10 Ways to Destroy an Arduino

10 Ways to Destroy an Arduino article tells how you can accidentally destroy Arduino board. Use a sledgehammer, fire a bullet at it, throw it into a pool….that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re going to show you how to electrically destroy your Arduino:
Method #1: Shorting I/O Pins to Ground
Method #2: Shorting I/O Pins to Each Other
Method #3: Apply Overvoltage to I/O Pins
Method #4: Apply External Vin Power Backwards
Method #5: Apply >5V to the 5V Connector Pin
Method #6: Apply >3.3V to the 3.3V Connector Pin
Method #7: Short Vin to GND
Method #8: Apply 5V External Power with Vin Load
Method #9: Apply >13V to Reset Pin
Method #10: Exceed Total Microcontroller Current

When there are problems or potential problems, there are often commercial solutions to them. 10 Ways to Destroy an Arduino article was written by makers of The Ruggeduino board. Besides telling the problems, the article gives ideas how to solve most of those problems (interesting reading).

The Ruggeduino is a ruggedized Arduino-compatible microcontroller board. It’s features include overcurrent and overvoltage protection on all I/O pins and 5V/3.3V outputs, ESD protection on all I/O pins and USB port, total microcontroller overcurrent protection, and operation at up to 24V. I have written earlier on my blog on that board at http://www.epanorama.net/blog/2011/08/23/ruggeduino/.