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KiCAD MCP Bot 319473b1d8 feat: Implement IPC backend for real-time UI synchronization

Add KiCAD IPC API backend using kicad-python library for real-time
communication with KiCAD 9.0+. Changes now appear instantly in KiCAD
UI without manual reload.

Key changes:
- Implement IPCBackend and IPCBoardAPI classes for IPC communication
- Auto-detect IPC availability and fall back to SWIG when unavailable
- Route existing commands (route_trace, add_via, place_component, etc.)
  through IPC automatically when available
- Add transaction support for proper undo/redo
- Add socket path auto-detection for Linux (/tmp/kicad/api.sock)

New commands:
- get_backend_info: Check which backend is active

Supported IPC operations:
- Board: set_size, get_board_info, save
- Routing: route_trace, add_via, add_net
- Components: place, move, delete, list
- Text: add_text, add_board_text

SWIG backend is now deprecated and will be removed when KiCAD 10.0
drops SWIG support.

Requires: kicad-python>=0.5.0, KiCAD 9.0+ with IPC enabled

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

2025-11-30 14:33:27 -05:00

3.2 KiB

Raw Blame History

Changelog - 2025-11-30

IPC Backend Implementation - Real-time UI Synchronization

This release implements the KiCAD IPC API backend, enabling real-time UI synchronization between the MCP server and KiCAD. Changes made through MCP tools now appear instantly in the KiCAD UI without requiring manual reload.

Major Features

Real-time UI Sync via IPC API

Instant updates: Tracks, vias, components, and text appear immediately in KiCAD
No reload required: Eliminates the manual File > Reload workflow
Transaction support: Operations can be grouped for single undo/redo steps
Auto-detection: Server automatically uses IPC when KiCAD is running with IPC enabled

Automatic Backend Selection

IPC backend is now the default when available
Transparent fallback to SWIG when IPC unavailable
Environment variable KICAD_BACKEND for explicit control:
- auto (default): Try IPC first, fall back to SWIG
- ipc: Force IPC only
- swig: Force SWIG only (deprecated)

Commands with IPC Support

The following commands now automatically use IPC for real-time updates:

Command	Description
`route_trace`	Add traces with instant UI update
`add_via`	Add vias with instant UI update
`add_text` / `add_board_text`	Add text with instant UI update
`set_board_size`	Set board size with instant outline update
`get_board_info`	Read live board data
`place_component`	Place components with instant UI update
`move_component`	Move components with instant UI update
`delete_component`	Delete components with instant UI update
`get_component_list`	Read live component list
`save_project`	Save via IPC

New Files

python/kicad_api/ipc_backend.py - Complete IPC backend implementation (~870 lines)
python/test_ipc_backend.py - Test script for IPC functionality
docs/IPC_BACKEND_STATUS.md - Implementation status documentation

Modified Files

python/kicad_interface.py - Added IPC integration and automatic command routing
python/kicad_api/base.py - Added routing and transaction methods to base class
python/kicad_api/factory.py - Fixed kipy module detection
docs/ROADMAP.md - Updated Week 3 status to complete

Dependencies

Added kicad-python>=0.5.0 - Official KiCAD IPC API Python library

Requirements

To use real-time mode:

KiCAD 9.0+ must be running
Enable IPC API: Preferences > Plugins > Enable IPC API Server
Have a board open in PCB editor

Deprecation Notice

The SWIG backend is now deprecated:

Will continue to work as fallback
No new features will be added to SWIG path
Will be removed when KiCAD 10.0 drops SWIG support

Testing

Run the IPC test script:

./venv/bin/python python/test_ipc_backend.py

Or test individual commands:

echo '{"command": "get_backend_info", "params": {}}' | \
  PYTHONPATH=python ./venv/bin/python python/kicad_interface.py

Breaking Changes

None. All existing commands continue to work. IPC is used transparently when available.

Version: 2.1.0-alpha Date: 2025-11-30

3.2 KiB Raw Blame History