New MCP tool `export_sch_python_bom` wrapping `kicad-cli sch export
python-bom`: emits the legacy intermediate XML netlist consumed by the
schematic editor's Python BOM scripts. Minimal option set (outputPath +
schematicPath only, matching the subcommand's --help). schematicPath
required and validated.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_sch_hpgl` wrapping `kicad-cli sch export hpgl`: outputs
one plot per page into a directory. Exposes drawing-sheet override,
exclude-drawing-sheet, default-font, page selection, pen size, and the
origin/scale mode. schematicPath required; directory output uses outputDir.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_sch_dxf` wrapping `kicad-cli sch export dxf`: outputs
one DXF per page into a directory. Exposes drawing-sheet override, theme,
B&W, exclude-drawing-sheet, default-font, and page selection.
schematicPath required; directory output uses outputDir.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_sch_pdf` wrapping `kicad-cli sch export pdf`: exposes
the full option set (drawing-sheet override, theme, B&W,
exclude-drawing-sheet, default-font, the PDF property-popup /
hierarchical-link / metadata excludes, no-background-color, and page
selection). schematicPath is required and validated.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_sch_bom` wrapping `kicad-cli sch export bom`: exposes
the full BOM option set (presets, field/label lists, group-by, sort
field/direction, filter, exclude-DNP, include-excluded-from-BOM, and the
field/string/ref/ref-range delimiters, plus keep-tabs/keep-line-breaks).
schematicPath is required and validated. Self-contained interface handler.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_3d_cli` wrapping the kicad-cli 3D subcommands. A
`format` enum {step,glb,stl,ply,brep,xao,vrml} selects the subcommand and
the handler forwards only flags valid for that subcommand: the shared
geometry/include set for step/glb/stl/ply/brep/xao, no-optimize-step for
STEP only, and units + models-dir/models-relative for VRML. Rich CLI
sibling of the existing export_3d / export_vrml (left untouched). Reads
the saved .kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_gerber_single` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export gerber`:
plots the selected layers to a SINGLE Gerber file (singular sibling of
export_gerbers). Exposes the full single-file Plot option set (X2, netlist
attributes, the four DNP fab-layer modes, soldermask subtraction, aperture
macros, drill-file origin, precision, Protel extension). Reads the saved
.kicad_pcb. Note: this subcommand is deprecated in KiCad 9.0 (still exits 0).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_pcb_dxf` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export dxf`: exposes
the full layer-plot surface (layer/common-layer lists, refdes/value
exclusion, soldermask subtraction, use-contours, use-drill-origin,
border+title, output-units, the four DNP fab-layer modes, drill-shape, and
the single/multi output modes). Reads the saved .kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_pcb_svg` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export svg`: exposes
the full layer-plot surface (layer/common-layer lists, mirror, soldermask
subtraction, negative, B&W, theme, the four DNP fab-layer modes,
page-size-mode, fit-page-to-board, exclude-drawing-sheet, drill-shape, and
the single/multi output modes). Rich CLI sibling of the existing SWIG
export_svg (left untouched). Reads the saved .kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_pcb_pdf` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export pdf`: exposes
the full layer-plot surface (layer/common-layer lists, mirror,
refdes/value exclusion, border+title, soldermask subtraction, the four
DNP fab-layer modes, negative, B&W, theme, drill-shape, and the
single/separate/multipage output modes). Rich CLI sibling of the existing
SWIG export_pdf (left untouched). Reads the saved .kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_gencad` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export gencad`:
exposes define-var plus the flip-bottom-pads, unique-pins,
unique-footprints, use-drill-origin and store-origin-coord flags.
