Low-cost Approach to Expose Students to Electronic Prototyping and Manufacturing Processes

While knowledge of prototyping and manufacturing of electronic products are highly desirable in industry, most universities that offer electrical and electronic engineering programs could not offer these trainings due to prohibitive costs associated with setting up facilities. This paper details low-cost implementation of such course at Griffith University without having to rely on expensive equipment such as CNC mills and pick-and-place machine. Students are required to come up with electronic product that is composed of printed-circuit board, mechanical housing, and user interfaces. The learning outcomes and student satisfactions indicate successful design and delivery. Similar course could be offered at other learning institutions that have low budgets to enable students to experience electronic design prototyping and manufacturing processes.