DaveC wrote:
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/packaging/

According to this source, the same package (listed in the TI datasheet as
"SOP") might a large SOIC-20:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/products/logic/packaging/soic20.html

Am I the only one confused?



That's another problem, there are special package types that are called
different things depending on the manufacture.

I've recently worked on some designs around TI chips in their "PowerPAD"
packages which are SOIC and SSOP equivalent but with an exposed metal
pad under the die, and of course different names. I've gone to just
ignoring all the packages included in the PCB software and drawing my
own from the datasheet of each part I use, it's less hassle in the long run.