Learn by Printing: How the V-One Empowers Hands-On Learning in PCB Design

For much of the history of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronics, development of new devices has been limited to highly skilled experts and organizations with the necessary resources. This is in large part an issue of cost, but has also come down to technological limitations, which have constrained how people are introduced to electronics design in an educational context. While theoretical lessons and rudimentary breadboards are useful for teaching the very basics of circuitry, students need a solution that gives them real hands-on experience in designing, testing, and validating electronic circuits. 

Enter the V-One, a PCB printer developed by Voltera, a Canadian company that makes rapid prototyping platforms for printed electronics. This desktop tool is an affordable solution for educational institutions looking to give their students a high level of hands-on learning in PCB design. As we’ll explore in greater detail, the V-One has multiple functionalities, a shallow learning curve, and can be used at a range of levels for teaching simple circuitry or developing complex electronics. Ultimately, creating access to PCB design, even from a young age, is imperative to getting students excited about technological creation and empowering the next generation of innovators.

Getting to know the V-One

The V-One offers educators an accessible platform for bringing PCB designs to life—both in terms of cost and learning curve. The sub-$4,500 benchtop printer integrates multiple functions including:

• Drilling holes into a substrate for through-hole components and double-sided PCBs

• Printing traces from conductive ink based on digital designs 

• Depositing solder paste with higher precision than manual application

• Reflow for soldering (as well as heating for curing conductive inks)

These functions result in a versatile machine that can make anything from simple circuits, to double-sided PCBs, to flexible electronic prototypes (Voltera also offers a dedicated platform for flexible electronics, NOVA). Users can also manually place rivets or additional electronic components onto the printed board and use the V-One solder paste deposition and reflow tool to finalize the circuit.

Thanks to these capabilities, the V-One has become a popular tool for rapidly prototyping electronics and for teaching PCB design. Today, various educational institutions, from high-schools to Ivy League universities, have adopted the technology and have seen the benefits of teaching circuitry in a hands-on yet still highly efficient way. In short, the V-One allows students to translate their theoretical understanding of electronics to the real world and bring functional prototypes to life. 

Accessible interface for learning

Part of what makes the V-One so well suited to the world of education is its user-friendly interface and simplified workflow. At the core of the system’s usability is Voltera’s free software platform, which guides users through the steps of preparing the V-One and initiating its various workflows (Print, Solder, Drill, and Heat). 

Students working with the V-One can easily set-up the system for their circuit printing projects, answering prompts like what type of PCB is being printed (i.e. a blank board or a development board that has existing conductive traces) and what ink will be used. From there, they can upload their circuit design and initiate calibration, following a series of clear instructions accompanied by demonstration videos. It’s worth mentioning that having students use V-One’s four workflows will give them valuable first-hand knowledge of material properties, subtractive and additive manufacturing processes, and product development. If students have any questions along the way or any troubleshooting is required, Voltera’s software also integrates an in-app chat function.

Case Study: 7-Segment Display Decimal Counter

In South Korea, Voltera reseller ITIZ developed a lesson plan for teaching high school students about the fundamentals of electrical engineering and PCB design. The project has a fairly simple output—a decimal counter that counts from zero up to 99—but is designed to integrate many key PCB development concepts, covering different types of voltage regulation, variable resistors, wave pulse generation, and seven-segment displays.

In the educational program, students are tasked with creating three single-sided circuits: a voltage regulator that converts 9V input into 5V output, a wave pulse generator that turns that voltage into pulse signals, and a decimal counter board, which translates the pulses into an LED counter that goes up to 99. Students must go through the process of creating each of these three boards using the V-One, FR1 boards, conductive silver ink, and solder paste. When each individual board is printed, the students must also connect them to create the functional counter device, whose speed can be controlled by the pulse generator.

7-Segment display decimal counter

“This project highlights the potential of additive PCB prototyping in electronics education,” writes Voltera. “By combining theory and practice, students can explore how digital counting systems function, understand the role of BCD-to-seven-segment conversion, and observe how timing signals interact with display components. Direct ink writing platforms like V-One empower the next generation of engineers to innovate beyond breadboards and rapidly iterate on electronics designs.”

A V-One on Every Desk

As we saw, the V-One gives students a hands-on way to learn the fundamentals of PCB development, but it can also be used for more complex projects as students advance in their education. For instance, students can make their own creative electronic devices using the V-One and 3D printers, such as bluetooth speakers, lighting fixtures, or interactive toys. As their skills further develop, it is possible to design and make even more complex PCBs, like a custom breakout board for a remote-controlled robotic hand or CubeSats to be launched into space to gather data. 

A project completed using V-One by students in South Korea

The key difference between the V-One and more traditional tools for learning circuitry design, like breadboards, is that students can actually test and refine their PCBs. Moreover, this can be done directly in the classroom and often in less than an hour. This enables students to design, print, test, and reiterate PCBs directly without having to depend on external prototyping services. Ultimately, this gives students the opportunity to conduct multiple experiments and projects within a single semester, expanding their skills and knowledge at a more significant rate.

A South Korea classroom with a V-One for each student

As Shannen Prindle, a student from Princeton University who worked on CubeSats using the V-One, said: “If we didn't have something like the Voltera V-One (...) I don't think I would fully understand what goes into a circuit. Being able to see where the electronics go helped me understand what components go where.”

Conclusion

Research has shown that hands-on, active learning has clear benefits for understanding concepts and knowledge retention. This is particularly true in fields like electronics engineering that rely on a combination of digital and physical tools to create functional devices. The V-One can thus improve how students learn about electronics and PCBs, offering an accessible platform for bringing circuit designs to physical life. In the end, getting V-One modules into the hands of educators and students will allow for greater access to PCB development and equip the next generation with the skills needed to develop innovative new solutions in the field of electronics.