Build or Buy?

[Danny Wallace]

Hi all,
Please excuse if this has been discussed - just point me to the
archives.
I'm in the early stages of my EFI project and am trying to decide
whether to start completely from scratch with cct design and
board layout OR buy a commercial microController card - probably
using a 8051.
Does anybody have any suggestions or warnings about trying to
build from scratch.  Is it a waste of time?  I've never layed out
a micro processor/controller board so am not sure if the layout
will be so critical that timings etc will be a nightmare?  If
anybody has done their own PC board - what method did you use -
photographic, just provide the layout to a commercial firm (this
seems expensive for prototypes or one offs).  Any thoughts most
appreciated..
Danny
Perth, Western Australia
wallad at devetwa.edu.au