Self-contained interface handler reading the saved .kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_ipcd356` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export ipcd356`:
generates an IPC-D-356 bare-board electrical-test netlist for flying-probe
and bed-of-nails testers. Minimal option set (outputPath + boardPath only,
matching the subcommand's --help). Self-contained interface handler reading
the saved .kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_odb` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export odb`: precision,
compression mode (zip/tgz/none), and units. Single ODB++ job archive for
CAM/MES/assembly. Self-contained interface handler reading the saved
.kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_ipc2581` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export ipc2581`:
precision, compression, standard version, units, and the five
--bom-col-* field mappings (internal id, mfg P/N, mfg, distributor P/N,
distributor) that control the BOM part data embedded in the IPC-2581
file — directly useful for MES/assembly imports that need a real
internal P/N rather than the description. Self-contained interface
handler reading the saved .kicad_pcb.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
New MCP tool `export_gerbers` wrapping `kicad-cli pcb export gerbers`,
exposing the complete Plot-dialog option surface that the existing
SWIG-based export_gerber lacks: layer + common-layer lists, X2 on/off,
netlist attributes, soldermask subtraction, aperture macros, the three
DNP fab-layer modes, refdes/value exclusion, border+title, drill-file
origin, coordinate precision (5/6), Protel vs KiCad extensions, and
--board-plot-params to reuse the board's stored plot settings.
Implemented as a self-contained interface handler (_handle_export_gerbers)
that resolves the board path (param or current board) and shells out to
kicad-cli, mirroring the _handle_export_netlist pattern — no dependence
on a live SWIG board, since the KiCad IPC API exposes no plot/export
endpoints. Reads the saved .kicad_pcb on disk.
Wiring: dispatch map + src/tools/export.ts registration + export
category in registry.ts.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds batch authoring tools that collapse the dozens of round-trips needed to
stand up a schematic into a handful: batch_add_components,
batch_edit_schematic_components, replace_schematic_component,
batch_add_no_connects, batch_connect, and batch_add_and_connect (place a set of
parts and wire them in one call). These reuse the existing single-item handlers
internally, so behavior matches exactly.
- python/commands/schematic_batch.py: SchematicBatchCommands(iface)
- python/commands/schematic_text_utils.py: shared .kicad_sch text helpers
- src/tools/schematic-batch.ts + registry 'schematic_batch' category
- python/kicad_interface.py: import + instantiate + dispatch routes
- tests/test_schematic_batch.py: 13 unit tests
Note: schematic_text_utils.py is also shipped by the field-placement and
hierarchy PRs; if those merge first, drop the duplicate copy on rebase.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds field-placement tools:
- set_schematic_property_position / batch_set_schematic_property_positions:
move a symbol's Reference/Value field labels
- autoplace_schematic_fields: place every symbol's fields clear of its body
and nearby net labels (the #1 readability problem in generated schematics)
- check_schematic_layout: audit out-of-bounds / fields-in-body / duplicate
labels (note: overlaps upstream find_overlapping_elements etc. — reuse or
drop on request)
Generic .kicad_sch text helpers are factored into commands/schematic_text_utils.py
so the batch/hierarchy modules don't import from one another.
- python/commands/schematic_text_utils.py: shared text/S-expr helpers
- python/commands/schematic_field_layout.py: SchematicFieldLayoutCommands
- src/tools/schematic-layout.ts + registry 'schematic_layout' category
- python/kicad_interface.py: import + instantiate + dispatch routes
- tests/test_schematic_field_layout.py: 23 unit tests incl. end-to-end on real .kicad_sch
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds add_hierarchical_sheet (insert a sheet symbol referencing a child
.kicad_sch, with sheet_instances + fixed component instance paths) and
create_hierarchical_subsheet (create the child file + wire it into the parent
in one call). Upstream has add_sheet_pin / add_schematic_hierarchical_label
but no way to create a sheet or stand up a child sheet, so hierarchical
designs can't be built through the MCP server today.
- python/commands/schematic_hierarchy.py: SchematicHierarchyCommands
- src/tools/schematic-hierarchy.ts + registry 'schematic_hierarchy' category
- python/kicad_interface.py: import + instantiate + dispatch routes
- tests/test_schematic_hierarchy.py: 5 unit/integration tests on real .kicad_sch
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds list_symbol_pins and batch_list_symbol_pins: read a symbol's pin
number/name/type/local-position straight from the .kicad_sym libraries,
without placing it on a schematic. Fills a gap in library_symbol.py
(which can search/list symbols and read properties but not pins) and
complements get_schematic_pin_locations (placed-symbol coords only).
- python/commands/symbol_pins.py: SymbolPinCommands (stateless)
- src/tools/library-symbol.ts: tool wrappers; registry 'symbol_pins' category
- python/kicad_interface.py: import + instantiate + dispatch routes
- tests/test_symbol_pins.py: 12 unit tests (MagicMock loader; no system KiCad)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
The server wrote gigabytes to ~/.kicad-mcp/logs and ignored LOG_LEVEL. Three
root causes, all fixed here (the logging carve-out of #182):
- Python (kicad_interface.py): replace the unbounded FileHandler with a
RotatingFileHandler (10 MB x 3 backups, env-tunable via KICAD_MCP_LOG_MAX_BYTES
/ KICAD_MCP_LOG_BACKUP_COUNT); read the level from KICAD_MCP_LOG_LEVEL or
LOG_LEVEL (default INFO) instead of hardcoding DEBUG; mute the noisy
skip / skip.sexp.* loggers to WARNING unless KICAD_MCP_DEBUG_SKIP is set.
- TypeScript (config.ts): honor KICAD_MCP_LOG_LEVEL / LOG_LEVEL for the TS logger.
- TypeScript (logger.ts): size-cap the per-day log files with the same env knobs.
- Docs + a no-network test for the env helpers, skip muting, and that no
unbounded handler targets kicad_interface.log.
Verified: LOG_LEVEL is now applied, skip is muted, and the file rotates instead
of growing forever. Full suite unchanged from baseline.
The hierarchical-sheet rewrite from #182 is intentionally left out (stays as a
separate PR pending the #169/#170 design discussion).
Co-Authored-By: angelorodem <angelorodem@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add optional `justify` property to `fieldPositions` entries in
`edit_schematic_component` and to `set_schematic_component_property`.
Changes:
- `python/kicad_interface.py`: new `_set_justify_on_property()` helper
that adds/replaces/removes the `(justify ...)` token inside a property's
`(effects ...)` block. Passing "center" (the KiCad default) removes the
directive entirely. Integrated into `_set_property_in_block()` (for the
`properties` dict path) and into the `field_positions` loop in
`_handle_edit_schematic_component()`. `_handle_set_schematic_component_property()`
now forwards `justify` from params through to the spec dict.
Also fixes pre-existing mypy type-ignore on `circle.radius` (kipy stub).
- `src/tools/schematic.ts`: extend the `fieldPositions` Zod schema to accept
`justify?: string | string[]` (array form normalised to a space-separated
string before the Python call). Add `justify?: string` to
`set_schematic_component_property`.
- `python/commands/routing.py`: fix pre-existing mypy error — annotate `ex`
and `ey` as `float` in `_point_to_segment_distance_nm`.
- `python/commands/pin_locator.py`: fix pre-existing mypy error — use explicit
`str()` cast on `pin_data["number"]` before `dict.get()` call.
- `tests/test_schematic_field_justify.py`: 14 unit + integration tests
covering add/replace/remove of the justify directive and backward
compatibility (calls without justify leave existing directives untouched).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
The download_jlcpcb_database tool paged the community JLCSearch API with an
offset parameter, but that endpoint is a search front-end that ignores offset
and returns the same first 100 parts on every page, so a full catalog download
was impossible.
Add commands/jlcpcb_downloader.py with a layered strategy that reuses prebuilt
catalogs the whole ecosystem already trusts:
- CDFER single-file SQLite (primary; no 7z/zip, reliable on Windows)
- yaqwsx/jlcparts split 7z (fallback; only if a 7z CLI is present)
- official JLCPCB API (optional; cursor pagination, if credentials set)
Conversion reads CDFER's v_components view (or sniffs the largest table for
yaqwsx), C-prefixes integer lcsc, derives library_type from basic/preferred,
maps mfr->mfr_part, and normalizes price JSON to the manager's [{qty,price}]
shape. Rewire _handle_download_jlcpcb_database to use it (closing/reopening the
manager connection so the on-disk db can be rewritten on Windows). Remove the
broken offset loop from jlcsearch.py (client kept for interactive lookups).
Reduce download_jlcpcb.py to a thin CLI wrapper and update the TS tool schema.
Verified end-to-end against live CDFER: 616k parts downloaded + converted in
~40s, FTS search and price-break parsing correct. New unit tests cover the
conversion and source fall-through; no network in tests.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Three-phase MCP server startup: wait for Python READY handshake, send
_warmup command (pcbnew.BOARD() triggers wxApp init on macOS), connect
to MCP transport only after warm-up completes.
