kicad-jlcpcb
Claude Code plugin and MCP server that sources LCSC parts, places and wires KiCad footprints by pin name, and prepares boards that EasyEDA can route and JLCPCB can build.
What it does and how it connects
kicad-jlcpcb is a Claude Code plugin plus MCP server that automates the tedious half of going from idea to fab. It sources LCSC parts with a hard preference for JLCPCB basic-library stock, auto-fetches pin maps from EasyEDA, places KiCad standard-library footprints, wires every net by pin name rather than pad number, and hands off a .kicad_pcb that EasyEDA can route and order in two clicks.
The plugin ships two slash commands, /pcb-new from a description and /pcb-from-bom from a CSV, one part-sourcer agent, one workflow skill, and 14 MCP tools covering setup, sourcing, schematic, PCB generation, EasyEDA handoff, and session resume. Each project writes a session file so a workflow can resume mid-flow after a Claude Code restart, and a BOM checkpoint shows every resolved part, flags extended-tier parts with cost warnings, and waits for user confirmation.
The README is explicit about what the plugin does not do: no auto-routing, because Freerouting's CLI cannot handle RF matching networks well enough to ship; no beautiful placement, since the three-band grid is functional rather than pretty; and no design review, since there is no DRC integration yet. Part sourcing depends on live JLCPCB and EasyEDA services with no documented public API, and the plugin queries JLCPCB's own parts search first, with a relevance check on every result.
Alternatives
Compare side by side- kicad-mcp (blwfish)
A community MCP server that drives a full KiCad workflow from a plain-language description through to manufacturing files with FreeRouter autorouting, rather than handing a wired board to EasyEDA.
- kicad-mcp-pro
A profile-gated MCP server that starts with 24 read-only review tools, rather than a Claude Code plugin that sources LCSC parts and wires boards for JLCPCB.
- pcb-skill
An agent skill that takes a hardware idea to a manufacturable PCB while driving EasyEDA Pro over MCP, rather than a Claude Code plugin that hands a wired board to EasyEDA.
- KiCad Agentic MCP
A native KiCad 10 plugin and MCP server with deterministic plans, transactions, and rollback, rather than a plugin that wires boards by pin name for EasyEDA routing.
- DeepPCB
A cloud routing service for an already placed board, while kicad-jlcpcb stops at a wired .kicad_pcb and hands routing to EasyEDA.
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.
- No independent user voice found: no public issues were read for this page.
- A standalone website: the repo homepage points back to the repo itself.
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.