Don't sweat the fluorescent lighting.  It takes me a couple of minutes to
erase most PIC's with my DataErase II, about 60 to 240 minutes with a
commercial U/V (black light) tube, and I've left PIC's and Eproms under
fluorescent light for weeks with no damage.

The short times described in the original post are with high intensity U/V
tubes like that in the DataErase.


CIAO - Martin R. Green
elimar@bigfoot.com

----------
From:   Shane Nelson[SMTP:i@CHEETAH.SPOTS.AB.CA]
Sent:   Wednesday, August 13, 1997 3:39 PM
To:     PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject:        Re: frying a PIC

On Wed, 13 Aug 1997, Andy Kunz wrote:

> >I have a dozen 'c54 chips that won't erase. I'm thinking I probably
fried
> >them with too much current...
>
> Probably.  '54 usually is a couple minutes, even when cp'd
>
> Andy

Couple minutes?? Wow. I find they need at least 20. I wonder if it's
possible to damage them by UV exposure, or  by just leaving them
under normal flourscent lighting.. I usually don't cover the window when
testing.

-Shane.