Fairchild Semiconductor Ad - Dual Inline Package
December 13, 1965 Electronics Magazine

December 13, 1965 Electronics [Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Electronics, published 1930 - 1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

Maybe at one time I knew this, but the claim by Fairchild Semiconductor in this 1965 Electronics magazine advertisement took me by surprise. They claim to have invented the dual-inline-package (DIP) format. According to Wikipedia, a trio of chaps - Don Forbes, Rex Rice and Bryant Rogers - all Fairchild engineers, developed the DIP package in 1964, a year prior to the ad. Previously, a round can designated TO# (Transistor Outline) with # (number) leads around the perimeter was used for integrated circuits, but as the I/O pin count increased, that form factor became unwieldy. An extensive search for a patent on the DIP, assigned to Fairchild and/or the three inventors, did not turn up anything. If you happen to know of a patent number, please send me an e-mail. I did find this one for "Lead frame design," which is for a TO-220 type outline.

Fairchild Semiconductor Ad

Fairchild invented Dual in-line packaging for manufacturers of commercial equipment. Dual in-line is a little larger than military-aerospace type packages.

It is also a lot easier to work with. (Insert it by hand or by machine.) Its leads have (Dual in-line actual size.) dimensional tolerances to fit holes drilled to commercial standards. Use standard circuit boards. Flow solder it. In fact, handle it the way you would any discrete component.

Dual in-line saves you trouble in the field, too: it has an all-ceramic body to prevent accidental shorts. Leads can be probed from the top, where they are visible to the serviceman. And, should you ever have to replace a circuit, a pair of pliers and a soldering iron are all the equipment you need. We have a complete line of logic functions available in Dual in-line. Your distributor has them in stock. Or, write for brochure.

Fairchild Semiconductor / A Division of Fairchild Camera Instrument Corporation, 313 Mountain View, California (415) 962-5011 TWX: 910-379-6435

Posted September 8, 2023
(updated from original post on 8/16/2018)