     <<<
     From:    Danny Chicotel <DRChicotel@MARATHONOIL.COM>

     I am interested in using PICs for automotive gadgets.  Are there any
     sites that anyone knows about that might be helpful.  In particular,
     what
     if any, special precautions must be followed to ensure reliable
     operation
     in the vehicle environment.  I suspect some kind of power conditioning
     and spike suppression etc. would be needed.  Thanks in advance.
     >>>

     Hi,

     It would depend on your intended 'market'.  If it is a 'gadget' for
     yourself or a friend then you need take no special precautions.  I
     have built a PIC'84 based thing that lived in the driver's
     compartment, and had a sensor by a wheel, wired through the engine
     bay.  It was in a plastic box, but I would recommend a metal box as
     you will probably use a voltage regulator from 12v to 5v and will want
     to wick away all that heat.  Also for one-off quantities you can
     choose a regulator that has short-circuit and reverse-polarity
     protection.

     You should shield all your sensor leads, and maybe zener clamp any
     inputs, but again if it is a hobbyist device why bother.  You are sure
     to learn something if it goes bang, but PICs seem to be mostly
     bomb-proof anyway.

     I have been away from the PICLIST for about a year now, although I
     have been lurking.  It is nice to see familiar names still there.

     BTW if anyone's interested I have details on how to make money fast,
     and it really works...!

     Andy (the other one)
     ---
     (made up sig tacked on the end as we have cc:Mail, an appalling
     example of an email system)
     Software Engineer
     Synaptics Inc.