chip Carriers

• Leaded chip carriers are known by the same abbreviation as leadless chip carriers, LCC. The three types of leaded chip carriers are J-LCC, CLCC or ceramic LCC, and PLCC or plastic LCC. LCCs have 28 to 84 leads and a maximum footprint of 1.195 square inches.
  
  

Quad Flat Pack

• QFP, or quad flat pack, is another kind of surface-mounted package. There are six types of QFP: ceramic QFP or CQFP, plastic QFP or PQFP, QFP with a J-lead or QFJ, small QFP or SQFP, thin QFP or TQFP, and very thin QFP or VQFP. QFP packages have between 44 and 208 leads and a maximum footprint of 1.49 square inches.
  
  

Small Outline Package

• SOP, or small outline package, is another variety of surface-mounting package. SOP types include mini-SOP or MSOP, plastic SOP or PSOP, quarter-sized SOP or QSOP, small outline package with J-lead or SOJ, shrink SOP or SSOP, thin SOP or TSOP, thin shrink SOP or TSSOP, and thin very SOP or TVSOP. SOP circuits have 32 to 56 leads and a maximum footprint of 0.795 square inches.