mcp-pcb-emcopilot

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<img src="assets/logo-banner.svg" alt="mcp-pcb-emcopilot — PCB EMC + signal-integrity analysis (return paths, decoupling, DDR/PCIe/USB)" width="100%"/>

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AI-powered PCB design review — EMC, signal integrity, power integrity, thermal, and DFM in one MCP server. Catch return-path breaks, decoupling gaps, and DDR/PCIe topology errors before fabrication, from your terminal or AI agent.

Quick start · Tools · Workflows · Documentation

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What is mcp-pcb-emcopilot?

mcp-pcb-emcopilot is a Model Context Protocol server that provides 131 tools for AI-assisted PCB design review. It parses layouts from KiCad / ODB++ / Gerber / IPC-2581 / Altium / STEP, runs physics-based analyzers across eight engineering domains, and emits annotated DOCX reports with embedded board renders and per-finding severity.

Drive it from any MCP client. The orchestrator (pcb_run_design_review) walks parsers → classifiers → analyzers → reports in one call; each underlying step is also a standalone tool an agent can call directly when you want to debug one net or revalidate one DDR byte-lane.

What mcp-pcb-emcopilot does well:

• 🤖 AI-native via MCP. First-class Model Context Protocol server with 131 tools across parsing, calculation, analysis, and reporting. Any Claude / LLM agent can drive a full design review.
• 🧱 Multi-format layout parsing. KiCad .kicad_pcb, ODB++, Gerber RS-274X, IPC-2581, Altium .PcbDoc, 3D STEP — same downstream analyzers regardless of source.
• 📐 IPC-grounded impedance. Microstrip / stripline / differential / CPWG via IPC-2141 (Hammerstad-Jensen, Cohn, coupled-line). Plus IPC-2221 trace-width / current capacity.
• 🛰️ EMC + SI in one pass. Return-path analysis, decoupling effectiveness, current-loop radiation, FCC / CISPR / IEC compliance prediction, DDR / PCIe / USB topology validation.
• 📑 Audit-grade reports. DOCX + HTML with embedded board renders, net highlights, annotated findings, executive summary, and Go/No-Go recommendation.
• 🔒 AGPL-3.0-or-later.

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Quick start

Install

git clone https://github.com/RFingAdam/mcp-pcb-emcopilot.git
cd mcp-pcb-emcopilot
uv pip install -e .

Optional extras (PNG export, DOCX reports, enhanced PDF parsing):

pip install cairosvg python-docx pymupdf

Wire it into your MCP client

Claude Code:

claude mcp add pcb-emcopilot -- uv run --directory /path/to/mcp-pcb-emcopilot mcp-pcb-emcopilot

Codex CLI:

codex mcp add pcb-emcopilot -- uv run --directory /path/to/mcp-pcb-emcopilot mcp-pcb-emcopilot

Raw config (Claude Desktop):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pcb-emcopilot": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/mcp-pcb-emcopilot", "mcp-pcb-emcopilot"]
    }
  }
}

Then ask your assistant:

"Parse design.kicad_pcb, run a comprehensive design review, and generate a DOCX report with annotated findings."

The agent walks pcb_parse_layout → pcb_classify_design → pcb_run_design_review → pcb_generate_docx_report and hands you a fabrication-grade document.

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Tools

131 tools across 14 categories (count is manually maintained, may lag by a release). Representative tools by category are below — full reference with arguments in docs/tools.md.

Parsers & data extraction (15)

Tool	Description
pcb_parse_layout	Parse KiCad, ODB++, Gerber, IPC-2581, Altium
pcb_parse_schematic_pdf	Extract schematic pages from PDF
pcb_parse_step	Parse 3D STEP models
pcb_get_components / _nets / _traces / _vias / _board_outline / _stackup / _copper_pours / _drill_table / _design_rules / _manufacturing_notes	Layout query tools
pcb_list_sessions / pcb_close_session	Session management

Impedance calculators (7)

pcb_calc_microstrip_impedance, pcb_calc_stripline_impedance, pcb_calc_differential_impedance, pcb_calc_cpw_impedance, pcb_calc_trace_width, pcb_calc_via_stitching, pcb_calc_pdn_impedance.

Signal integrity (14)

pcb_analyze_timing, pcb_analyze_crosstalk, pcb_analyze_via, pcb_analyze_differential_pair, pcb_analyze_length_matching, pcb_analyze_mode_conversion, pcb_analyze_return_paths, pcb_analyze_return_current, pcb_analyze_return_current_density, pcb_calc_insertion_loss, pcb_calc_return_loss, pcb_calc_skin_effect, pcb_calc_dielectric_loss, pcb_calc_eye_diagram.

EMC / EMI analysis (14)

pcb_analyze_current_loop, pcb_analyze_clock_emi, pcb_analyze_smps_emi, pcb_analyze_emi_risk, pcb_analyze_shielding, pcb_analyze_grounding, pcb_analyze_ground_stitch, pcb_analyze_common_mode, pcb_analyze_cable_coupling, pcb_analyze_slot_antenna, pcb_analyze_trace_antenna, pcb_estimate_bandwidth, pcb_predict_emissions, pcb_predict_compliance.