Also pre-populate symbol library cache during SymbolLibraryManager
init so the first search_symbols call doesn't parse 241 .kicad_sym
files from disk (30-120s). Both warm-up and cache population happen
before tools are registered with the MCP client.
Fixes#195
KiCAD nightly builds occasionally return a SwigPyObject from
pcbnew.LoadBoard, and SaveBoard can leave self.board with no method
dispatch as a side-effect of certain sequences (delete_trace + auto-save
is the one users have hit in the wild). Before this fix, open_project
would keep reporting "Opened project: foo.kicad_pcb" while every
subsequent board operation failed with AttributeError on
GetDesignSettings / GetBoardEdgesBoundingBox / GetCurrentViaSize, with
no path to recovery short of restarting the MCP server.
Add two helpers in KiCADInterface:
* _is_board_healthy(board=None) probes for stable BOARD methods
(GetDesignSettings, GetBoardEdgesBoundingBox, GetFileName) — these
are missing on a dehydrated SwigPyObject, so hasattr() catches the
state without segfaulting.
* _safe_load_board(path) wraps pcbnew.LoadBoard, checks health, and
on dehydration reloads the pcbnew module via importlib.reload and
retries once. Returns None when recovery is impossible so callers
surface real failure rather than fake success.
Wire the helpers in:
* handle_command's open_project / create_project path validates the
loaded board and either recovers (with a warnings[] entry) or
returns success=False with an explicit "restart the MCP server"
errorDetails — never claims success when the board is unusable.
* _auto_save_board now detects dehydration introduced by SaveBoard
itself and reloads from disk so the next command sees a usable
proxy. This is the post-delete_trace failure mode users hit.
* _handle_place_component, _handle_sync_schematic_to_board,
_handle_import_svg_logo and _handle_refill_zones all go through
_safe_load_board instead of bare LoadBoard, surfacing real errors
consistently.
Also fix two adjacent issues observed in the same incident:
* _handle_check_kicad_ui used to call manager.is_running() and
manager.get_process_info() separately, with different detection
methods. They could disagree, producing the confusing
running=True, processes=[] state users hit after manually
quitting KiCAD. processes is now the single source of truth and
running is derived from len().
* run_drc accepts a timeoutSec param (default 600s, clamped to
[10, 1800]) so callers with smaller MCP transport budgets can
bound the kicad-cli subprocess. Same timeout is applied to the
optional report-generation subprocess. Error message names the
actual timeout that fired.
Tests: tests/test_swig_dehydration.py adds 17 unit tests covering
detection, recovery, the open_project surfacing path, the auto-save
post-recovery path, the check_kicad_ui consistency, and the run_drc
timeout clamping. Full suite: same 12 pre-existing failures both
before and after this change, +17 new tests passing.
Note: the SWIG dehydration is fundamentally a pcbnew memory bug
exposed by repeated LoadBoard calls in a single Python process;
this PR is a defensive recovery layer, not a fix to the underlying
binding. Complementary to PR #151 (auto-save-guard), which expands
the LoadBoard call rate by refusing saves on external file change
and forcing re-open_project cycles.
* feat(units): add mil unit support across all position/coordinate commands
KiCad natively supports mils, so the MCP server should too. Added "mil"
as a valid unit option in tool schemas and updated all unit-to-nanometer
scale conversions across component, routing, outline, view, and IPC
handler code paths. 1 mil = 25400 nm (0.0254 mm).
Also fixes a pre-existing mypy overload error in pin_locator.py (str cast
on dict.get key) that was blocking pre-commit on any Python file change.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
* feat(units): add mil to TypeScript tool schemas
The Python-side mil support was added but the actual input validation
happens in the TypeScript/Zod schemas. Updated all z.enum(["mm", "inch"])
to include "mil" across board, component, routing, design-rules, and
export tool definitions.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
* fix(tools): replace CP-1252 mojibake with correct Unicode in board.ts
Replace U+00C3 U+00D7 (×) with U+00D7 (×) in add_logo size output string.
Character was mangled when file was saved as CP-1252 instead of UTF-8.
* fix: restore em-dash and fix pre-commit mypy in component/routing
component.py: replace CP-1252 mojibake (â€") with correct Unicode
em-dash (—) in the 'Add to board first' comment. Addresses
maintainer review on PR #162.
routing.py: annotate ex/ey as float at first assignment site in
_point_to_segment_distance_nm so mypy pre-commit hook passes
cleanly on this branch.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Drop GND stitching vias across the board with collision checking
against every non-GND segment, via, and pad on every copper layer.
PTH vias penetrate the full stackup, so an F.Cu-only check (the most
common shortcut) silently creates shorts on inner / B.Cu copper —
this implementation explicitly walks all layers.
grid Regular grid across the board interior. Default
spacing 5mm.
around_refs Densify around specified footprints (e.g. MCUs,
switching regulators, RF parts). Configurable
density via densifyRadius.
in_zones Restrict placements to candidates inside the filled
polygons of GND copper zones, so each new via lands
on copper that's already a GND equipotential.
Recommended on boards where the GND zone is fragmented:
these vias actually stitch real polygons rather than
floating on silkscreen.
All three strategies use the same collision check + intra-call
clump-prevention, so passing `["grid", "around_refs", "in_zones"]`
is a safe kitchen-sink configuration.
- Auto-detect GND net (tries GND / GROUND / VSS / /GND in order)
OR explicit `gndNet` parameter.
- Per-via geometry control: viaSize, viaDrill, clearance.
- edgeMargin: keep-out distance from board edge.
- maxVias: cap on total placements (useful for incremental work).
- dryRun: return placements without modifying the board — for
previewing before committing.
- Validates viaDrill < viaSize, rejects unknown strategy names,
surfaces clear errors when GND net can't be resolved or the
board outline is missing.
Approach ported from morningfire-pcb-automation
(https://github.com/NiNjA-CodE/morningfire-pcb-automation,
scripts/ground/add_gnd_vias.py). The original parses the PCB text
with regex and writes vias by string concatenation; this port reads
obstacles via the pcbnew API (handles rotated footprints, integrates
with the live in-memory board so two sequential calls see each
other's placements, picks up net codes from the loaded board) and
adds the in_zones strategy, the maxVias cap, and dry-run mode.
Credit is in the docstring, the TypeScript wrapper comment, the MCP
tool description (visible to clients), and the CHANGELOG entry.
tests/test_add_gnd_stitching_vias.py — 18 cases, all passing.
Uses mocked pcbnew objects so the suite runs under both the conftest
stub and a real pcbnew install.
- grid strategy fills empty board with correct count
- collision blocks via near a signal track (with extent assertion)
- GND-net obstacles are correctly ignored
- around_refs densifies near footprints with bounded extent
- in_zones rejects candidates outside HitTestFilledArea
- dryRun does NOT call board.Add
- actual run calls board.Add per placement
- maxVias caps total placements
- intra-call clump prevention (asserts pairwise distance)
- viaDrill >= viaSize is rejected
- unknown strategy name is rejected
- missing GND net returns clear error payload
- no board loaded returns clear error
- named GND net (e.g. VSS) is honoured even when GND also exists
- direct unit tests for _point_to_segment_distance_nm helper
Real-board smoke test on TuneForge_TF001 (4-layer, 44 footprints):
- GND net auto-detected
- grid spacing 4mm: 141 placements, 129 blocked by collision
- grid + in_zones: 140 placed, 15 rejected by zone membership,
115 blocked by collision
python/commands/routing.py (+impl, ~370 LOC)
python/kicad_interface.py (+handler registration)
python/schemas/tool_schemas.py (+MCP schema)
src/tools/routing.ts (+TypeScript surface, builds clean)
tests/test_add_gnd_stitching_vias.py (+18 tests)
CHANGELOG.md (+Unreleased -> New MCP Tools)
Components now include boundingBox (min/max X/Y, width, height) in
get_component_list and get_component_properties responses. The SWIG
get_component_properties also includes courtyard dimensions when the
footprint defines a courtyard layer.
SWIG backend uses GetBoundingBox() and GetCourtyard(). IPC backend
tries get_item_bounding_box(), then pad-extent fallback, then falls
back to SWIG backend data when available. This ensures bounding box
data is present regardless of which backend handles the query.
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Detects courtyard overlaps between footprints and flags courtyards that
extend past the board outline. Returns overlap pairs with intersection
extents (mm), per-component boundary violations, and a placement summary.
