How is a DIP (dual in-line package) characterized?

A dual in-line package (DIP) is specifically characterized by its physical structure, which includes two parallel rows of pins extending from the sides of a rectangular chip. This design allows for easy insertion into a socket on a circuit board, making it user-friendly for prototyping and small-scale manufacturing. DIPs are commonly used for various kinds of electronic components, including memory chips and microcontrollers.

The other options describe characteristics that do not align with the fundamental definition of a DIP. For instance, a chip that supports triple data rate refers to a technology used in signaling, which is unrelated to the physical packaging of a DIP. Similarly, a chip with only one row of pins would not qualify as a dual in-line package, and a chip used exclusively for graphics processing does not inherently define the packaging type of a DIP. Thus, A accurately captures the essential feature of a DIP.