Major documentation update bringing all docs current with the 122-tool, 16-category state of the project (previously frozen at v2.1.0-alpha/59 tools). New documentation (9 files): - FREEROUTING_GUIDE.md - autorouter setup, Docker/Podman, all 4 tools - SCHEMATIC_TOOLS_REFERENCE.md - all 27 schematic tools with parameters - ROUTING_TOOLS_REFERENCE.md - all 13 routing tools with examples - FOOTPRINT_SYMBOL_CREATOR_GUIDE.md - 8 creator tools with examples - SVG_IMPORT_GUIDE.md - SVG logo import tool - DATASHEET_TOOLS_GUIDE.md - datasheet enrichment tools - PCB_DESIGN_WORKFLOW.md - end-to-end design guide - ARCHITECTURE.md - system architecture for contributors - INDEX.md - documentation table of contents Updated documentation (12 files): - README.md - tool count 64->122, feature list, contributor credits - TOOL_INVENTORY.md - complete rebuild with all 122 tools - STATUS_SUMMARY.md - updated to v2.2.3 feature matrix - ROADMAP.md - marked completed milestones, added v2.3+ vision - KNOWN_ISSUES.md - removed resolved issues, added v2.2.x fixes - CLIENT_CONFIGURATION.md - added KICAD_MCP_DEV, FREEROUTING_JAR env vars - LIBRARY_INTEGRATION.md - added symbol and project-local library support - ROUTER_ARCHITECTURE.md, ROUTER_QUICK_START.md - updated tool counts - IPC_BACKEND_STATUS.md - updated dates - JLCPCB_USAGE_GUIDE.md - added cross-reference note - CONTRIBUTING.md - added ARCHITECTURE.md reference, updated tool count Archived 10 completed planning docs to docs/archive/. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
3.1 KiB
Datasheet Management Tools
Added in: v2.2.0-alpha
Two tools for managing component datasheets using LCSC part numbers. Datasheet URLs are constructed directly from LCSC numbers -- no API key or network requests required.
Tools Reference
enrich_datasheets
Scans a KiCAD schematic and fills in missing Datasheet URLs for components that have an LCSC part number set.
How it works:
For every placed symbol that has:
- An LCSC property set (e.g.,
(property "LCSC" "C123456")) - An empty or missing Datasheet field
The tool sets the Datasheet field to: https://www.lcsc.com/datasheet/C123456.pdf
The URL is then visible in KiCAD's footprint browser, symbol properties dialog, and any tool that reads the standard Datasheet field.
Parameters:
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
schematic_path |
string | Yes | -- | Path to the .kicad_sch file to enrich |
dry_run |
boolean | No | false | Preview changes without writing to disk |
Returns:
- Number of components updated
- Number already set (skipped)
- Number without LCSC number
- Details of each updated component (reference, LCSC number, URL)
Example:
Enrich datasheets for all components in ~/Projects/MyBoard/MyBoard.kicad_sch
Use dry_run=true to preview what would change:
Preview datasheet enrichment for ~/Projects/MyBoard/MyBoard.kicad_sch with dry run enabled.
get_datasheet_url
Get the LCSC datasheet URL for a single component by LCSC number.
Parameters:
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
lcsc |
string | Yes | LCSC part number, with or without "C" prefix (e.g., "C179739" or "179739") |
Returns:
- Datasheet PDF URL
- Product page URL
Example:
Get the datasheet URL for LCSC part C179739.
Workflow
Adding Datasheets to a Design
- Add components with LCSC numbers -- When placing components from JLCPCB libraries or manually setting the LCSC property, each component gets an LCSC part number
- Run enrich_datasheets -- Scans all components and fills in any missing Datasheet URLs
- Verify in KiCAD -- Open the schematic in KiCAD and check that Datasheet fields are populated. Double-clicking a component shows the URL in its properties
Integration with JLCPCB Workflow
These tools complement the JLCPCB integration:
- Use
search_jlcpcb_partsto find components - Place components with LCSC numbers from the search results
- Run
enrich_datasheetsto auto-populate datasheet URLs - Use
export_bomto generate a BOM with datasheet links
Notes
- The datasheet URL format (
https://www.lcsc.com/datasheet/<LCSC#>.pdf) works for the vast majority of LCSC parts - No network request is made -- the URL is constructed from the part number alone
- Components without an LCSC property are skipped silently
- Components that already have a Datasheet URL set are not overwritten
Source Files
- TypeScript tool definitions:
src/tools/datasheet.ts - Python implementation:
python/commands/datasheet_manager.py