# Dual in-line package
A dual in-line package (DIP) is a housing for an integrated circuit with a rectangular body and two parallel rows of pins along its long sides, designed to be mounted through holes in a printed circuit board or inserted into a socket. Introduced at Fairchild in 1965, it became the dominant IC package for roughly two decades and remains in production for prototyping, education, and low-volume through-hole products.[1](https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/package-is-the-first-to-accommodate-system-design-considerations/) • [2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Devised in 1965 by Don Forbes, Rex Rice, and Bryant ("Buck") Rogers at Fairchild as a 14-lead ceramic package with pins on a 100-mil pitch within each row and rows 300 mils apart[1](https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/package-is-the-first-to-accommodate-system-design-considerations/) • [12](https://www.bitsavers.org/components/ti/_dataBooks/1970_MOS_LSI_from_Texas_Instruments.pdf) |
| Construction | Two opposite rows of interconnects; plastic (PDIP) or ceramic (CDIP/CERDIP) bodies; up to 84 pins, with 2.54 mm the most common lead pitch (1.78 and 1.27 mm less common)[3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dual-inline-package) |
| Designation | Named DIPn, where n is the total pin count; a two-row, seven-leads-per-row package is a DIP14; common packages run from 4 to 64 leads[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf) |
| Assembly | Easily hand- or machine-inserted; requires no spreaders, spacers, insulators, or lead forming; field-serviceable with standard hand tools and a soldering iron[4](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19680020053/downloads/19680020053.pdf) |
| Standardization | JEDEC establishes standard package designators and geometries; the 8-lead PDIP is compliant to JEDEC MS-001[3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dual-inline-package) • [5](https://www.pilianidis.gr/images/sync_products/03-OP27EPZ/OP27.pdf) |
| Breadboard fit | The 2.54 mm (0.1 inch) pitch matches breadboard hole spacing, which was designed around DIP dimensions[6](https://pcbsync.com/dip/) |
| Decline | Mostly displaced by surface-mount packages, which avoid the cost of drilling board holes and allow higher interconnect density[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf) |
## Origin
Before the DIP, integrated circuits used packages adapted from transistors, such as the round TO-5 and TO-18 metal cans with three leads, and the flat pack, invented by Y. Tao at [Texas Instruments](https://www.edgepedia.org/texas-instruments) in 1962 for better heat dissipation.[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf) Packaging was a neglected aspect of semiconductor design, and programs were delayed because a chip was too large or consumed too much power for the designated package.[1](https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/package-is-the-first-to-accommodate-system-design-considerations/)
In 1965 Don Forbes, Rex Rice, and Bryant ("Buck") Rogers at Fairchild devised a 14-lead ceramic DIP with rows 300 mils apart and a pin pitch of 100 mils.[12](https://www.bitsavers.org/components/ti/_dataBooks/1970_MOS_LSI_from_Texas_Instruments.pdf) The Computer History Museum credits this format with revolutionizing computer manufacturing by simplifying board layout and allowing automated insertion into printed circuit boards.[1](https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/package-is-the-first-to-accommodate-system-design-considerations/) Low-cost, plastic-molded versions of the outline dominated production volumes by the early 1970s, and pin counts rose to 64 leads.[1](https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/package-is-the-first-to-accommodate-system-design-considerations/) The Semiconductor Industry Association history adds that DIP development was undertaken partly for end applications such as avionics and satellites, where the restricted lead count of transistor-style packages had become a limitation.[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf)
## Construction and dimensions
A DIP consists of a die mounted on a lead frame, connected by bond wires, and encapsulated. Plastic DIPs are usually made from opaque molded epoxy pressed around a tin-, silver-, or gold-plated lead frame that supports the die and provides the connection pins; ceramic DIPs are used where high temperature or high reliability is required.[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf) Ceramic DIPs are also frequently used for testing MEMS and microsystem prototypes.[3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dual-inline-package)
The defining dimension is the lead pitch, most commonly 2.54 mm (0.100 inch), with 1.78 mm and 1.27 mm pitches less common.[3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dual-inline-package) Body widths follow the row spacing: 300 mil (7.62 mm) for small packages such as 8- and 14-lead parts, and 600 mil (15.24 mm) for larger 24-, 28-, and 40-lead ceramic and plastic versions.[7](https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/PackagingSpec/00049w.pdf) Pin counts run from 4 to 64 in common packages, and up to 84 pins in the family overall.[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf) • [3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dual-inline-package) Variations include single-row types with a heat sink tab in place of the second row, and four-row types with two staggered rows on each side.[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf)
