Is it ok to call all the chips with alphanumeric labels BGA (ball grid array)?

Some ICs have their pins labelled only with numerical values and some use alphanumeric labels. I want to know what is the correct naming term for these cases. Is it ok to call all the chips with alphanumeric labels BGA (ball grid array)? And for chips with only numeric pin labels the chip should be called DIL (dual in line)?

PCB Assembly
October 26, 2023

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).

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Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.

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