Introduction to PCBA Electronics

Penumbra's products have historically been the work of skilled mechanical engineers. However, the introduction of microprocessor-integrated products was putting increasing pressure on the company's few electrical engineers to join every product meeting or vendor call to bridge the knowledge gap. This course was designed as a scalable first step toward helping the mechanical engineers build greater familiarity with electronics generally, and with managing these new products.

In collaboration with two electrical engineers, I designed and developed a Rise eLearning course introducing PCBA electronics, covering terminology, acronyms, and the PCBA manufacturing process. The goal was to give mechanical engineers foundational knowledge to navigate technical reference documents, locate specifications in the quality management system, and engage more confidently in PCBA design meetings and vendor troubleshooting calls. 

Rather than presenting information passively, the course guides learners through simple-but-realistic troubleshooting scenarios, asking them to reason their way to a solution using the tools and resources introduced in the course. It closes with the Senior Electrical Engineers walking through real troubleshooting case studies on video — grounding the learning in authentic practice and lending credibility through peer modeling.

Role: Solo ID in collaboration with Engineering SMEs

Tools: Articulate Rise & Storyline, Adobe Premier Pro & Audition

Audience: ~35 new manufacturing engineers annually

Impact: Supports an initiative to equip mechanical engineers to navigate technical documentation and engage more independently in PCBA design meetings and vendor calls

Training Deliverables:

Project Planning and Design: