packages
I read the following sentence in this Maxim appnote. (WLP = Wafer Level Packaging, CSP = Chip-Scale Package)
WLP technology differs from other ball grid array, leaded, and laminate-based CSPs because no bond wires or interposer connections are required.
No bond wires? Then how is the die connected to the ball grid? Can anybody explain the difference between WLP and BGA in more detail? They look very similar.
Typically ICs with pins on the edges have numbered pins. That's DIL, but also QFP, DFN and even SOT23. You start at the pin 1 marker and follow the contour. IIRC PLCCs have their pin 1 in the middle of one of the sides, but normally pin 1 is one of the corners.
You'll see alphanumeric pin IDs whenever you've got some kind of grid, where there could be confusion about which are rows and which are columns. Usual suspects are BGA, PGA, and variants like WSP (WaferScale Packaging), but also this one:
One found this one recently, it's called a "Staggered Dual-row MicroLeadFrame® Package (MLF)". Like some BGAs where only the outer pins are used this one numbers the outer pins as "A*", and the next round as "B*".
They are different packages for the IC. Page 2 of the datasheet shows that CP is a plastic DIP package, and CDR is a small outline package. The R at the end means the ICs come in a reel; if there is no R then they come in tubes.
Performance may depend on the package -- you'll have to check the electrical characteristics in the datasheet to see what the differences are and if they matter to you (the package will be listed at the top of the electrical characteristics table). The package choice is mostly dependent on which you would prefer to use.
Reels are used for large quantities. If you only need a couple hundred (or less) units then you just need tubes. There is no difference in performance between tubes vs. reels -- it's just a difference in how the ICs are shipped.
This is what a reel of ICs looks like:
This is what a tube of ICs looks like:
Best Answer
This picture can help to see the difference between BGA and WLP