Artoo Maker Lab is an independent site for people who build with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32 and robot kits. This page explains how we research projects, the safety rules every build on the site follows, what we refuse to cover, and how we handle credit, rumors and mistakes.
Who this page is for
This page is for readers who want to know why they can trust a wiring diagram or a board news post here. It is also for makers whose work we feature, so they know how we treat it.
How we research projects and explainers
Every project and explainer starts with primary sources. In order of priority:
- Datasheets and reference manuals. Pin voltages, current limits, timing and electrical ratings come from the manufacturer’s datasheet. Forum posts and old tutorials don’t count as sources for these.
- Official documentation. Arduino, Raspberry Pi and Espressif all publish their own docs, pinout references and hardware guides. We check them against the specific board revision we’re writing about, because pinouts and power behaviour change between models.
- Library and firmware sources. For code, we use the maintained version of a library and note the version we tested with. If a library is abandoned, we say so.
- Maker write-ups. Community projects are often where the practical knowledge lives: which sensor drifts, which motor driver runs hot, which clone board has a different USB chip. We use these for context and always credit them.
When sources disagree, the datasheet wins. When the datasheet is vague, we say so in the article instead of guessing.
What “tested” means here
If an article says a build was tested, we built it on the hardware named in the parts list and it worked as described. If a guide is an explainer based on documentation alone, we don’t present it as a hands-on build. We note board revisions, firmware versions and library versions so you can tell when a guide may have aged.
Electrical safety rules
These rules apply to every project we publish. A build that breaks them doesn’t get published, however clever it is.
Low voltage only
Our projects stay in low-voltage territory: 3.3 V and 5 V logic, and battery or bench supplies for motors and LEDs at modest voltages. Higher voltage means higher risk with little benefit for most hobby builds, so we design around it.
Respect current limits
Microcontroller pins are not power supplies. Before you connect anything, check what each pin can safely source or sink.
- Arduino Uno (ATmega328P): 20 mA per pin is a sensible working limit. 40 mA is the absolute maximum, and running at the absolute maximum shortens the chip’s life.
- Raspberry Pi and ESP32: both use 3.3 V GPIO. Neither is 5 V tolerant. Feeding 5 V into a GPIO pin can permanently damage the board.
- Motors, solenoids, relays and LED strips: drive these through a proper driver, transistor or MOSFET with a separate supply. Inductive loads also need flyback protection.
Every wiring guide we publish names the resistor values, driver boards and supply ratings it uses.
No mains work without a qualified electrician
We don’t publish projects that involve wiring into mains electricity. That covers wall outlets, light fittings, hardwired relays and opened-up appliances. Mains voltage can kill, and mistakes can start fires long after the build seems to work.
If a project needs to switch a mains device, we use a certified, enclosed product such as a listed smart plug and control it over the network. Anything that involves hardwiring belongs to a qualified electrician, and we tell readers that plainly.
Battery safety
Lithium cells power a lot of robots and portable builds. They store a lot of energy and they fail badly when abused. Our battery rules:
- Use a charger designed for the specific chemistry, and a balance charger for multi-cell LiPo packs.
- Don’t charge lithium packs unattended. Charge them on a non-flammable surface or in a LiPo-safe bag.
- Don’t use cells that are swollen, dented, punctured or that run hot during normal use.
- Protect against over-discharge with a battery management board or a low-voltage cutoff.
- Store packs partly charged, not full or empty, if they’ll sit unused.
- Fuse the battery lead on anything with motors.
- Be wary of suspiciously cheap 18650 cells with inflated capacity claims. Buy from reputable suppliers.
Projects that use lithium batteries include these points where they apply, not hidden in a footnote.
What we will never cover
Some hardware projects are built to break the law or hurt other people. We don’t publish guides, code, parts lists or “educational”