PCB-QA
480 Q&A pairs over 8 open-source hardware projects testing LLM comprehension of native PCB formats: PDF schematics, KiCad files, JSON.
What it does and how it connects
PCB-QA is a manually created questionnaire dataset of 480 question-answer pairs for PCBs, derived from 8 different open-source hardware projects of varying complexity. It is presented as the first PCB design question-answer dataset, and the paper benchmarks 4 state-of-the-art LLMs on it.
Questions fall into three categories: component connection questions, datasheet inquiries on components, and SPICE simulation-based questions. The benchmark prompts LLMs with different representations of PCB design files, including native graphical PDF schematics and KiCad-format design files, and the paper's proposed JSON-based textual format.
The paper reports that Gemini 3 Flash Preview answers questions with 93 percent accuracy using the proposed JSON format, and concludes that text-based PCB design formats can be evaluated by LLMs. The framework, the KiCad to JSON scripts, and the dataset are released at an anonymous review link (anonymous.4open.science), and no named public repository was verified for this entry.
Alternatives
Compare side by side- PCB-Bench (digailab)
PCB-Bench tests placement and routing knowledge with Q and A, while PCB-QA asks questions about real boards from their KiCad files.
- OmniSch
OmniSch tests visual reasoning over schematic diagrams and netlist-graph construction, while PCB-QA asks questions about real boards from their KiCad files.
- ElectroVizQA
ElectroVizQA tests visual question answering on digital-electronics circuit diagrams, while PCB-QA asks questions about real PCB designs from their KiCad files.
- MMCircuitEval
MMCircuitEval tests circuit knowledge across EDA stages with 3,614 Q and A pairs, while PCB-QA asks 480 questions about real PCB designs.
- EEE-Bench
EEE-Bench tests EE knowledge with 2,860 problems across 10 subdomains, while PCB-QA asks 480 questions about real PCB designs.
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
- Builder: the paper names four authors; no builder organization was verified in the sources read
- License: no dataset or code license was stated in the sources read
- Pricing: none stated
- Real user voices (no real linked post read for this page)
- A public code repository (only an anonymous review link was stated in the paper)
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.