The TS<->Python communication channel uses stdout for JSON responses.
pcbnew's C++ SWIG layer can write warnings and diagnostics directly to
C-level stdout (fd 1), corrupting the JSON framing. The TS parser then
never sees valid JSON and the command times out after 30 seconds.
Three changes fix this:
1. Python stdout redirect: In main(), save the original stdout fd for
exclusive JSON response use, then redirect fd 1 to stderr so all
pcbnew C++ output goes to logs instead of the response pipe.
2. Robust TS JSON parser: tryParseResponse() now uses newline-delimited
parsing as a fallback. The Python side writes single-line JSON
terminated by \n; the parser uses this as the completion signal
instead of brace-matching, which prevents premature resolution of
truncated chunked responses. Non-JSON preamble lines are logged
and stripped.
3. Fix stray print() calls: Converted print() to logger in
component_schematic.py and library_schematic.py so they don't
leak to stdout during normal operations.
Also adds sync_schematic_to_board to the longRunningCommands list for
an appropriate timeout value.
Restore the tool registration order so move_schematic_component appears
before rotate_schematic_component, matching the pre-PR location.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
The PR added a second server.tool("move_schematic_component", ...) at line 1127
without removing the original registration at line 722, causing the server to
fail on startup with "Tool move_schematic_component is already registered".
Also adds tests/test_ts_tool_registry.py which scans all src/tools/**/*.ts files
for duplicate server.tool() names so this class of bug is caught automatically.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
When moving a schematic component, connected wires are stretched/shifted
to follow the component (like KiCAD's drag behaviour), preserving
connectivity instead of leaving dangling wire stubs.
Also fixes property labels (value, reference, etc.) so they shift with
the symbol rather than staying at their original positions.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add Prettier as a dev dependency with .prettierrc.json config and
.prettierignore. Hook added via mirrors-prettier in pre-commit config.
All TypeScript, JSON, Markdown, and YAML files auto-formatted.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add .pre-commit-config.yaml with pre-commit-hooks v5.0.0 (trailing
whitespace, end-of-file fixer, yaml/json checks, large file guard,
merge conflict detection). Add minimal pyproject.toml. Auto-fix
trailing whitespace and missing end-of-file newlines across the
codebase.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds an optional `layer` parameter (e.g., 'F.Cu', 'B.Cu') to the
move_component tool. When specified, the component is flipped to
the target layer if it's not already on it. The response now also
includes the component's layer after the move.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
- Rename add_schematic_connection → add_schematic_wire with waypoints[] parameter
- Add snapToPins (default true) to snap wire endpoints to nearest pin
- Expose add_schematic_junction as an MCP tool
- Break existing wires at new wire endpoints for T-junction support
- Remove orphaned add_connection / add_wire / get_pin_location from ConnectionManager
- Update tool registry to reflect renamed schematic tools in TS layer
- Add 76 tests for wire/junction handler dispatch, schema validation, and WireManager corner cases
- Apply Black and Prettier formatting to changed files
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Remove the 0.5mm query tolerance in favour of exact integer-unit matching
on all coordinate lookups (seed, label bridging, pin matching), mirroring
KiCad's own connectivity algorithm. Callers must supply exact wire endpoint
coordinates (e.g. from list_schematic_wires).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Update tool description and Python docstring to make clear that the
query point must be at a wire endpoint or junction — midpoints of
wire segments are not matched.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Given a single (x,y) coordinate on the schematic, flood-fills through all
connected wire segments and returns every component pin reachable on that net,
plus the full list of wire segments with their start/end coordinates.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
KiCad's native ERC already checks for unconnected pins with better
accuracy (hierarchical sheets, bus connections, custom rules). Remove
the reimplemented version and its dead helper _parse_no_connects.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Eliminate repeated file parsing by extracting _extract_lib_symbols helper
that walks already-parsed sexp_data once instead of re-reading the file
per symbol via PinLocator. Support diagonal wire overlap detection using
cross-product parallelism and 1D projection. Fix wire region inclusion to
use AABB intersection for pass-through wires. Normalize view region
coordinates. Clarify tolerance docstrings across Python, TS, and schema.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Wires that start at a component pin but continue through the body were
incorrectly suppressed as "valid connections." Now nudges the pin endpoint
toward the other end and re-tests intersection — if the shortened segment
still hits the bbox, the wire passes through and is flagged.
Renamed the tool from check_wire_collisions to find_wires_crossing_symbols
across all layers (Python, handler, schema, TypeScript) to clarify that it
finds wires crossing over component symbols, which is unacceptable in
schematics.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add five new read-only schematic analysis MCP tools:
- get_schematic_view_region: export cropped schematic region as PNG/SVG
- find_unconnected_pins: list pins with no wire/label/power connection
- find_overlapping_elements: detect duplicate symbols, stacked labels, collinear wire overlaps
- get_elements_in_region: list all symbols/wires/labels in a bounding box
- check_wire_collisions: detect wires passing through component bodies
Includes Python handler dispatch, tool schemas, TypeScript server bindings,
the schematic_analysis command module, and a full test suite (28 tests passing).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
4 new MCP tools: autoroute (full DSN→Freerouting→SES pipeline),
export_dsn, import_ses, check_freerouting. Requires Java 11+ and
freerouting.jar. Includes 21 test cases and README usage examples.
- New `get_schematic_component` MCP tool returns component position and
all field values with their label (at x/y/angle) positions
- Extends `edit_schematic_component` with optional `fieldPositions` dict
so callers can reposition Reference/Value/etc. labels in one call
- Adds 18 tests (6 unit, 12 integration) covering parsing, round-trips,
and edge cases
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
- Remove unused imports in move_schematic_component
- Add warning log when mirror attribute missing on rotate
- Move `import re` out of loop in annotate_schematic
- Include global_label in list_schematic_nets
- Fix SVG export to use directory for kicad-cli --output flag
- Return actual SVG data in get_schematic_view TS handler
- Add isError: true to all failure responses in new tools
- Add connect_passthrough to schematic category in registry
- Simplify power symbol filtering control flow in list_labels
- Fix indentation in list_schematic_labels power section
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Exports schematic to SVG via kicad-cli, then converts to PNG using
cairosvg (same approach as get_board_2d_view). Falls back gracefully
to SVG if cairosvg is not installed. Supports configurable output
size and format (png/svg).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add all missing schematic operations identified in the gap analysis:
Inspection (P0/P2):
- list_schematic_components: enumerate all components with refs, values, pins
- list_schematic_nets: list all nets with their connections
- list_schematic_wires: list all wire geometry
- list_schematic_labels: list net labels, global labels, power flags
Editing (P0/P1):
- annotate_schematic: assign ref designators to unannotated components (R? → R1)
- move_schematic_component: reposition placed symbols
- rotate_schematic_component: rotate/mirror placed symbols
- delete_schematic_wire: remove wires by coordinates
- delete_schematic_net_label: remove labels by name/position
Export (P1):
- export_schematic_svg: schematic SVG export via kicad-cli
- export_schematic_pdf: enhanced with file path return & blackAndWhite support
Also registers list_schematic_components and annotate_schematic as
direct tools (always visible) since they're prerequisites for
reference-based workflows.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
- Detects F.Cu<->B.Cu layer mismatch in route_pad_to_pad
- Splits route into: trace on start layer + via at midpoint + trace on end layer
- route_trace description warns: use route_pad_to_pad for cross-layer routing
- route_pad_to_pad description highlights automatic via insertion
Bug 1 — Rounded corners missing (src/tools/board.ts schema)
Symptom: Claude sends shape='rectangle' + radius=2.5, but the Zod schema
only listed 'rectangle', 'circle', 'polygon' as valid shapes. The JS
handler never passed cornerRadius through the IPC path, and Python only
generated arcs for shape='rounded_rectangle'. Result: 4 straight lines,
no arcs.
Fix: Added 'rounded_rectangle' and 'cornerRadius' to the Zod schema in
src/tools/board.ts so Claude can send the correct shape directly.
Also added a Python-side auto-upgrade: if shape='rectangle' and
cornerRadius>0, silently promote to 'rounded_rectangle' so legacy
callers still work (python/commands/board/outline.py).
Bug 2 — Board outline placed at (-w/2, -h/2) instead of (0, 0)
Symptom: A 30x30 mm board outline was placed centred at the origin
(start -15 -15) ... (end 15 15) instead of the expected top-left at
(0,0) → (30,30).
Root cause: src/tools/board.ts extracted x/y from params and renamed
them to centerX/centerY before forwarding to Python:
const { x, y, ...otherParams } = params;
callKicadScript('add_board_outline', { centerX: x, centerY: y, ...otherParams })
Python received centerX=0, centerY=0 and used that as the board centre,
placing the outline at (-15,-15)→(+15,+15).
Fix: Pass x/y directly as top-left corner coordinates. Python already
contains the correct logic: center = x + width/2, y + height/2. Removed
the incorrect rename in board.ts:
callKicadScript('add_board_outline', { shape, ...params })
Bug 3 — print() on stdout corrupted JSON-RPC protocol → Timeout
Symptom: Claude Desktop reported 'Timeout' for add_board_outline even
though Python completed the command in <5 ms. KiCAD was falsely launched.
Root cause: Debug print() statements written to stdout (the same channel
used for JSON-RPC responses) injected non-JSON lines into the protocol.
Node.js could not parse the response → timeout → Claude Desktop invented
a 'KiCAD UI required' workaround.
Fix: Removed all print() calls from outline.py. Logger.info/debug writes
to the log file (~/.kicad-mcp/logs/kicad_interface.log) and is safe.
Files changed:
src/tools/board.ts — Zod schema + removed centerX/centerY rename
python/commands/board/outline.py — auto-upgrade rectangle+radius, remove print()
- searchTools() previously only searched routed tool categories, so
direct tools like snapshot_project, save_project, create_project
returned 0 results when Claude called search_tools('snapshot')
- Direct tools are now searched first, with a hint that they must be
called directly (not via execute_tool)
Also includes routing.py zone-inset fix for rounded board corners
(already staged from previous session)
- add_schematic_net_label: warn in description that coords must be exact pin endpoints; recommend connect_to_net instead
- connect_to_net: stub wire direction now follows pin angle (was hardcoded +X)
- pin_locator.py: add get_pin_angle() and _get_lib_id() helpers
- new tool: get_schematic_pin_locations(schematicPath, reference) → returns exact x/y of every pin endpoint, so Claude can place labels correctly
Two issues fixed:
1. TypeScript schema was missing the outline parameter entirely,
so MCP clients couldn't send pour boundary points.
2. Python code read "points" key but schema defined "outline" key.
Now accepts "outline" (with "points" as fallback for backwards
compatibility). When no outline is provided, automatically uses
the board edge bounding box as the pour boundary.
Convenience wrapper around route_trace that eliminates the need for
separate get_pad_position calls before routing.
- Accepts fromRef/fromPad/toRef/toPad instead of raw coordinates
- Automatically looks up pad positions from board footprints
- Auto-detects net from pad assignment (overridable via net param)
- Returns fromPad/toPad position info in response
- Saves ~2 tool calls (64+ calls for a full TMC2209 board) vs 3-step flow
Registered in: routing.py, kicad_interface.py (dispatch), routing.ts (MCP)
- fix: DynamicSymbolLoader reads project sym-lib-table before global dirs
add_schematic_component now finds symbols from project-local .kicad_sym files
project_path derived automatically from schematic file path
- fix: place_component reloads FootprintLibraryManager with project_path
new boardPath parameter passed to place_component tool (TypeScript + Python)
_handle_place_component wrapper recreates LibraryManager per project
- fix: copy_routing_pattern geometric fallback when pads have no nets
primary filter: net-based (when pads are assigned to nets)
fallback: bounding box of source footprint pads +5mm tolerance
filterMethod field in response indicates which mode was used
- feat: register copy_routing_pattern as MCP tool in routing.ts
sourceRefs, targetRefs, includeVias, traceWidth parameters
Live tested: ESP32 + 2x TMC2209 in Test3 project
13 traces U2 routed, copy_routing_pattern copied all 13 to U3
offset Y+30mm correct, 26 total traces verified
- Add macOS venv setup using KiCAD's bundled Python (fixes#45)
- Update JLCPCB database size from 1-2 GB to 3-5 GB (accurate for 2.5M+ parts)
- Update all "100k+" references to "2.5M+" for consistency
- Update jlcpcb-api.ts tool description (JLCSearch API, no auth required)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Bug 1 - add_schematic_component: footprint parameter silently ignored
The footprint value from MCP params was never passed through to
DynamicSymbolLoader.add_component() / create_component_instance().
Every placed symbol had an empty Footprint field regardless of input.
Fix: added footprint: str='' to both functions, passed through all
call sites, added footprint to schematic.ts tool schema.
Bug 2 - delete_schematic_component: only deleted first duplicate
When a reference appeared multiple times (e.g. after a failed
add attempt), only the first instance was removed due to break
after first match. Fix: collect all matching blocks first, then
delete back-to-front to preserve indices. Response now includes
deleted_count.
New tool - edit_schematic_component
Update footprint, value or reference of a placed symbol in-place.
More efficient than delete+re-add: preserves position and UUID.
Accepts: schematicPath, reference, footprint?, value?, newReference?
All 3 fixes verified by live tests on a real JLCPCB/KiCAD 9 project:
- R_TEST1: footprint Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608Metric written correctly
- J1 duplicate: deleted_count=2 with single call
- J2 edit: PinSocket footprint assigned in-place, no delete+add needed
- PCB update (F8) confirmed: only components with footprint imported
New tools - datasheet:
- get_datasheet_url: construct LCSC datasheet PDF URL + product page URL
without any API key (URL schema: https://www.lcsc.com/datasheet/<C#>.pdf)
- enrich_datasheets: scan .kicad_sch, write LCSC datasheet URL into every
symbol that has an LCSC property but an empty Datasheet field; supports
dry_run=true for preview; text-based implementation (no skip writes)
Implementation: python/commands/datasheet_manager.py
New tool - schematic:
- delete_schematic_component: remove a placed symbol from a .kicad_sch file
by reference designator (e.g. R1, U3)
Bug fix - delete_schematic_component (two separate root causes):
1. No MCP tool named delete_schematic_component was registered at all.
Any delete-symbol request fell through to the PCB-only delete_component
tool which searches pcbnew.BOARD and always returned 'Component not found'
for schematic symbols.
2. component_schematic.py::remove_component() still used skip for writes.
PR #40 rewrote DynamicSymbolLoader (add path) to avoid skip-induced
schematic corruption, but the delete path was not touched by that PR.
Fix: _handle_delete_schematic_component in kicad_interface.py uses direct
text manipulation with parenthesis-depth tracking (same technique as PR #40),
bypassing component_schematic.py entirely. Error message explicitly guides
users: 'use delete_component for PCB footprints'.
Files changed:
- python/commands/datasheet_manager.py (new)
- src/tools/datasheet.ts (new)
- python/kicad_interface.py: 3 new handlers + dispatch entries
- src/tools/schematic.ts: delete_schematic_component tool
- src/server.ts: registerDatasheetTools import + call
- src/tools/index.ts: export registerDatasheetTools
- CHANGELOG.md: document all above
- connection_schematic.py: generate_netlist() now accepts schematic_path param,
threaded through to get_net_connections() so PinLocator is actually invoked
(previously only 1 connection per component was returned due to fallback break)
- kicad_interface.py: pass schematic_path to generate_netlist()
- pin_locator.py: add _schematic_cache to avoid loading Schematic() once per pin
(was causing timeout: O(nets x components x pins) Schematic() calls)
- server.ts: remove fragile PYTHONPATH?.includes('KiCad') condition,
always prefer KiCAD bundled Python on Windows when executable exists
- CHANGELOG.md: document fixes under v2.2.0-alpha
Issue #32 - Unknown command errors:
- Register get_board_extents in command_routes (was implemented but not registered)
- Implement find_component command with pattern matching on reference/value/footprint
- Add schemas for both commands
Issue #30 - PCB routing replication (Phase 1):
- Implement get_component_pads: returns all pads with positions, nets, shapes
- Implement get_pad_position: returns specific pad coordinates and properties
- Implement query_traces: query traces by net, layer, or bounding box
- Add schemas for all new commands
Issue #26 - Schematic workflow:
- Add missing schemas for add_schematic_connection, add_schematic_net_label,
connect_to_net, get_net_connections, and generate_netlist
Issue #19 - macOS Python path detection:
- Add Python 3.13 to version detection
- Add alternative KiCAD installation paths (user Applications, capitalization variants)
- Add Homebrew Python fallback paths for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs
- Expand platform_helper.py with same improvements
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit fixes the critical bug where the MCP server fails to start on
Linux with "Python executable not found: python3" even when python3 is
correctly installed and available in PATH.
Root Cause:
- findPythonExecutable() returned 'python3' (command name) on Linux
- validatePrerequisites() used existsSync('python3') which checks current
directory, not PATH
- Validation failed even though spawn() would resolve 'python3' via PATH
Changes Made:
1. Enhanced findPythonExecutable() for Linux (src/server.ts:42-126):
- Added Linux platform detection
- Check KiCad bundled Python paths first (/usr/lib/kicad/bin/python3, etc.)
- Use 'which python3' to resolve system python3 to absolute path
- Fallback to common system paths (/usr/bin/python3, /bin/python3)
- Import execSync for 'which' command execution
2. Improved validatePrerequisites() (src/server.ts:214-266):
- Distinguish between absolute paths and command names
- Use existsSync for absolute paths
- Use --version execution test for command names
- Added Linux-specific error messages and troubleshooting
3. Documentation Updates (README.md:409-444):
- Added "Linux Python Detection" section
- Documented detection priority order
- Added troubleshooting steps for KICAD_PYTHON
- Clarified that no manual config needed for standard installations
Testing:
- Build completed successfully (npm run build)
- Python detection now resolves /usr/bin/python3 on Ubuntu/Debian
- Maintains backward compatibility with Windows/macOS
- KICAD_PYTHON override still works
Fixes#29
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Implements full JLCPCB parts catalog integration alongside existing local library search,
giving users two complementary approaches for component selection:
1. Local Symbol Libraries (PR #25)
- Search JLCPCB libraries installed via KiCad PCM
- Pre-configured symbols with footprints
- Works offline, no API needed
2. JLCPCB API Integration (NEW)
- Complete 100k+ parts catalog access
- Real-time pricing and stock information
- Basic/Extended library type identification
- Cost optimization and alternative suggestions
- Package-to-footprint mapping
New Features:
- download_jlcpcb_database: Download complete parts catalog to local SQLite DB
- search_jlcpcb_parts: Parametric search with pricing, stock, library type filters
- get_jlcpcb_part: Detailed part info with price breaks and footprint suggestions
- get_jlcpcb_database_stats: Database statistics and status
- suggest_jlcpcb_alternatives: Find cheaper/available alternatives
Implementation:
- Python API client (commands/jlcpcb.py) - JLCPCB API authentication and data fetching
- Parts database manager (commands/jlcpcb_parts.py) - SQLite storage and search
- TypeScript MCP tools (tools/jlcpcb-api.ts) - User-facing tool definitions
- Comprehensive documentation (docs/JLCPCB_USAGE_GUIDE.md)
Database Features:
- ~100k parts with descriptions, pricing, stock levels
- Full-text search on descriptions and part numbers
- Parametric filtering (category, package, manufacturer, library type)
- Package-to-footprint mapping for KiCad
- Intelligent alternative suggestions
Setup Requirements:
- JLCPCB_API_KEY and JLCPCB_API_SECRET environment variables
- One-time database download (~5-10 minutes, 42MB)
- requests library (already in requirements.txt)
Benefits:
- Cost optimization (identify Basic parts = free assembly)
- Real-time stock checking
- Complete catalog access
- Works offline after initial download
- Complements local library search
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds comprehensive local KiCad symbol library search functionality and fixes KICAD9_3RD_PARTY environment variable resolution.
Features:
- Symbol library search by name, LCSC ID, description, manufacturer, MPN
- Support for 3rd party libraries installed via Plugin and Content Manager
- New MCP tools: search_symbols, list_symbol_libraries, get_symbol_info
- Enhanced library path resolution for KiCad 8 and 9
This enables users with locally installed JLCPCB libraries to search and use components directly.
Co-authored-by: l3wi <l3wi@users.noreply.github.com>
