kicad-mcp-server (Seeed Studio)
MCP server from Seeed Studio that lets AI assistants analyze KiCad schematics and PCBs, trace pin-level connections, run ERC and DRC, and generate embedded code from a design.
What it does and how it connects
kicad-mcp-server is a Model Context Protocol server for KiCad 9.0 and later that lets AI assistants analyze schematics, inspect PCBs, trace connections, validate designs, and generate embedded code. It works with any MCP-compatible AI tool, over stdio, with setup documented for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Its tools cover schematic analysis, PCB analysis through the pcbnew API, pin-level netlist tracing, ERC and DRC through kicad-cli, pin function detection and conflict analysis, device tree and hardware test code generation, project creation from templates, and a parts registry search across 21,000 plus verified parts. Installed into KiCad's own Python it gets full PCB analysis with precise track lengths and design rules; installed into system Python it falls back to text-based PCB parsing with basic data only.
Schematic editing is experimental: KiCad has no Python API for schematic editing, so the server manipulates S-expressions by hand, and the README recommends using the KiCad GUI for design work and this server for analysis, validation, and code generation. The README is explicit that wire connections may not form perfect electrical connections and that KiCad must be closed and reopened to see file changes.
What engineers report
The regexes in src/kicad_mcp_server/parsers/pcb_parser.py and parsers/schematic_parser.py match coordinates with [\d.]+, which cannot match a leading minus sign. KiCad coordinates are frequently negative, for example when a board or sheet extends left of or above the origin, or after moving the grid origin. Any item with a negative X or Y fails to match and is dropped without any warning.
2026-10-13Read the original
Alternatives
Compare side by side- kicad-mcp-pro
A profile-gated MCP server that starts with 24 read-only review tools and adds write and manufacturing profiles, rather than an analysis-first server with experimental schematic editing.
- kicad-mcp (blwfish)
A community MCP server that drives a full KiCad workflow from a plain-language description through to manufacturing files, rather than an analysis and validation server.
- KiCAD MCP Server (mixelpixx)
An MCP server for PCB design automation in KiCad, with JLCPCB parts and Freerouting integration, and a successor project (Konnect) where new development happens.
- KiCad Agentic MCP
A native KiCad 10 plugin and MCP server with deterministic plans, transactions, and rollback, where verdicts come from kicad-cli, rather than a Python analysis server.
- kicad-claude-mcp
Edits KiCad project files directly with 105 tools and says the user opens KiCad only to review the result, rather than analyzing designs through a server.
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
- No GitHub releases exist, so latest release fields are null.
- Pricing: none stated on the repo.
- A named individual builder beyond the Seeed Studio organization.
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.