Student-Led Innovation Bridging the Gap in Industrial PCB Design and Hardware Engineering
The landscape of industrial electronics is shifting toward more integrated, compact, and reliable systems, demanding a workforce that understands the intricacies of hardware at the board level. At the University of Connecticut, a student-initiated movement has transformed a departmental void into a premier laboratory-based course focused on Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design and fabrication. What began as an informal exchange during "Coffee ½ Hour" in the Information Technologies Engineering building has matured into a sophisticated special topics course that addresses a critical shortage in traditional academic curricula: the practical application of circuit theory to physical, industrial-grade hardware.
For many students, the journey into the world of PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and DCS (Distributed Control System) components often remains theoretical until they enter the professional workforce. Recognizing this, Matthew Marczak ’26 and Samuel Dinerman ’26 spearheaded a curriculum that moves beyond the classroom and into the laboratory. The course emphasizes the full lifecycle of electronic hardware, from initial schematic capture to the physical assembly of components. By utilizing Voltera PCB printers, students engage with advanced additive manufacturing techniques, allowing them to iterate designs for LED oscillators, light sensors, and complex two-way audio transmitters. This iterative process is vital for mastering the precision required in the MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) sector, where a single faulty trace can lead to significant downtime in an automated production line.
The pedagogical shift toward a peer-led, lab-intensive format ensures that students are not merely passive recipients of information but active participants in hardware troubleshooting. The curriculum’s evolution in 2026 reflects a broader trend in engineering education where student-driven inquiry meets institutional support. With backing from the Connecticut Power Electronics Center of Excellence (CONPEX), the program secured dedicated space and high-end fabrication tools, effectively creating a sandbox for predictive analytics software integration and hardware-level diagnostics. This environment allows students to encounter and overcome real-world challenges, such as the complexities of reliable multi-layer printing and signal integrity.
The professional implications of this hands-on mastery are profound. As the industrial automation contract market becomes increasingly competitive, employers are prioritizing candidates who demonstrate "day-one" readiness in hardware engineering. The ability to reverse-engineer a malfunctioning board or identify a cold solder joint is a skill set that directly correlates with high-tier roles in companies like SpaceX. By fostering a student-driven model where former participants return as teaching assistants, UConn has established a sustainable ecosystem of knowledge transfer that keeps pace with the rapid advancements in industrial automation and electronic component reselling.
Written by: Michael Thorne Michael Thorne is a veteran of the industrial automation sector with over fifteen years of experience in technical marketing and the global trade of high-end MRO spare parts. He specializes in bridging the gap between complex engineering hardware and B2B e-commerce optimization, focusing on the lifecycle of PLC and DCS systems.