I don't know about the 16F877 but most chip grids and part legs are made
of mildly annealed iron which becomes magnetized quite easily plus may
have some chrome plating in it that becomes even more so.

Also you will eventually have the Hall voltages in the semiconductor upset
normal function. I'd say that the first to suffer will be the A/D and the
voltage regulator (Hall voltage is directly proportional to current).

It would be interesting to know what you find ... please share it.

tia,

Peter

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