Kicad Mcp
KiCad PCB/schematic automation via FastMCP — headless Gerber/export + agent inspect. Hybrid GUI/headless for Cursor / Claude Desktop. Not an official KiCad plugin.
Install
$ agentstack add mcp-sandraschi-kicad-mcp ✓ scanned · ✓ verified, works with Claude Code, Cursor, and more.
Security review
✓ PassedNo issues found. Passed automated security review. · v0.1.0 How review works →
- ✓ Prompt-injection patterns
- ✓ Secret / credential exfiltration
- ✓ Dangerous shell & filesystem operations
- ✓ Untrusted network calls
- ✓ Known-malicious package signatures
What it can access
- ✓ Network access No
- ✓ Filesystem access No
- ✓ Shell / process execution No
- ✓ Environment & secrets No
- ✓ Dynamic code execution No
From automated source analysis of v0.1.0. “Used” means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it’s unsafe.
Verified badge
Passed review? Show it. Paste this badge into your README, it links to the public security report.
Links to your public security report.[](https://agentstack.voostack.com/security/report/mcp-sandraschi-kicad-mcp) Reliability & compatibility
Declared compatibility
Compatibility is declared by the source manifest. End-to-end runtime verification is coming, see below.
We're building live execution health for every listing: tool-call success rate, median latency, uptime, and last-checked timestamps, measured, not self-reported. It isn't live yet, so we don't show numbers we can't stand behind.
How agent discovery & health will work →About
KiCad MCP
[](LICENSE) [](pyproject.toml) [](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) [](https://github.com/jlowin/fastmcp)
AI assistant for KiCad EDA — an MCP server that gives Claude (or any LLM) the tools to inspect, design, and manufacture PCBs through KiCad.
Think of it as a co-pilot for PCB design: Claude can run DRC checks, export Gerbers, search component libraries, place parts, route traces, and prepare fabrication files — all without you touching KiCad's GUI.
[Installation](INSTALL.md) · [How it works](docs/HOWITWORKS.md) · [Tool catalog](docs/TOOLS.md) · [Architecture](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) · [API reference](docs/API.md)
Quick Start
just bootstrap # install dependencies
just serve # start server on port 11016
# Open http://localhost:11017 for the web dashboardRequires KiCad installed separately (stable 10.x for exports, optional 11 nightly for live board editing).
What can you do with it?
| You ask Claude... | What happens | GUI needed? | |---|---|---| | "Run DRC on my board" | kicad-cli runs headless, returns violations | ❌ | | "Export Gerbers for JLCPCB" | Generates all Gerber + drill files, zips them | ❌ | | "Find a SOIC-8 footprint" | Searches KiCad libraries, returns results | ❌ | | "Generate a BOM" | Parses schematic, outputs CSV/JSON | ❌ | | "Place a 0.1uF cap at 50mm, 30mm" | IPC headless modifies board file | ❌ | | "Route a track between these pads" | IPC headless adds the track | ❌ | | "What's on my schematic?" | Reads netlist, returns component list | ❌ | | "Audit my board for DFM issues" | AI analyzes board, suggests fixes | ❌ |
Most operations run headless. The only time KiCad's GUI opens is if you use the legacy TCP bridge mode (fallback for older KiCad versions). See [How it works](docs/HOWITWORKS.md#headless-vs-gui).
The Schematic → Board Flow
KiCad design goes: schematic → footprints → netlist → board layout → exports
Each step has MCP tools to automate it:
| Step | What happens | Tool | Automated? | |------|-------------|------|------------| | 1. Draw schematic | Place symbols, wire connections | sch_load, manual in KiCad GUI | 🟡 Visual work | | 2. Assign footprints | Match each symbol to a physical package | lib_find_footprint | ✅ | | 3. Generate netlist | Create the connectivity map | sch_export_netlist | ✅ | | 4. Place components | Position parts on the board | pcb_place_component | ✅ (need coordinates) | | 5. Route traces | Connect the pads | pcb_add_track | ✅ (need coordinates) | | 6. Verify | Run DRC/ERC | pcb_drc, sch_erc | ✅ | | 7. Export | Generate manufacturing files | pcb_export_gerber, pcb_export_step, bom_generate | ✅ |
The creative steps (schematic capture, component placement strategy, routing topology) still benefit from the visual KiCad GUI. The MCP server handles everything else — verification, export, library search, and programmatic changes driven by Claude.
Web Dashboard
A React + Three.js webapp provides a [board marketplace](docs/BOARD_MARKETPLACE.md) (browse & download KiCad projects from GitHub), 3D board viewer, AI chat (PCB design co-pilot), fabrication pipeline with order tracking, design review with annotations, and a parametric component browser. Access at http://localhost:11017.
Why KiCad?
KiCad is the only EDA tool with a full headless CLI (kicad-cli). Altium, Allegro, and Eagle have no equivalent. This makes KiCad uniquely suited for AI-driven automation — Claude can control it without needing a display server or GUI license.
Contents
| Document | What it covers | |----------|---------------| | [INSTALL.md](INSTALL.md) | Installing KiCad, dependencies, configuration | | [docs/HOWITWORKS.md](docs/HOWITWORKS.md) | Headless vs GUI, schematic→board flow, automation level | | [docs/BOARDMARKETPLACE.md](docs/BOARDMARKETPLACE.md) | Browse and download KiCad projects from GitHub | | [docs/TOOLS.md](docs/TOOLS.md) | All 41 MCP tools by category | | [docs/ARCHITECTURE.md](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) | Code structure, IPC vs TCP, lifespan | | [docs/API.md](docs/API.md) | REST + MCP API reference | | [docs/NIGHTLYHEADLESS.md](docs/NIGHTLYHEADLESS.md) | Setting up KiCad 11 nightly for headless IPC | | [docs/KICADAPI.md](docs/KICADAPI.md) | KiCad scripting comparison |
License
MIT © 2026 Sandra Schipal
Source & license
This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.
- Author: sandraschi
- Source: sandraschi/kicad-mcp
- License: MIT
Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.
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Versions
- v0.1.0 Imported from the upstream source.