A QFP or Quad Flat Package is a surface mount integrated circuit package with "gull wing" leads extending from each of the four sides. Socketing such packages is rare and through-hole mounting is not possible. Versions ranging from 32 to 304 pins with a pitch ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 mm are common. Other special variants include low profile QFP and thin QFP.
The QFP component package type became common in Europe and United States during the early nineties, even though it has been used in Japanese consumer electronics since the seventies. It is often mixed with hole mounted, and sometimes socketed, components on the same printed circuit board.
A package related to QFP is PLCC which is similar but has pins with larger pitch, 1.27 mm (or 1/20 inch), curved up underneath a thicker body to simplify socketing (soldering is also possible). It is commonly used for NOR Flash memories and other programmable components.
Read more about Quad Flat Package: Limitations, Variants
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