coffeenmusic/altium-mcp

TLDR: Use Claude to control or ask questions about your Altium project.
This is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides an interface to interact with Altium Designer through Python. The server allows for querying and manipulation of PCB designs programmatically.
## Example commands
Run all output jobs
Create a symbol for the part in the attached datasheet and use the currently open symbol as a reference example.
Create a schematic symbol from the attached MPM3650 switching regulator datasheet and make sure to strictly follow the symbol placement rules. (Note: Need to open a schematic library. Uses server\symbolplacementrules.txt in the extension's install folder as pin placement rules. Please modify for your own preferences; an extension update replaces the file, so keep a copy.)
Create an op-amp symbol with a triangle body like the other op-amps in my library (symbols support line/polygon/arc/ellipse/label body graphics, not just rectangles)
Find me the LM358 symbol in my opamp library and open it
Create a multi-part symbol for a quad op-amp from the attached LM324 datasheet (creates parts A, B, C, D with shared V+/V- power pins)
Create a PCB footprint for the SMD part in the attached datasheet and add it to my open PcbLib
Duplicate my selected layout. (Will prompt user to now select destination components. Supports Component, Track, Arc, Via, Polygon, & Region)
Show all my inner layers. Show the top and bottom layer. Turn off solder paste.
Get me all parts on my design made by Molex
Give me the description and part number of U4
Place the selected parts on my pcb with best practices for a switching regulator, then verify clearances and show me a screenshot of the result
Auto-place my silkscreen, then fix the designators the placer left on top of parts or far from them
Give me a list of all IC designators in my design
Get me all length matching rules
Check my project is ready for fabrication: unsaved documents, ERC errors, and which layers my Gerber output job plots
Draw a schematic of an LED with a current-limiting resistor on a new sheet, using symbols from my library
## Installing the MCP Server
The easiest way to install is to use Claude Code, point it to this repo and ask it to install it for you. Or alternatively, see below.
Watch on YouTube
1. Make sure Claude has Python 3.10 to 3.14 installed: drop down > File > Settings > Extensions > Advanced > Python. If not, install Python and add it to PATH. Python 3.15 is untested (see Bootstrap Venv).
2. Download the altium-mcp.dxt desktop extension file from releases
3. In Claude Desktop on Windows: drop down > File > Settings > Extensions > Advanced > Install Extension... Select the .dxt file
You shouldn't need to restart Claude and you should now see altium-mcp in the tool menu near the search bar.
## Creating a new .dxt (For Developers)
### Bootstrap Venv (Recommended)
This approach ships a small bootstrap script (startserver.py) that creates a virtual environment and pip-installs dependencies on the user's machine at first launch. The .dxt is tiny (~60 KB) and works on Python 3.10 to 3.14.
Python versions: 3.10 to 3.13 install the hash-locked requirements.txt. 3.14 has no wheel for the locked pillow, so it installs the fallback list in startserver.py instead. With mcp 1.30 that list no longer caps pydantic, so it also resolves on 3.15, but 3.15 has not been tested.