The Seven Sensors and Breakout Boards to Avoid in a Product

Hackaday points out seven sensor modules that appear in every hobbyist kit but don't belong in any real product. The DHT11 temperature sensor, HC-SR04 rangefinder, and ACS712 mains-current breakout all share common problems: unreliable supply chains, components long out of production, regulatory violations, or critical safety shortcuts. The MPU-6050 IMU often pairs with I2S codecs that haven't been manufactured for years. Cadmium-sulfide photoresistors breach EU regulations. Cheap mains-power breakout boards skip the safety margins needed to prevent electrical arcing. The bottom line: what works in a controlled lab crumbles against real manufacturing constraints, supply-chain realities, and field conditions.

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