The killer feature for AI-driven workflows is the `positions` parameter,
which accepts hypothetical placements `{ref: [x, y]}` or
`{ref: [x, y, rotation_degrees]}`. The tool evaluates the proposed
placement WITHOUT writing to the board file — so an AI agent can validate
a move_component / place_component before committing it, instead of the
current loop of write -> run DRC -> parse violations -> revert.
## Implementation
- Uses the real courtyard polygons from pcbnew (`fp.GetCourtyard(F_CrtYd)`
or B_CrtYd) for accurate AABBs even on custom and rotated footprints.
- Falls back to `fp.GetBoundingBox()` when no F/B.Courtyard polygon is
present.
- For virtual rotation, rotates the four AABB corners and re-axis-aligns.
Conservative: the rotated-AABB is always >= the rotated-polygon, so
overlap reports are never false-negatives (may be marginally
over-cautious on diagonal rectangles, which is the right error bias
for a placement validator).
- Optional `margin` parameter expands every courtyard by N mm — useful
for enforcing a manufacturing keepout wider than the symbol's
declared courtyard.
## Attribution
The approach is ported from morningfire-pcb-automation
(https://github.com/NiNjA-CodE/morningfire-pcb-automation), specifically
`scripts/placement/check_overlaps.py`. The upstream uses a static
per-footprint-type courtyard lookup table; this implementation reads
the real polygons from pcbnew so it works on any footprint without
maintaining a table. Attribution is in the function docstring, the
TypeScript wrapper, the tool's description (visible to MCP clients),
and the CHANGELOG entry.
## Tests
12 pytest cases in tests/test_check_courtyard_overlaps.py, all passing:
- No overlaps when spaced; overlap detected on intersect
- Margin pushes borderline pairs into overlap
- `refs` filter restricts the check
- Boundary violations are flagged; `include_boundary=false` suppresses
- Virtual position does not mutate the footprint (asserts
`SetPosition` is never called)
- Virtual rotation swaps a tall-narrow courtyard's x/y extents
- No-board-loaded returns clean error payload
- Bad position spec (wrong arity) returns clean error payload
- GetCourtyard() OutlineCount=0 -> fallback to GetBoundingBox()
- `board_outline` override replaces the Edge.Cuts bbox
Tests use mocked pcbnew objects so they run under both the conftest stub
and a real pcbnew install. Real-board smoke test on a 44-footprint
production board succeeds: 1 known overlap detected (SW1<->SW2), 0
boundary violations, virtual placement test reports 6 expected overlaps.
## Files touched
- python/commands/component.py (impl + helpers)
- python/kicad_interface.py (tool registration)
- python/schemas/tool_schemas.py (MCP schema entry)
- src/tools/component.ts (TypeScript surface, builds clean)
- tests/test_check_courtyard_overlaps.py (12 cases)
- CHANGELOG.md (Unreleased -> New MCP Tools)
* Fix: IPC rotate_component now uses absolute angle as documented
The IPC rotate handler was adding the angle to the current rotation
(relative), but the schema documents it as absolute. This caused
unexpected behavior where setting angle=0 had no effect on a component
already at 180°. Now correctly sets the rotation to the exact angle
specified, matching the SWIG backend behavior.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
* docs(changelog): add unreleased entry for rotate_component absolute-angle fix
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Closes#126.
A placed schematic symbol carries its reference designator in two places:
(symbol
(property "Reference" "R5" …) ← what eeschema renders
(instances
(project "MyProject"
(path "/sheet-uuid/symbol-uuid"
(reference "R5") ← what netlist + PCB sync read
(unit 1) )))
…)
Before this change, `edit_schematic_component` with `newReference` updated
only the (property "Reference" …) field. The (reference "…") leaves inside
(instances) → (project) → (path) kept the old value. eeschema rendered the
new reference correctly and ERC passed, but `kicad-cli sch export netlist`
and "Update PCB from Schematic" both read from the (instances) block and
silently used the OLD reference — producing destructive PCB-sync diffs on
what users thought was a clean rename. Severity was high for anyone running
batch renames because the symptom only surfaces at PCB-sync time, by which
point many renames may be queued.
