pcb-mcp

An MCP server that lets an AI assistant read and modify KiCAD PCB designs through KiCAD's IPC API.

Status

Pre-alpha. There is no working code yet. This is actively being built as a personal learning project and is not usable today. It is not installable.

What it will do

The server exposes a small set of tools (20 or fewer) so an AI assistant can pick the right one reliably:

• Query board state (layers, nets, footprints, tracks, zones)
• Place and move footprints
• Create tracks and vias
• Run Design Rule Check (DRC)
• Export manufacturing files (Gerbers, drill files, BOM)

Design decisions

Choice	Reason
Python 3.11+	Matches KiCAD plugin ecosystem, broad library support
Official mcp SDK v2 (MCPServer, stdio transport)	Canonical implementation, stable as of 2026-07-28
kicad-python over the KiCAD IPC API	MIT-licensed, actively maintained, replaces deprecated SWIG pcbnew bindings
KiCAD 10.0.x target	Current stable (10.0.5). IPC API first shipped in KiCAD 9 but matured in 10
PCB editor scope only	The IPC API has no schematic access today
MIT license (out-of-process client)	No GPL entanglement because the server communicates over IPC, not linked to KiCAD

Requirements

• KiCAD 10.0.x installed and running with a board open. The IPC API needs a live GUI instance (headless mode is expected in KiCAD 11).
• KiCAD API enabled in Preferences → API settings.
• Python 3.11+
• Only one IPC client can attach to a KiCAD instance at a time.

Development

This project follows a branch-and-pull-request workflow. The main branch is protected, and every change lands through a PR.

Detailed planning and research documents are kept locally and are not published in this repo. The README is the single source of project context for external readers.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.