ProductOfAmerica/mcp-server-kicad

**Let an AI assistant edit real KiCad projects without corrupting them.**
109 MCP tools covering schematic capture, PCB layout, symbol and footprint
libraries, ERC and DRC, and manufacturing exports. No screenshots, no
copy-paste, no hand-edited s-expressions: the model calls tools, KiCad files
change on disk.
Quick start •
What you get •
Configuration •
Tool reference •
Requirements •
Contributing
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What it looks like
Every tool works on the real file, and a write changes only the bytes you asked
it to. An edit that cannot be done correctly is refused with the file intact.
KiCad itself writes a design file in just two places: the library upgrades, and
autoroute_pcb's routed copy, a new board that leaves yours untouched.
Quick start
Claude Code
Install the plugin. It wires up the server and ships the design skills with it:
Claude Desktop
Download kicad- .mcpb from the [latest release][latest] and install it
from Settings, then Extensions. Claude Desktop fetches Python and the package
itself; you need KiCad installed, plus Java for autoroute_pcb.
Desktop does not run from your project directory, so fill in the schematic,
board, and export paths it asks for. Leave the kicad-cli field blank unless
KiCad is installed somewhere unusual. The design skills are Claude Code only.
[latest]: https://github.com/ProductOfAmerica/mcp-server-kicad/releases/latest
Everything else
Then point your MCP client at the unified server and set cwd to a KiCad
project directory so paths resolve themselves:
That single entry registers all 109 tools. Prefer to split them across five
smaller servers? See Configuration.
What you get
Five tool servers
Run them as one unified server, or separately when you want a smaller tool
surface in context.
| Server | Tools | What it does |
|--------|:-----:|--------------|
| mcp-server-kicad-schematic | 42 | Schematic read/write, net tracing, ERC, exports (PDF, SVG, DXF, netlist, BOM) |
| mcp-server-kicad-pcb | 34 | Board read/write, netlist import, zones, DRC, autorouting, exports (Gerber, drill, 3D, pick-and-place) |
| mcp-server-kicad-project | 24 | Project scaffolding, hierarchical sheets, hierarchy validation, annotation, cross-sheet net tracing |
| mcp-server-kicad-symbol | 5 | Symbol library browsing, authoring, SVG export, format upgrade |
| mcp-server-kicad-footprint | 4 | Footprint library browsing, SVG export, format upgrade |
Six design skills (Claude Code plugin)
Tools alone let a model click every button. The bundled skills teach it which
buttons, in what order, and what "done" looks like.
| Skill | Kicks in when |
|-------|---------------|
| using-kicad | Any electronics or EDA conversation starts. Routes to the right skill below |
| circuit-design | Choosing topology, regulators, and component values, before any file exists |
| schematic-plan | Planning exact placement coordinates and wiring. Pure planning, no writes |
| schematic-design | Executing that plan, or modifying an existing schematic |
| pcb-layout | Placing footprints, routing, zones, stackup, trace widths |
| verification | ERC and DRC failures, unconnected nets, export prep |
The design skills hand their artifacts to independent reviewer subagents
(agents/) before moving on, so a bad BOM or a bad placement plan
gets caught before it becomes a schematic.
Configuration
Split servers
Five entries instead of one, when you want to load only part of the tool
surface:
Five-server MCP config
Each is also runnable directly:
How paths resolve
Highest priority wins:
1. **Tool parameters.** Every tool accepts an explicit path.
2. **Environment variables.** They override anything auto-detected.
3. **Auto-detect.** The working directory is scanned for a .kicad_pro, and
the schematic, board, and library paths are derived from it.
| Variable | Points at |
|----------|-----------|
| KICAD_SCH_PATH | a .kicad_sch schematic file |
| KICAD_PCB_PATH | a .kicad_pcb board file |
| KICAD_SYM_LIB | a .kicad_sym symbol library file |
| KICAD_FP_LIB | a .pretty footprint library directory |
| KICAD_OUTPUT_DIR | where exports and reports are written |
Requirements
- **Python 3.11+**
- **KiCad 9.x or 10.x**, only for the tools that call KiCad: