Arduino Protection Shield or Educational Guide to Prevent Board Damage
The Reddit post titled "F to pay respect," along with comments like "What are you doing that your boards are dying so often?!", "Did you plug 12V into your Arduino by any chance...?", and "This is what happens when you wing it without knowing what you're doing," clearly shows that users, especially those new to electronics or just experimenting, often end up damaging their microcontroller boards. This usually happens due to common mistakes like applying the wrong voltage or simply not knowing safe prototyping practices. This situation presents at least two clear opportunities:
-
Physical Product: "Microcontroller Sentry Module" / "Universal Prototyping Protection Unit"
- Suggestion: A versatile, user-friendly hardware module that sits between the microcontroller (e.g., Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi Pico) and the external circuits/components. This module would offer protection against common electrical faults.
- Features could include:
- Over-voltage protection on I/O pins and power inputs (e.g., clamping voltages to safe levels).
- Reverse polarity protection for the main power supply.
- Current limiting or resettable fuses on I/O pins and VCC lines to prevent damage from short circuits.
- Clear LED indicators for power status and fault conditions (e.g., over-voltage, over-current).
- Selectable voltage logic levels (3.3V/5V) for broader compatibility.
- Expected Benefits:
- Significantly reduces the number of destroyed microcontroller boards, saving users money on replacements.
- Lowers the barrier to entry for beginners by mitigating the risk of costly mistakes.
- Reduces frustration, encouraging continued learning and experimentation in electronics.
-
Information Resource: "The Electronics Prototyping Survival Guide: Avoid Fried Circuits & Master Safe Practices"
- Suggestion: A comprehensive and accessible guide (e.g., an ebook, an online course with video demonstrations, a dedicated website with interactive tools, or a series of workshops).
- Content could include:
- Detailed explanations of common electrical hazards in prototyping (e.g., over-voltage, ground loops, floating pins, ESD).
- Safe wiring techniques for common sensors, motors, and other peripherals.
- How to correctly power projects and manage different voltage levels.
- Step-by-step debugging guides for "why my board isn't working" or "why it smoked."
- Checklists for pre-power-up verification.
- Understanding basic datasheet parameters related to maximum ratings.
- Expected Benefits:
- Empowers users with the knowledge to prevent damaging their hardware in the first place.
- Increases user confidence and accelerates the learning process in electronics.
- Serves as a valuable reference, reducing the time spent troubleshooting preventable issues.
- Could reduce project abandonment rates due to hardware failures.
Origin Reddit Post
r/arduino
F to pay respect
Posted by u/Pew_Khalil•05/28/2025
Top Comments
u/Matqux
If you want a super cheap alternative, I can highly recommend masking tape that is used for painting stuff. Although it is not cut to size, I use it a lot to mark PCBs with it. Of course you
u/No-Ruin197
Well 3v DC motors run mighty fine using the Arduino 5v pin as the breadboard power supply.
u/EggyB0ff
Rookie mistakes😂
u/guerillamannam
Sometimes the best way to learn...
u/According_Cup606
trying to power your dc motor straight from the arduino, amirite ?
u/WooShell
What are you doing that your boards are dying that often?!
u/Dragon20C
I'm very new and I would love to know how you killed your boards, I would like to avoid something like this!
u/Dragon20C
I'm very new and I would love to know how you killed your boards, I would like to avoid something like this!
u/JustInternetNoise
A sacrifice to the great machine God
u/JustInternetNoise
A sacrifice to the great machine God
u/HiroshiTakeshi
Push be to the edge
All my boards are dead
u/Howdyy-boi242
Just try replacing the Atmega Microcontroller? Maybe that works ( Also did you plug in 12V into arduino by any chance...??)
u/curly722
Maybe before the internet. Not today. Today that mentality is just lazy.
u/Pod3500
They're all dead, Dave.
u/No-Ruin197
Most likely using Arduino to power insane circuit loads or reverse polarity related mishaps.
u/Emotional_Seat_7424
Or the result of not being afraid to experiment with ideas or the result of diferent learning styles and personalities or the the result of knowing how to do it but still making stupid mistak
u/Pod3500
They're all dead, Dave.
u/hlmgcc
F
u/Howdyy-boi242
Just try replacing the Atmega Microcontroller? Maybe that works ( Also did you plug in 12V into arduino by any chance...??)
u/Moist-Cashew
Man these comments are wild. I have a box of shit I've fried over the years that includes a few micro controllers. Not that big of a deal, it happens for all sorts of reasons. If you haven't
u/Supermassivescum
I had a drawer so full I had to throw them out last year. Probably 2 dozen Arduino, dozen broken motors, various other boards and sensors.
