KiCAD PCB Designer

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)