## Why the format worked
The package was designed primarily to overcome the difficulty of handling packages and inserting them into mounting boards. A NASA packaging manual notes that the DIP is easily hand- or machine-inserted, requires no spreaders, spacers, insulators, or lead forming, and can be field-serviced with standard hand tools and soldering irons, which made it widely used in commercial plastic form and in military systems as a ceramic package.[4](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19680020053/downloads/19680020053.pdf)
**Standardization and sockets.** JEDEC, the industry standards body for electronic devices, establishes the package designators and geometries, and manufacturer drawings reference JEDEC registrations such as MS-001 for plastic DIPs and MS-030 for 8-lead CERDIPs.[3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dual-inline-package) • [5](https://www.pilianidis.gr/images/sync_products/03-OP27EPZ/OP27.pdf) • [7](https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/PackagingSpec/00049w.pdf) Because dimensions are consistent across manufacturers, DIPs can be socketed, which lets a part be replaced without soldering; Texas Instruments describes DIP as convenient for prototyping and breadboard applications through soldering or socketing.[8](https://www.ti.com/packaging/tw/docs/searchtipackages.tsp?packageName=DIP)
**Breadboard compatibility.** The standard 2.54 mm pitch matches the hole spacing of solderless breadboards, which were designed around DIP dimensions, so a DIP straddles the center channel with one pin per hole row.[6](https://pcbsync.com/dip/) This is a main reason DIP parts remain the default in engineering education.[9](https://resources.altium.com/p/dip-component)
## Decline and remaining uses
DIP packages have been mostly displaced by surface-mount types, which avoid the expense of drilling holes in a printed circuit board and allow a higher density of interconnections.[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf) The through-hole mounting creates robust mechanical connections but consumes board area on both sides of the substrate and requires drilled holes.[10](https://www.electronicsguide.net/foundations-and-theory/digital-electronics/package-and-assembly-technologies/ic-package-types/) As microprocessors and similar complex devices needed more leads than a DIP could carry, higher-density packages such as the [quad flat package](https://www.edgepedia.org/quad-flat-package) and ball grid array were developed.[2](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf)
Electrical limits reinforce the mechanical ones. Package parasitics, including pin and lead capacitance, limit the available channel bandwidth and slow signal transitions, so DIPs cannot compete with modern surface-mount packages in I/O count and density.[9](https://resources.altium.com/p/dip-component)
DIPs are still manufactured. They suit applications where single-sided circuit boards remain economical, and they persist in hobbyist, educational, and repair contexts; adapters convert surface-mount parts to DIP footprints for breadboarding.[6](https://pcbsync.com/dip/) • [9](https://resources.altium.com/p/dip-component) Some devices are also offered in DIP-outline packages with formed gull-wing leads for surface mounting, although this variant is not encouraged for new designs.[11](https://www.analog.com/en/resources/design-notes/design-considerations-for-allsilicon-delay-lines.html)
## References
1. [1965: Package is the First to Accommodate System Design Considerations, Computer History Museum, Silicon Engine](https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/package-is-the-first-to-accommodate-system-design-considerations/)
2. [Whitepaper on Semiconductor Die and Packaging, Semiconductor Industry Association (2013)](https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Whitepaper-on-Semiconductor-Die-and-Packaging-for-SD-AO-May-14-2013.pdf)
3. [Dual-Inline Package, an overview, ScienceDirect Topics](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/dual-inline-package)
4. [Dual In-Line (DIP) Package, NASA Technical Reports Server](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19680020053/downloads/19680020053.pdf)
5. [OP27 datasheet, 8-Lead PDIP outline compliant to JEDEC MS-001-BA](https://www.pilianidis.gr/images/sync_products/03-OP27EPZ/OP27.pdf)
6. [DIP (Dual In-Line Package): Classic IC Package Explained, PCBSync](https://pcbsync.com/dip/)
7. [Packaging, Outlines and Dimensions, Microchip Technology](https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/PackagingSpec/00049w.pdf)
8. [Find all TI packages: Dual In-Line (DIP), Texas Instruments](https://www.ti.com/packaging/tw/docs/searchtipackages.tsp?packageName=DIP)
9. [Does Anyone Still Use DIP Components?, Altium](https://resources.altium.com/p/dip-component)
10. [IC Package Types, Electronics Guide](https://www.electronicsguide.net/foundations-and-theory/digital-electronics/package-and-assembly-technologies/ic-package-types/)
11. [Design Considerations for All-Silicon Delay Lines, Analog Devices](https://www.analog.com/en/resources/design-notes/design-considerations-for-allsilicon-delay-lines.html)
12. [1970 MOS LSI From Texas Instruments.pdf, bitsavers.org](https://www.bitsavers.org/components/ti/_dataBooks/1970_MOS_LSI_from_Texas_Instruments.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Engineering and manufacturing › Electrical and electronics engineering › Semiconductor and IC manufacturing*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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