Hell, I have enough mystery blue USB cables to fill
u/veloci_official
what tape are you using to write on ?
was looking for something like this
u/samy_the_samy
Plugging any sensor or device to the logic pins that isn't marketed for ardiuno, at least without checking the operating voltage or polarity
u/FJORLAND
This is the result of " I dont know what I am doing, but let me try this anyways"
u/FJORLAND
This is the result of " I dont know what I am doing, but let me try this anyways"
u/According_Cup606
trying to power your dc motor straight from the arduino, amirite ?
u/samy_the_samy
Plugging any sensor or device to the logic pins that isn't marketed for ardiuno, at least without checking the operating voltage or polarity
u/JustInternetNoise
A sacrifice to the great machine God
u/jeweliegb
Peterson isn't, is he?
u/curly722
Maybe before the internet. Not today. Today that mentality is just lazy.
u/Fluffy-Assignment782
They don't need to be marketed for arduino. Minimum you need is to check voltage levels. And it's easy to drop voltage for logic if needed. First thing you wanna do with new sensor is google
u/Matqux
If you want a super cheap alternative, I can highly recommend masking tape that is used for painting stuff. Although it is not cut to size, I use it a lot to mark PCBs with it. Of course you
u/No-Ruin197
Well 3v DC motors run mighty fine using the Arduino 5v pin as the breadboard power supply.
u/hlmgcc
F
u/jeweliegb
Peterson isn't, is he?
u/qnamanmanga
No. That's not yhe case here.
u/EggyB0ff
Rookie mistakes😂
u/guerillamannam
Sometimes the best way to learn...
u/nanoCrypto
Killer
u/Supermassivescum
I had a drawer so full I had to throw them out last year. Probably 2 dozen Arduino, dozen broken motors, various other boards and sensors.
Hell, I have enough mystery blue USB cables to fill
u/WooShell
What are you doing that your boards are dying that often?!
u/Supermassivescum
I had a drawer so full I had to throw them out last year. Probably 2 dozen Arduino, dozen broken motors, various other boards and sensors.
Hell, I have enough mystery blue USB cables to fill
u/veloci_official
what tape are you using to write on ?
was looking for something like this
u/vosper
I read this in Holly's voice too!
u/adderalpowered
Respect! This means you are finding out what not to do and moving on! I work in a building full of arduinos and we generate quite a few each year, its a process We have maybe 50 deployed in o
u/Fluffy-Assignment782
They don't need to be marketed for arduino. Minimum you need is to check voltage levels. And it's easy to drop voltage for logic if needed. First thing you wanna do with new sensor is google
u/samy_the_samy
Plugging any sensor or device to the logic pins that isn't marketed for ardiuno, at least without checking the operating voltage or polarity
u/nanoCrypto
Killer
u/Selfdependent_Human
F.
Sometimes peripheral accessories beyond Arduino offering aren't clearly documented and the moment you realize what they meant, the board is dead.
Some others, layers of hardware hinder
u/nanoCrypto
Killer
u/Howdyy-boi242
Just try replacing the Atmega Microcontroller? Maybe that works ( Also did you plug in 12V into arduino by any chance...??)
u/newredditwhoisthis
Even with the internet though, we can still go wrong in one or two small things...
I wouldn't judge
u/Pew_Khalil
actually that's not my fault I'm a volunteer in my local robotics club and I had to clean up others mess
u/veloci_official
oh wow didn't think about that, thanks!
u/veloci_official
what tape are you using to write on ?
was looking for something like this
u/WooShell
What are you doing that your boards are dying that often?!
u/veloci_official
oh wow didn't think about that, thanks!
u/Emotional_Seat_7424
Or Google sensor name + arduino there isn't that many sensors which haven't been a tutorial and library readily avaiable in a well described tutorial
u/TCB13sQuotes
What if you learn how electronics work instead of keeping buying and frying boards? What a waste from an environmental standpoint.
u/Pod3500
They're all dead, Dave.
u/No-Ruin197
Most likely using Arduino to power insane circuit loads or reverse polarity related mishaps.
u/vosper
I read this in Holly's voice too!
u/HiroshiTakeshi
Push be to the edge
All my boards are dead
u/FJORLAND
This is the result of " I dont know what I am doing, but let me try this anyways"
u/FJORLAND
This is the result of " I dont know what I am doing, but let me try this anyways"
u/No-Ruin197
Most likely using Arduino to power insane circuit loads or reverse polarity related mishaps.
u/No-Ruin197
Well 3v DC motors run mighty fine using the Arduino 5v pin as the breadboard power supply.
u/Hot-Green547
Why not just throw them away if they are dead?
u/guerillamannam
Sometimes the best way to learn...
u/Dragon20C
I'm very new and I would love to know how you killed your boards, I would like to avoid something like this!
u/Fluffy-Assignment782
They don't need to be marketed for arduino. Minimum you need is to check voltage levels. And it's easy to drop voltage for logic if needed. First thing you wanna do with new sensor is google
u/nanoCrypto
Killer
u/HiroshiTakeshi
Push be to the edge
All my boards are dead
u/EggyB0ff
Rookie mistakes😂
u/WooShell
What are you doing that your boards are dying that often?!
u/Matqux
If you want a super cheap alternative, I can highly recommend masking tape that is used for painting stuff. Although it is not cut to size, I use it a lot to mark PCBs with it. Of course you
u/According_Cup606
trying to power your dc motor straight from the arduino, amirite ?
u/TCB13sQuotes
What if you learn how electronics work instead of keeping buying and frying boards? What a waste from an environmental standpoint.
u/Howdyy-boi242
Just try replacing the Atmega Microcontroller? Maybe that works ( Also did you plug in 12V into arduino by any chance...??)