kicad-cli-extended
Extended KiCad command line for AI agents covering schematic editing, PCB updates and routing, fab packages, previews, and diffs with JSON output.
What it does and how it connects
kicad-cli-extended, called kce, wraps every official kicad-cli command and option and extends it with schematic editing, netlist-first circuit assembly, PCB sync, placement scoring, routing, fabrication packaging, revision diffs, transactional plans, and an AI agent skill, all speaking a strict JSON contract.
It drives KiCad 10 and reloads every file it writes through kicad-cli, so KiCad itself validates each mutation before commit. Command groups cover schematic work, PCB work including routing, differential pairs, length tuning, via stitching, and panelization, libraries, previews, fabrication packaging, and a resident JSON-RPC worker with a warm pcbnew session.
Plans run as atomic multi-step JSON executions with acceptance predicates and immutable checkpoints, and any step or validation failure rolls back all project file bytes and history. The README also publishes its own benchmark, measured 2026-10-30 on KiCad's pic_programmer demo, comparing the skill token cost of this CLI against two public KiCad MCP servers.
Alternatives
Compare side by side- kicad-mcp (blwfish)
An MCP server letting AI agents drive KiCad PCB workflows, while kicad-cli-extended is a command line that wraps the official kicad-cli.
- kicad-claude-mcp
An MCP server editing KiCad files directly, while kicad-cli-extended is a command line wrapping the official kicad-cli with a strict JSON contract.
- kicad-happy
A skill set that reviews KiCad projects, while kicad-cli-extended edits schematics and PCBs and packages fab releases from the command line.
- KiStack
Human-written KiCad skills for review, while kicad-cli-extended is a command line for schematic editing, routing, and fab packaging.
- kicad-mcp (draganito)
A Rust MCP server driving a running KiCad 10 editor, while kicad-cli-extended wraps the official kicad-cli as a command line.
Recurring errors it addresses
Error Index entries this tool is built to reduce or work around.
- Interactive routing creates unwanted micro-segments and awkward paths that take time to clean up.Error Index
- Grid snap and move commands can disconnect items or reposition them in unwanted ways.Error Index
- GUI lag, occasional freezes, and sluggish editor switching interrupt concentration.Error Index
- Wayland/NVIDIA users report graphical glitches, flicker, or instability.Error Index
Sources
Not verified
- Pricing (none stated on the repo)
- Real user voices (the repo has no open issues)
- No GitHub releases exist, so latest release fields are null
- A named individual builder beyond the repository owner handle Hybirdss
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.