The same physical package can appear under five different names, and this IC package cross-reference maps them so you can tell when MLF, LFCSP, and VQFN all mean the same QFN. Vendors, JEDEC, and JEITA each label packages differently, and an order-code suffix like DBV hides the package entirely. Use the tables below to decode a name, confirm a footprint, or qualify a second source.
Key takeaways
- SOP, SOIC, and SO are the same gull-wing family; SOIC is the JEDEC name, SOP the JEITA/IEC name.
- QFN hides behind vendor aliases — MLF (Amkor), MLP (Carsem/legacy Fairchild), LFCSP (Analog Devices), LLP (National), SON, and VQFN.
- MSOP was renamed VSSOP; TI datasheets now use VSSOP for the same 3 mm × 3 mm body.
- A TI order suffix decodes the package: D = SOIC, PW = TSSOP, DGK = MSOP/VSSOP, DBV = SOT-23, DCK = SC-70, DRL = SOT-553.
- A matching name does not guarantee a matching footprint — narrow and wide SOIC share the name but not the land pattern.
- Confirm equivalence against the JEDEC outline code on the datasheet drawing, not the friendly name.
Why one package has five names
Package names come from three overlapping sources, and they rarely agree. JEDEC (JESD30) defines descriptive designations used across US vendors. JEITA (formerly EIAJ) defines the parallel Japanese set. On top of both, individual manufacturers brand their own version with a trademarked name.
The result is layered aliasing. A leadless power package might be called QFN generically, MLF by Amkor, LFCSP by Analog Devices, and SOT-762-1 in an NXP order code — all the same construction. Reading a cross-reference is less about memorizing names than knowing which naming system you are looking at.
SOP, SOIC, and SO — one family, three labels
Is SOP the same as SOIC? Yes. SOP (Small Outline Package) is the JEITA/IEC designation and SOIC (Small Outline Integrated Circuit) is the JEDEC designation for the same gull-wing, 1.27 mm-pitch surface-mount family. SO is just the abbreviated form, so SO-8 and SOIC-8 are identical.
The catch is body width. JEDEC splits SOIC into narrow (MS-012, 3.9 mm body) and wide (MS-013, 7.5 mm body), while some vendors reserve “SOP” for the wider EIAJ Type II 5.3 mm body. Texas Instruments and Fairchild historically used SOIC for the 3.9 mm and 7.5 mm JEDEC parts and SOP for the 5.3 mm EIAJ part. Same family name, three different bodies — check the millimeter dimension, not just the letters.
The QFN alias problem: MLF, MLP, LFCSP, LLP, SON, VQFN
No package generates more name confusion than the quad-flat no-lead. The generic term is QFN, but almost every major supplier brands its own. Amkor pioneered the format as MicroLeadFrame (MLF) in the late 1990s and shipped its billionth MLF unit by 2005.
The aliases below all describe leadframe-based, leadless, near-chip-scale packages with perimeter lands and usually an exposed thermal pad. They differ in vendor and sometimes lead count or side count, not in fundamental construction.
| Alias | Origin / meaning | Same as |
| MLF | Amkor MicroLeadFrame | QFN |
| MLP | Carsem / legacy Fairchild micro leadframe | QFN/DFN |
| LFCSP | Analog Devices leadframe chip-scale | QFN |
| LLP | National Semiconductor (now TI) | QFN/SON |
| SON / WSON / VSON | Small-outline no-lead (2-sided) | DFN |
| VQFN / HVQFN / WQFN | Very-thin / wettable-flank / TI code | QFN |
| DFN | Dual flat no-lead (2-sided QFN) | 2-side QFN |
Sources: Amkor MicroLeadFrame page; mbedded.ninja QFN/DFN alias references; TI package list.
The practical rule: if a datasheet says MLF, LFCSP, LLP, or VQFN, treat it as a QFN and read the dimension drawing for the exact body, pitch, and exposed-pad size. DFN and SON are the two-sided versions — same idea, pads on two edges instead of four.
The shrink family: SSOP, TSSOP, MSOP, VSSOP
Below the 1.27 mm SOIC sit the shrink variants, and their names encode pitch and height. SSOP (shrink) runs 0.65 mm pitch; TSSOP (thin shrink) keeps 0.65 mm but drops to 1.1 mm max height; QSOP uses 0.635 mm.
The rename to watch is MSOP. TI and others reclassified the mini/micro small-outline package as VSSOP (very-thin shrink SOP); a datasheet revision may literally read “changed MSOP-8 to VSSOP-8 throughout” (TI OPA171 datasheet). If a BOM lists MSOP and a new datasheet lists VSSOP at the same 3 mm × 3 mm body and 0.5 mm pitch, they are the same package.
Master package cross-reference
| Standard (JEDEC) | Also known as | Pitch | Leads / termination |
| SOIC / SO | SOP, SO (JEITA); SO PowerPAD (exp. pad) | 1.27 mm | Gull-wing, 2-side |
| SSOP | Shrink SOP | 0.65 mm | Gull-wing, 2-side |
| TSSOP | Thin shrink SOP; HTSSOP (exp. pad) | 0.65 mm | Gull-wing, 2-side |
| VSSOP | MSOP, Mini-SO | 0.5 mm | Gull-wing, 2-side |
| QFP / LQFP / TQFP | PQFP, HQFP (exp. pad) | 0.4–0.8 mm | Gull-wing, 4-side |
| QFN | MLF, LFCSP, LLP, VQFN, MLP | 0.4–0.65 mm | Lands, 4-side + pad |
| DFN | SON, WSON, VSON, MLP-dual | 0.4–0.65 mm | Lands, 2-side + pad |
| BGA | PBGA, TBGA, TEPBGA, FBGA, NFBGA | 0.4–1.0 mm | Solder balls |
| SC-70 | SOT-323 | 0.65 mm | Gull-wing, small-signal |
| SOT-23 | TSOT, SOT-23-x | 0.95 mm | Gull-wing, small-signal |
Cross-reference compiled from TI SSPU001 (TI↔National terms) and JEDEC/JEITA designations.
