{"type":"mcp_server","name":"kicad-mcp","description":"This repository provides a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for KiCad, enabling communication with MCP-compliant clients like Claude Desktop for natural language interaction with KiCad projects. It supports macOS, Windows, and Linux.","category":"Developer Tools","language":"Python","stars":478,"forks":2,"owner":"lamaalrajih","github_url":"https://github.com/lamaalrajih/kicad-mcp","homepage":null,"setup":"## Setup\n\n### 1. Set Up Your Python Environment\n\n```bash\n# Clone the repository\ngit clone https://github.com/lamaalrajih/kicad-mcp.git .\n\n# Create a virtual environment and activate it\npython3 -m venv venv\nsource venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\\Scripts\\activate\n\n# Install the MCP SDK and other dependencies\npip install -r requirements.txt\n```\n\n### 2. Configure Your Environment\n\nCreate a `.env` file to customize where the server looks for your KiCad projects:\n\n```bash\n# Copy the example environment file\ncp .env.example .env\n\n# Edit the .env file\nvim .env\n```\n\nIn the `.env` file, add your custom project directories:\n\n```\n# Add paths to your KiCad projects (comma-separated)\nKICAD_SEARCH_PATHS=~/pcb,~/Electronics,~/Projects/KiCad\n```\n\n### 3. Run the Server\n\nOnce the environment is set up, you can run the server:\n\n```bash\n# Run in development mode\npython -m mcp.dev main.py\n\n# Or run directly\npython main.py\n```\n\n### 4. Configure an MCP Client\n\nNow, let's configure Claude Desktop to use our MCP server:\n\n1. Create or edit the Claude Desktop configuration file:\n\n```bash\n# Create the directory if it doesn't exist\nmkdir -p ~/Library/Application\\ Support/Claude\n\n# Edit the configuration file\nvim ~/Library/Application\\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json\n```\n\n2. Add the KiCad MCP server to the configuration:\n\n```json\n{\n    \"mcpServers\": {\n        \"kicad\": {\n            \"command\": \"/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/YOUR/PROJECT/kicad-mcp/venv/bin/python\",\n            \"args\": [\n                \"/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/YOUR/PROJECT/kicad-mcp/main.py\"\n            ]\n        }\n    }\n}\n```\n\nReplace `/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/YOUR/PROJECT/kicad-mcp` with the actual path to your project directory.\n\n### 5. Restart Your MCP Client\n\nClose and reopen your MCP client to load the new configuration.","tools":"## Available Tools\n\n1.  Project Management: List, examine, and open KiCad projects.\n2.  PCB Design Analysis: Get insights about your PCB designs and schematics.\n3.  Netlist Extraction: Extract and analyze component connections from schematics.\n4.  BOM Management: Analyze and export Bills of Materials.\n5.  Design Rule Checking: Run DRC checks and track your progress over time.\n6.  PCB Visualization: Generate visual representations of your PCB layouts.\n7.  Circuit Pattern Recognition: Automatically identify common circuit patterns in your schematics.","faq":null,"created_at":"2025-03-20T04:47:00+00:00","updated_at":"2025-03-28T00:42:13+00:00","source_url":"https://model-context-protocol.com/servers/kicad-model-context-protocol-mcp-server","related_articles":[]}