Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Pedagogical PCB; Freedom, Control, and the Onion Router170 views
Author
Cutshall, Connor, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
Advisors
Norton, Peter, EN-Engineering and Society, University of Virginia
Crockett, Caroline, EN-Elec & Comp Engr Dept, University of Virginia
Williams, Keith, EN-Elec & Comp Engr Dept, University of Virginia
Barnes, Adam, EN-Elec & Comp Engr Dept, University of Virginia
Abstract
How do design intentions interact with user behavior to shape the ultimate function and impact of a technology? The study of TOR and the development of a pedagogical PCB illustrate that the success and meaning of a technological system emerge not only from its technical specifications but also from the ways users engage with, adapt, and repurpose it.
The design and development of a pedagogical printed circuit board (PCB) creates a versatile educational platform for embedded systems learning. The board integrates a variety of input and output components and provides hardware support for both the Texas Instruments MSPM0 and the STM32 Nucleo Nano microcontrollers. By combining multiple architectures and peripheral interfaces in a single system, the PCB enables experimentation with hardware control and firmware development. The project aims to create an accessible, modular, and reusable learning tool that bridges theoretical instruction and hands-on embedded design experience.
The evolution of The Onion Router (TOR) from a government anonymity tool to a global symbol of both privacy and illicit activity demonstrates that technology’s meaning is socially negotiated. Through the interactions of governments, developers, activists, and criminal actors, TOR embodies the ongoing struggle between freedom, accountability, and control in the digital age, showing how social context and user behavior shape the ultimate impact of a technological system.
Degree
BS (Bachelor of Science)
Keywords
TOR; PCB
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Technical Advisor: Caroline Crockett, Keith Williams, Adam Barnes
STS Advisor: Peter Norton
Technical Team Members: Connor Cutshall, Miles Mayhew, Zachary Chance
Cutshall, Connor. Pedagogical PCB; Freedom, Control, and the Onion Router. University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Science, BS (Bachelor of Science), 2025-12-12, https://doi.org/10.18130/58he-p790.