Decoding the order-code suffix
The package is often hidden in the part number’s letter suffix, not spelled out. Texas Instruments assigns a two-to-three letter package designator that you decode from the datasheet’s package table. These recur across thousands of TI analog parts.
| TI suffix | Package | Standard name |
| D (or U) | 8-pin SOIC | SOIC / SO |
| PW | TSSOP | TSSOP |
| DGK | MSOP-8 / VSSOP-8 | VSSOP |
| DBV | SOT-23 (3/5/6-lead) | SOT-23 |
| DCK | SC-70 (5/6-lead) | SC-70 / SOT-323 |
| DRL | SOT-563 / SOT-553 | SOT-553 |
| RTE / RGE | QFN (e.g. 16/24-ld) | QFN / VQFN |
Sources: TI DIP-ADAPTER-EVM documentation; TI OPA171 and LMV-series datasheets.
One warning from those same datasheets: on tiny packages like DBV/DCK/DGK, the top-side marking adds a character for the assembly/test site, so the mark will not match the full part number.
Other vendors use their own letters — onsemi, for instance, uses V or W for SOIC, Y for a 4.4 mm TSSOP, and Z for a 3 mm × 3 mm MSOP in its nomenclature breakdown. Always decode against the specific vendor’s datasheet, never by assuming one vendor’s letter means the same at another.
Name match versus footprint match
A shared name is a starting point, not a guarantee. The classic trap is SOIC: a narrow-body SOIC-8 (JEDEC MS-012, ~3.9 mm body, ~6.0 mm lead span) and a wide-body SOIC-8 (MS-013, ~7.5 mm body) carry the same “SOIC-8” label and will not drop onto the same land pattern.
The same holds inside the QFN aliases. Two parts both called “QFN-32” can differ in body size, pitch, or exposed-pad dimensions, and an LFCSP from one vendor may not match another’s VQFN pad-for-pad. Equivalence lives in the dimension drawing and the JEDEC outline code (MO-/MS-), not the marketing name.
Worked example: qualifying a second source
Suppose your BOM specifies an op-amp in “MSOP-8” and the alternate you found lists “VSSOP-8, DGK.” Are they interchangeable? Decode first: DGK is TI’s designator for the 8-pin MSOP/VSSOP, and MSOP was renamed VSSOP, so the names align.
Now verify the drawing. Confirm both cite the same body (3.0 mm × 3.0 mm), the same 0.5 mm pitch, and the same lead span before approving. If the incumbent was a true MSOP and the alternate is a VSSOP at identical dimensions, they are a match. If either differs in pitch or body — or one is secretly a QFN-style DFN — stop and re-lay the footprint. Cross-reference the name, then always confirm the millimeters.
Frequently asked questions
Is SOP the same as SOIC?
Yes, functionally. SOP is the JEITA/IEC name and SOIC is the JEDEC name for the same gull-wing, 1.27 mm-pitch, two-sided surface-mount family. SO is the abbreviation. Watch body width, though: vendors sometimes reserve SOP for the wider 5.3 mm EIAJ body versus SOIC’s 3.9 mm.
What is the difference between QFN and MLF?
None in construction. MLF (MicroLeadFrame) is Amkor’s brand name for the QFN package — a leadless, near-chip-scale package with perimeter lands and an exposed thermal pad. LFCSP (Analog Devices), LLP (National), and VQFN are other vendor names for the same family.
Is MSOP the same as VSSOP?
Yes. VSSOP (very-thin shrink small-outline package) is the current JEDEC-aligned name for what many datasheets historically called MSOP or Mini-SO. TI reclassified MSOP-8 to VSSOP-8 at the same 3 mm × 3 mm body and 0.5 mm pitch; the DGK designator covers both.
What does the D mean in a TI part number?
D is TI’s package designator for an 8-pin SOIC. Other common suffixes: PW is TSSOP, DGK is MSOP/VSSOP, DBV is SOT-23, DCK is SC-70, and DRL is SOT-553. Decode the letters from the datasheet’s package table, since vendors do not share a common code.
How do I know if two packages are interchangeable?
Match the JEDEC outline code (MO- or MS-) and the dimension drawing, not the name. Confirm identical body size, pitch, lead span, and exposed-pad dimensions. A narrow SOIC-8 (MS-012) and a wide SOIC-8 (MS-013) share a name but not a footprint.
Bottom line
Use this cross-reference to translate first: identify whether you are reading a JEDEC name, a JEITA name, a vendor alias, or an order-code suffix, then map it to the standard package. Treat MLF, LFCSP, LLP, and VQFN as QFN; treat SOP and SO as SOIC; treat MSOP as VSSOP. Then stop trusting the name and confirm the drawing — match the MO-/MS- outline code and the millimeters before you approve any alternate part.
