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Zig-zag in-line package

Zig-zag in-line package is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Zig-zag in-line package rather than just read about it. In short: The zig-zag in-line package (ZIP) is a packaging technology for integrated circuits. It was intended as a replacement for dual in-line packaging (DIL or DIP).

Zig-zag in-line package — main illustration
Zig-zag in-line package — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Zig-zag in-line package belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Zig-zag in-line package to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Zig-zag in-line package from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The zig-zag in-line package (ZIP) is a packaging technology for integrated circuits. It was intended as a replacement for dual in-line packaging (DIL or DIP). A ZIP is an integrated circuit encapsulated in a slab of plastic with 16, 20, 28 or 40 pins, measuring (for the ZIP-20 package) about 3 mm × 30 mm × 10 mm. The package's pins protrude in two rows from one of the long edges. The two rows are staggered by 1.27 mm (0.05"), giving them a zig-zag appearance, and allowing them to be spaced more closely than a rectangular grid would allow. The pins are inserted into holes in a printed circuit board, with the packages standing at right-angles to the board, allowing them to be placed closer together than DIPs of the same size. ZIPs have now been superseded by surface-mount packages such as the thin small-outline packages (TSOPs), but are still in use. The quad in-line package uses a similar staggered semiconductor package design, but on two sides instead of one.

High-power devices (such as high-voltage op-amp ICs, voltage regulators, and motor driver ICs) are still being manufactured in a package with a zig-zag pinout (and normally screwed onto a heatsink). These zig-zag packages include variations on the TO-220 such as "TO-220S", "staggered leads TO-220-11", "staggered leads TO-220-15", and HZIP. The trademarks Pentawatt or Hexawatt are also used for chips in multi-leaded power packages like TDA2002/2003/2020/2030 and L200.

As for computers, dynamic RAM ZIP chips are now only to be found in obsolete computers, some of these are:

Amiga 500 expansion packs Amiga 3000 on-board memory and some expansion boards Commodore CDTV on-board memory Acorn Archimedes 300 and 400 series on-board memory Acorn Archimedes A3010 and A3020

See also Types of chip carriers – list of chip package types

References

Illustrations

Zig-zag in-line package: Zig-zag in-line package
Zig-zag in-line package
Zig-zag in-line package: A TDA2030 audio power amplifier IC in a staggerd TO-220 with five leads.
A TDA2030 audio power amplifier IC in a staggerd TO-220 with five leads.
Zig-zag in-line package illustration
Zig-zag in-line package illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Zig-zag in-line package

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Zig-zag in-line package claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Zig-zag in-line package before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Zig-zag in-line package ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Zig-zag in-line package

In research
Zig-zag in-line package appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Zig-zag in-line package in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Zig-zag in-line package is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Chip carriers, Computer hardware stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Zig-zag in-line package outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Zig-zag in-line package in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Zig-zag in-line package means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Zig-zag in-line package out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Zig-zag in-line package in simple terms?

The zig-zag in-line package (ZIP) is a packaging technology for integrated circuits. It was intended as a replacement for dual in-line packaging (DIL or DIP).

Why does Zig-zag in-line package matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Zig-zag in-line package?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Zig-zag in-line package.

Tags

  • Chip carriers
  • Computer hardware stubs

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