KiCAD PCB Designer

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KiCAD MCP: AI-Assisted PCB Design KiCAD MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) implementation that enables Large Language Models (LLMs) like Claude to directly interact with KiCAD for printed circuit board design. It creates a standardized communication bridge between AI assistants and the KiCAD PCB design software, allowing for natural language control of advanced PCB design operations. Project Status Implemented full Python interface compatibility with KiCAD 9.0 Created a modular and maintainable component architecture Implemented comprehensive tools for board manipulation, component placement, and routing Successfully tested operations from project creation to component placement and routing Created a streamlined MCP server implementation that reliably passes commands to KiCAD The server works seamlessly with Cline/Claude, enabling AI-assisted PCB design through natural language. What It Does KiCAD MCP transforms how engineers and designers work with KiCAD by enabling AI assistants to: Create and manage KiCAD PCB projects through natural language requests Manipulate board geometry, outlines, layers, and properties Place and organize components in various patterns (grid, circular, aligned) Route traces, differential pairs, and create copper pours Implement design rules and perform design rule checks Generate exports in various formats (Gerber, PDF, SVG, 3D models) Provide comprehensive context about the circuit board to the AI assistant This enables a natural language-driven PCB design workflow where complex operations can be requested in plain English, while still maintaining full engineer oversight and control. Core Architecture TypeScript MCP Server: Implements the Anthropic Model Context Protocol specification to communicate with Claude and other compatible AI assistants Python KiCAD Interface: Handles actual KiCAD operations via pcbnew Python API with comprehensive error handling Modular Design: Organizes functionality by domains (project, board, component, routing) for maintainability and extensibility System Requirements KiCAD 9.0 or higher (must be fully installed) Node.js v18 or higher and npm Python 3.8 or higher with pip (the version that comes with KiCAD 9.0 is sufficient) Cline (VSCode Claude extension) or another MCP-compatible client Windows 10/11 (current version is optimized for Windows; Linux/Mac support planned)

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