Agent skill

Pcb Design

by oaslananka in oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro

Safe KiCad PCB design assistance workflow using KiCad MCP board inspection, placement, routing, stackup, and quality-gate tools.

MITAuto-check passedTesting & QA

Install Pcb Design

skills CLI

$ npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro pcb-design --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/pcb-design .claude/skills/pcb-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "pcb-design" agent skill from https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro/tree/main/skills/pcb-design into .claude/skills/pcb-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pcb-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro/tree/main/skills/pcb-design

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro pcb-design --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/pcb-design .agents/skills/pcb-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "pcb-design" agent skill from https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro/tree/main/skills/pcb-design into .agents/skills/pcb-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pcb-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro pcb-design --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/pcb-design .cursor/skills/pcb-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "pcb-design" agent skill from https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro/tree/main/skills/pcb-design into .cursor/skills/pcb-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pcb-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.git --path skills/pcb-design

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro pcb-design --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/pcb-design .gemini/skills/pcb-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "pcb-design" agent skill from https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro/tree/main/skills/pcb-design into .gemini/skills/pcb-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pcb-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro pcb-design

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/pcb-design .github/skills/pcb-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "pcb-design" agent skill from https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro/tree/main/skills/pcb-design into .github/skills/pcb-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pcb-design", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro pcb-design --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/pcb-design .opencode/skills/pcb-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "pcb-design" agent skill from https://github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro/tree/main/skills/pcb-design into .opencode/skills/pcb-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "pcb-design", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: pcb-design
GitHub stars: 120
Token cost: ~1.5k tokens
SKILL.md length: 631 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 11
Repo updated: Oct 9, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Safe KiCad PCB design assistance workflow using KiCad MCP board inspection, placement, routing, stackup, and quality-gate tools.

Works in 10 steps: Inspect project state with… → If needed, set the active project with… → Load or define design intent with… → …
Tasks that involve Quality gates
SKILL.md covers When to use, Required context, Primary MCP tools and Workflow, plus 4 more sections
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Pcb Design is an agent skill from oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro. Safe KiCad PCB design assistance workflow using KiCad MCP board inspection, placement, routing, stackup, and quality-gate tools.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Testing & QA, covering Quality gates and MCP servers. It works with Model Context Protocol. The repository describes itself as: MCP server for KiCad, connecting AI agents to schematic and PCB workflows, ERC/DRC validation, DFM checks, BOM analysis, and manufacturing preparation—with controlled edits and… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Tasks that involve Quality gates
Tasks that involve MCP servers

Example prompts

“/pcb-design”

Workflow steps

10 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

Inspect project state with kicad_get_project_info.
If needed, set the active project with kicad_set_project.
Load or define design intent with project_get_design_intent or project_set_design_intent.
Inspect board structure with pcb_get_board_summary, pcb_get_layers, pcb_get_stackup, and pcb_get_design_rules.
Inspect physical implementation with pcb_get_footprints, pcb_get_nets, pcb_get_tracks, pcb_get_vias, and pcb_get_zones.
For placement tasks, use pcb_critique_placement, pcb_score_placement, and pcb_placement_quality_gate before proposing edits.
For routing tasks, inspect ratsnest, tracks, vias, net classes, stackup, and constraints before proposing route changes.
Apply write operations only when the requested workflow explicitly allows file changes.
Re-run targeted gates after every meaningful edit: run_drc, pcb_quality_gate, pcb_transfer_quality_gate, and project_revalidate_after_edit.
Produce a report that separates verified tool output, assumptions, changes made, and remaining risks.

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 9e99c41. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Pcb Design loads about 1.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 35 tokens; SKILL.md has 631 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~35
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.5k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro at commit 9e99c41, republished under its MIT licence (© oaslananka). 631 words, ~1,465 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/pcb-design/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: pcb-design
description: Safe KiCad PCB design assistance workflow using KiCad MCP board inspection, placement, routing, stackup, and quality-gate tools.

PCB Design Skill

Use this skill when an AI agent is asked to inspect, plan, improve, or safely assist with a KiCad PCB layout through KiCad MCP Pro.

This skill is specific to oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro and should be kept synchronized with docs/tools-reference.generated.md.

When to use

Use this skill for:

PCB layout review
Board outline, stackup, and design-rule planning
Component placement assistance
Routing-quality review
Schematic-to-PCB synchronization review
First-pass power, signal, EMC, and manufacturability sanity checks

Do not use this skill to claim that a board is production-ready. Production readiness requires ERC, DRC, DFM, release package review, and human engineering approval.

