>You are very lucky. If two pins other than power or ground make contact

You can operate a PIC by providing power through I/O pins.  And if you make
your program smart enough, you can even do better.  Consider, for example,
the following:

On an 18-pin PIC, connect /MCLR to Vcc, leave GND unconnected (or tied to
your circuit).  Pins 9 and 10 will be our NON-POLARIZED power pins (either
pin can go either way).

PWR_A   equ     PORTB.3         ; Pic a pin, any pin...
PWB_B   equ     PORTB.4

        org     0
        bsf     RP0
        movlw   255
        movwf   TRISB
        bcf     RP0

        btfss   PWR_A                   ; Is PWR_A pin high?
        goto    A_GND                   ;       No, it's ground
        btfsc   PWR_B                   ; Is PWR_B pin high?
        goto    0                       ;       No, something's wrong - power on
 different pins

B_GND
        bsf     PWR_A                   ; Connect A pin to + supply
        bcf     PWR_B                   ; Connect B pin to GND supply
        goto    SET_POWER
A_GND
        bcf     PWR_A                   ; Connect A pin to GND supply
        bsf     PWR_B                   ; Connect B pin to + supply
SET_POWER
        movlw   11100111b               ; Turn these pins to outputs
        movwf   TRISB

Loop    goto    Loop                    ; Put your program here


Maybe Mchip doesn't recommend it, but with the lower power it takes to run
a PIC and the high current ratings on the pins, it DOES work just fine.

Go ahead, try it!

Andy

==================================================================
Andy Kunz - Montana Design - 409 S 6th St - Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
          Hardware & Software for Industry & R/C Hobbies
        "Go fast, turn right, and keep the wet side down!"
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