Basic Electrical Training Card
Basic Electrical Business Card: A Pocket-Sized Training Tool
I designed this Basic Electrical Business Card as a hands-on teaching tool that goes far beyond a traditional business card. Instead of just printed contact information, it’s a fully functional electronic circuit board designed to help students explore the foundational concepts of series and parallel circuits.
This card combines electronics education and design creativity—a compact, visual way to demonstrate how current and voltage behave in different circuit configurations.
The Concept
When introducing students to basic electrical theory, one of the hardest concepts to grasp is how voltage and current behave differently in series and parallel circuits.
The idea behind this project was to create a simple, self-contained tool that instructors can hand to students and immediately spark a conversation—literally and figuratively.
Each card contains a small battery holder, switches, and LEDs arranged in both series and parallel configurations. Students can activate the switches to observe how brightness changes between the two setups, revealing real-world implications of Ohm’s Law and resistance.
Design Details
The PCB was created in Fusion 360 and manufactured with a matte black finish for durability and contrast.
Key design elements include:
Two distinct circuits — one wired in series, one in parallel
Clearly labeled traces and schematic symbols printed on the board
Low-power LEDs that demonstrate voltage drop and resistance in action
A coin-cell battery holder for power
Compact layout that still highlights fundamental circuit paths
The silkscreen includes the symbols for resistors, power, and ground—making it a great reference piece for students who are just learning to identify schematic symbols.
Teaching Applications
Instructors can use this card to:
Explain current flow and voltage division in a series circuit
Demonstrate how parallel branches share voltage
Discuss how LED brightness correlates to current flow
Reinforce schematic reading by matching symbols to real components
Even though the circuits are simple, they provide an excellent visual and tactile experience that supports early electrical learning and diagnostics training.
Lessons Learned During Prototyping
The first version of the card had a few design quirks:
The battery holder was tight and difficult to remove without tools
The LEDs used had a forward voltage too high for the coin-cell battery, preventing the series circuit from lighting properly
Future versions will include lower-forward-voltage LEDs or an adjusted 5V input, ensuring both circuits operate consistently. These small refinements are part of the design-testing process that makes each iteration more effective as a learning tool.
For Educators and Makers
This business card is more than a novelty—it’s a miniature learning lab that fits in your pocket. It can be used:
As a conversation piece at conferences or open houses
In classrooms to demonstrate core electrical concepts
As inspiration for students to design their own functional PCB projects
Resources
You can:
Watch the YouTube Short to see the card in action.
Download the design files (coming soon) for non-commercial classroom use.