Walk the (instances) subtree within the matched symbol block after the
property update and replace every `(reference "OLD")` leaf with the new
value. The regex matches `(reference "X")` specifically (not
`(property "Reference" "X"`), and the walk is constrained to the
(instances …) range via the existing _find_matching_paren helper so other
(reference …) tokens elsewhere in the file can't be affected.
Adds tests/test_edit_schematic_component_instances.py covering:
- Single-instance rename updates both property and instances leaf
- Hierarchical case with multiple (path …) entries all updated atomically
- No-instances-block schematics don't crash (older KiCad / partial files)
- The regex doesn't clobber (property "Reference" …) on the instances pass
- Other field values (Value, Footprint) are left intact
- The response payload's updated.reference reflects the new ref
All 6 tests fail on main without the fix (3 fully, 3 on the instances
assertions only) and pass on this branch.
The pre-existing TestAddComponentMirrorParam failures in
test_add_schematic_component.py are unrelated and present on main —
documented in inktomi's PR #169.
Co-authored-by: mixelpixx <11727006+mixelpixx@users.noreply.github.com>
query_traces silently omits PCB_ZONE_T objects, so layer-usage audits
miss power planes and GND pours entirely. query_zones complements it by
iterating board.Zones() and returning each zone's net, layers, priority,
fill state, min thickness, bounding box, and filled area, with the same
net/layer/boundingBox filter surface as query_traces.
* feat: guard SWIG auto-save against external file changes
After every board-mutating SWIG command, kicad_interface._auto_save_board()
unconditionally calls pcbnew.SaveBoard() with the in-memory board. When the
on-disk .kicad_pcb has been modified externally between our LoadBoard and
SaveBoard (KiCad GUI's own save, git checkout, another process), the
in-memory state silently overwrites those external changes - losing data
the user can't see was at risk.
This change records the file's mtime_ns + sha256 at LoadBoard and verifies
the signature matches before each auto-save:
* If the signature has diverged, refuse the save and attach a structured
warning to the command result so callers know their mutation is
in-memory only and they need to reload before retrying.
* If it matches, copy the existing file to .mcp-backups/<name>.<ts>
(rotating, keeps last 20) before overwriting.
* Update the recorded signature after our own writes so subsequent
saves are not falsely flagged.
Backwards compatible:
* No tool schemas changed.
* Successful saves return as before, with an extra `autoSave` field
when the wrapper observed something noteworthy.
* Refused saves return success: true (the in-memory mutation did
succeed) plus warnings: [...] and autoSave.diskChangedExternally,
so callers can detect the situation programmatically.
Adds tests/test_auto_save_guard.py (10 tests, all passing) covering:
signature math, refusal on external change, backup creation + content,
backup rotation, first-save semantics (no recorded signature proceeds
normally), and skip cases (no board / no path).
Motivation: the aircam-pdb fork-user lost ~480 traces and the full
footprint layout to a silent overwrite incident on 2026-05-03; recovery
was only possible because VS Code's local-history extension happened to
have a snapshot from a few minutes earlier. This guard makes that class
of incident loud and locally recoverable.
* fix(auto-save-guard): refuse only on content divergence, not mtime
The guard added in 9ba0010 records `(mtime_ns, sha256)` as the file's
disk signature and refuses auto-save when the recorded tuple no longer
matches the current one. Comparing the full tuple meant any mtime delta
fired the refusal — including a bare `touch` of the file, an atime-style
backup tool, or any MCP read path that opened the .kicad_pcb between
load and save. Users were trapped: every write needed an explicit
save_project call to bypass the false positive (documented as a
workaround in fork users' notes).
Compare on sha256 only; mtime is incidental. The actual data-loss
scenario the guard is meant to catch — an external write that genuinely
changed the file — produces a different content hash, which is what the
guard now keys off. After a touch-only mtime advance with content
unchanged, refresh the recorded signature so we don't re-hash on every
subsequent call.
Drops the mtime-equality fast path on _disk_signature: a filesystem with
coarse mtime resolution (FAT32, some network mounts) could accept two
writes inside one mtime tick; trusting mtime as a hash cache key would
re-introduce a class of silent overwrites the guard exists to prevent.
The hash itself is cheap (sha256 over a typical .kicad_pcb completes in
tens of milliseconds).