Power integrity (5)

pcb_analyze_pdn, pcb_analyze_decoupling, pcb_analyze_vrm, pcb_analyze_copper_spreading, pcb_calc_plane_resonance.

High-speed digital (8)

pcb_analyze_ddr, pcb_analyze_ddr_timing_budget, pcb_validate_ddr_topology, pcb_analyze_usb, pcb_analyze_ethernet, pcb_analyze_pcie, pcb_validate_pcie_lanes, pcb_calc_pcie_link_budget.

Thermal (2), DFM / manufacturing (4), ESD (1)

pcb_analyze_thermal, pcb_analyze_thermal_via, pcb_analyze_placement, pcb_analyze_assembly, pcb_analyze_solder_paste, pcb_analyze_tolerance, pcb_analyze_esd.

Classification & detection (4)

pcb_classify_design, pcb_classify_nets, pcb_detect_interfaces, pcb_cross_reference_schematic.

Visualization (5)

pcb_render_board, pcb_render_net, pcb_render_stackup, pcb_annotate_board, pcb_get_emi_hotspots.

Export & reporting (7)

pcb_export_render_png, pcb_export_all_renders, pcb_generate_report, pcb_generate_docx_report, pcb_get_schematic_page, pcb_set_review_context, pcb_run_design_review (orchestrated full review).

3D & enclosure (3), utility (4)

pcb_get_3d_clearances, pcb_check_enclosure_fit, pcb_find_split_crossings, pcb_get_stackup_templates, pcb_get_material_properties, pcb_trace_return_path, pcb_optimize_ground_stitching.

Full per-tool argument reference in docs/tools.md.

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What it solves

Domain	Standards	Headline tools
Impedance	IPC-2141, IPC-2221	microstrip / stripline / differential / CPW calculators
EMC	FCC Part 15, CISPR 22/32	pcb_predict_emissions, pcb_predict_compliance
Immunity	IEC 61000-4	pcb_analyze_esd
Digital	JEDEC, PCIe CEM	pcb_validate_ddr_topology, pcb_validate_pcie_lanes

Material database

Built-in dielectric properties: FR4 (standard + high-Tg), Rogers RO4003C / RO4350B, Isola I-Speed / I-Tera, Panasonic Megtron 6, polyimide (flex). Query via pcb_get_material_properties.

Supported formats

Format	Extension	Notes
KiCad	.kicad_pcb	Full support
ODB++	.zip, .tgz	Full support
Gerber RS-274X	.gbr, .ger
IPC-2581	.xml	Standard XML
Altium	.PcbDoc	Via export
STEP	.step, .stp	3D model
PDF schematic	.pdf	Page extraction

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Workflows

mcp-pcb-emcopilot fits in the following eng-mcp-suite workflow bundles:

• pcb-review — full layout intake, EMC + SI + PI + thermal + DFM analysis, audit-grade DOCX report.
• coexistence-review — multi-radio band selection (mcp-ltspice-qucs / mcp-emc-regulations) followed by layout-level shielding + return-path check (this server).

See the suite manifest for the full list of sibling MCPs and bundle definitions.

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Documentation

• 📘 Quick Start — install through first call.
• 🛠️ Tool reference — every MCP tool, every argument.
• 📐 Usage examples — practical end-to-end walkthroughs.
• 🏗️ Architecture — how this MCP fits in eng-mcp-suite.

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Common design targets

Interface	Single-ended Z₀	Differential Z_diff
General purpose	50 Ω	—
USB 2.0	—	90 Ω
USB 3.x	—	85 Ω
HDMI	—	100 Ω
DDR4 / LPDDR4	40 Ω	80 Ω
PCIe	—	85 Ω
Ethernet	—	100 Ω

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Part of eng-mcp-suite

_{This MCP server is part of}

_{An open umbrella for engineering MCP servers across RF, EMC, PCB, signal integrity, EM simulation, and lab test. Same brand, same docs structure, designed to compose. See the full catalog or jump to a sibling:}

Domain	Sibling MCPs
RF / Transmission lines	lineforge
Antennas	mcp-nec2-antenna
Circuit + filter sim	mcp-ltspice-qucs
EMC regulatory	mcp-emc-regulations
EM simulation (3D)	mcp-openems
Diagrams	drawio-engineering-mcp
Lab gear	copper-mountain-vna-mcp

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md for the contributor guide.

uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
uv run pytest -q

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License

AGPL-3.0-or-later. Relicensed from Apache-2.0 in v0.3.0 to ensure modifications shared back when this MCP is wrapped in a network- accessible service. See the eng-mcp-suite LICENSE_SUMMARY for the toolkit-wide rationale.

Acknowledgments

• The KiCad project, ODB++, IPC — the open layout standards this server parses.
• IPC-2141A — controlled-impedance reference behind the trace calculators.
• The MCP working group — for the Model Context Protocol specification.

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_{Part of <a href="https://github.com/RFingAdam/eng-mcp-suite">eng-mcp-suite</a> — built for PCB designers, EMC labs, and AI agents.}

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