Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

UnylyUnyly
Browse all

Kicad

FreeNot checked

MCP server exposing KiCad PCB Editor functionality via IPC API.

GitHubEmbed

About

MCP server exposing KiCad PCB Editor functionality via IPC API.

README

mcp-kicad — MCP server exposing KiCad PCB Editor functionality via IPC API.

PyPI Python Ruff

Install

pip install mcp-kicad

Requirements

  • KiCad 9.0 or higher with the IPC API server enabled
  • Go to Preferences > Plugins in KiCad and enable the API server

Usage

The MCP server communicates with a running KiCad instance via the IPC API. Start KiCad first, then run the server:

mcp-kicad

Or configure it in your MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-kicad": {
      "command": "mcp-kicad",
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Tools

The server exposes the following tools:

  • Connection: connect_kicad, check_connection
  • Board: get_board_info, get_layers, get_board_design_settings
  • Footprints: list_footprints, get_footprint, search_footprints
  • Nets: list_nets, get_net, list_netclasses
  • Zones: list_zones
  • Tracks/Vias: list_tracks, list_vias
  • Pads: list_pads
  • Text: list_texts, get_text_extents
  • Project: get_project, get_version

Example

from mcp_kicad import mcp_server

# Connect to running KiCad
result = mcp_server.connect_kicad()

# Get board info
board_info = mcp_server.get_board_info()
print(board_info)

# List all footprints
footprints = mcp_server.list_footprints()
for fp in footprints:
    print(f"{fp['reference']}: {fp['value']}")

Development

git clone https://github.com/daedalus/mcp-kicad.git
cd mcp-kicad
pip install -e ".[test]"

# run tests
pytest

# format
ruff format src/ tests/

# lint
ruff check src/ tests/

# type check
mypy src/

mcp-name: io.github.daedalus/mcp-kicad

from github.com/daedalus/mcp-kicad

Install Kicad in Claude Desktop, Claude Code & Cursor

Recommended · one command, every IDE
unyly install mcp-kicad

Installs into Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor & VS Code — handles npx, uvx and build-from-source repos for you.

First time? Get the CLI: curl -fsSL https://unyly.org/install | sh

Or configure manually

Run in your terminal:

claude mcp add mcp-kicad -- uvx mcp-kicad

FAQ

Is Kicad MCP free?

Yes, Kicad MCP is free — one-click install via Unyly at no cost.

Does Kicad need an API key?

No, Kicad runs without API keys or environment variables.

Is Kicad hosted or self-hosted?

Self-hosted: the server runs locally on your machine via the install command above.

How do I install Kicad in Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor?

Open Kicad on unyly.org, pick your client tab (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor) and press Install — the config is generated automatically, no JSON editing.

Related MCPs

Compare Kicad with

Not sure what to pick?

Find your stack in 60 seconds

Author?

Embed badge for your README

Browse similar

All development MCPs