Adds 4 regression tests in test_auto_save_guard.py:
- touch-only mtime advance proceeds and refreshes the signature
- content change at the same mtime is still refused (hash divergence
must drive the decision, not tuple equality)
- the user-facing warning calls out "contents", not "mtime"
- _disk_signature returns the same hash when content is unchanged
even after the file's mtime advances
The handler iterated `board.GetFootprints()` and assigned nets to existing
pads, but had no path to *add* footprints for schematic symbols whose
Reference was not yet on the board. New parts placed on the schematic
landed in the net list with no PCB representation — the rats nest had
nowhere to terminate, and place_component / route_pad_to_pad would fail
because the target footprint did not exist.
KiCad's "Update PCB from Schematic" (F8) implicitly adds the missing
footprints; bring the MCP's behaviour in line.
Implementation:
* `_extract_components_from_schematic` runs `kicad-cli sch export netlist
--format kicadxml` (the same path `_handle_generate_netlist` already
uses) and returns a flat `[{reference, value, footprint}]` list. Walks
hierarchical sub-sheets transparently because kicad-cli does.
* `_add_missing_footprints_from_schematic` resolves each missing component
against the project's fp-lib-table via `LibraryManager`, calls
`pcbnew.FootprintLoad`, sets reference / value / FPID, and places the
footprint at the board origin (the user / autoplacer can position it).
Power and flag references (`#PWR…`, `#FLG…`) are excluded — they have
no PCB footprint.
* The pad-net assignment loop now runs *after* the add path, so newly
placed footprints get their nets assigned in the same call.
* Response payload gains `footprints_added` and `footprints_skipped`
diagnostic lists. The textual `message` field reports both the new
footprint count and the existing net / pad counts.
Adds tests/test_sync_schematic_to_board_footprints.py — 9 unit tests
covering the add path (missing ref, already-present ref, power refs,
empty footprint, unknown library) and the kicad-cli helper (XML parse,
missing kicad-cli, non-zero exit).
cairocffi uses cffi's ffi.dlopen('cairo-2') which requires the DLL to
be on the system PATH. On Windows, prepend KiCad's bin directory to
PATH early in kicad_interface.py (before any cairocffi import) so
cairo-2.dll can be found. Checks PYTHONPATH, Python executable dir,
and default KiCad 9/8 install paths.
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
The _ipc_move_component and _ipc_place_component handlers were ignoring
the unit field from position parameters, always treating values as mm.
When inches were specified, components would be placed at 1/25.4th of
the intended position. Now reads the unit field and converts to mm
before passing to the IPC backend.
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
After every board-mutating SWIG command, kicad_interface._auto_save_board()
unconditionally calls pcbnew.SaveBoard() with the in-memory board. When the
on-disk .kicad_pcb has been modified externally between our LoadBoard and
SaveBoard (KiCad GUI's own save, git checkout, another process), the
in-memory state silently overwrites those external changes - losing data
the user can't see was at risk.
This change records the file's mtime_ns + sha256 at LoadBoard and verifies
the signature matches before each auto-save:
* If the signature has diverged, refuse the save and attach a structured
warning to the command result so callers know their mutation is
in-memory only and they need to reload before retrying.
* If it matches, copy the existing file to .mcp-backups/<name>.<ts>
(rotating, keeps last 20) before overwriting.
* Update the recorded signature after our own writes so subsequent
saves are not falsely flagged.
Backwards compatible:
* No tool schemas changed.
* Successful saves return as before, with an extra `autoSave` field
when the wrapper observed something noteworthy.
* Refused saves return success: true (the in-memory mutation did
succeed) plus warnings: [...] and autoSave.diskChangedExternally,
so callers can detect the situation programmatically.
Adds tests/test_auto_save_guard.py (10 tests, all passing) covering:
signature math, refusal on external change, backup creation + content,
backup rotation, first-save semantics (no recorded signature proceeds
normally), and skip cases (no board / no path).
Motivation: the aircam-pdb fork-user lost ~480 traces and the full
footprint layout to a silent overwrite incident on 2026-05-03; recovery
was only possible because VS Code's local-history extension happened to
have a snapshot from a few minutes earlier. This guard makes that class
of incident loud and locally recoverable.