Required context

Collect or establish:

Active project path with kicad_set_project or current state from kicad_get_project_info
Board file and schematic file presence
Design intent from project_get_design_intent or project_set_design_intent
Board constraints: layer count, stackup, clearances, current, voltage, impedance, and manufacturer limits
User permission before any write/destructive board operation

Primary MCP tools

Project and intent

kicad_get_project_info
kicad_set_project
project_get_design_intent
project_set_design_intent
project_design_workflow
project_get_next_action

Read-only PCB inspection

pcb_get_board_summary
pcb_get_layers
pcb_get_stackup
pcb_get_design_rules
pcb_get_footprints
pcb_get_nets
pcb_get_net_statistics
pcb_get_tracks
pcb_get_vias
pcb_get_zones
pcb_get_ratsnest
pcb_net_inspector

PCB modification tools

Use only after explaining the planned change and confirming that the workflow is allowed to modify files.

pcb_set_board_outline
pcb_set_stackup
pcb_set_design_rules
pcb_sync_from_schematic
pcb_auto_place_by_schematic
pcb_auto_place_force_directed
pcb_move_footprint
pcb_place_component
pcb_place_decoupling_caps
pcb_add_track
pcb_add_tracks_bulk
pcb_add_via
pcb_add_zone
pcb_delete_items
pcb_delete_object
pcb_refill_zones
pcb_save

MCP-first mutation boundary

Prefer kicad_set_project over a shell cd when the goal is to select the active KiCad project.
Use dedicated MCP operations for KiCad objects. For example, inspect tracks/vias through MCP, remove existing PCB objects with pcb_delete_items or pcb_delete_object, and verify with run_drc.
Do not rewrite .kicad_pcb or .kicad_sch with sed, regex-based Python, or other ad-hoc text mutation as a fallback when a required MCP tool is unavailable.
If the current profile or operating mode does not expose the required MCP operation, stop and report the missing tool plus the required profile/mode. Let the user explicitly opt into a broader supported MCP surface instead of silently switching to shell mutation.

Quality gates and specialist checks

pcb_quality_gate
pcb_placement_quality_gate
pcb_transfer_quality_gate
pcb_stackup_consistency_gate
pcb_route_corner_style_gate
pcb_visual_qa
run_drc
check_design_for_manufacture
manufacturing_quality_gate
project_quality_gate
project_revalidate_after_edit

Show full SKILL.md (296 more words)Show less

Workflow

Inspect project state with kicad_get_project_info.
If needed, set the active project with kicad_set_project.
Load or define design intent with project_get_design_intent or project_set_design_intent.
Inspect board structure with pcb_get_board_summary, pcb_get_layers, pcb_get_stackup, and pcb_get_design_rules.
Inspect physical implementation with pcb_get_footprints, pcb_get_nets, pcb_get_tracks, pcb_get_vias, and pcb_get_zones.
For placement tasks, use pcb_critique_placement, pcb_score_placement, and pcb_placement_quality_gate before proposing edits.
For routing tasks, inspect ratsnest, tracks, vias, net classes, stackup, and constraints before proposing route changes.
Apply write operations only when the requested workflow explicitly allows file changes.
Re-run targeted gates after every meaningful edit: run_drc, pcb_quality_gate, pcb_transfer_quality_gate, and project_revalidate_after_edit.
Produce a report that separates verified tool output, assumptions, changes made, and remaining risks.

Quality checks

A useful PCB design response must include:

Active project and board file summary
Constraints and assumptions used
Read-only observations before any mutation
List of write operations, if any
DRC and quality-gate result summary
Remaining warnings, unknowns, and required human checks

Failure modes

Stop and report clearly when:

No KiCad project is active
The board file is missing or not parseable
Required KiCad CLI/IPC capability is unavailable
A required MCP mutation tool is unavailable in the active profile/mode; report the required profile/mode instead of falling back to raw KiCad-file mutation
The user requested write operations but no safe project context exists
DRC or quality-gate output is missing after a layout-changing operation
The board depends on manufacturer constraints that were not provided

Output format

Return:

Project context
Tools used
Findings by severity
Changes made or proposed
Validation results
Manufacturing readiness status: not assessed, blocked, needs review, or candidate after human review
Next actions

Safety rule

Never state that a PCB is ready for fabrication solely because edits were applied. Fabrication output requires the fabrication-output workflow and qualified human review.

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/pcb-design of oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 9e99c41

Compare with similar skills

Pcb Design next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Pcb Design compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Pcb Design this skilloaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro	120	—	~1.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
Suede MCP Release QAJasonColapietro/suede-creator-skills	127	—	~2.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
Sonarqube MCPgiuseppe-trisciuoglio/developer-kit	356	—	~3.3k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	29 days ago
Sonar Quality GateSonarSource/sonarqube-agent-plugins	111	—	~4.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	Custom licence	2 days ago
Qwen Code E2E TestingQwenLM/qwen-code	28k	—	~2.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
Adding LLM MCP ToolsTriliumNext/Trilium	38k	—	~2.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	AGPL-3.0	today

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Questions about Pcb Design

What does Pcb Design do?

Safe KiCad PCB design assistance workflow using KiCad MCP board inspection, placement, routing, stackup, and quality-gate tools. Pcb Design is an agent skill from oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro. Safe KiCad PCB design assistance workflow using KiCad MCP board inspection, placement, routing, stackup, and quality-gate tools.

When should I use Pcb Design?

Pcb Design fits situations like: tasks that involve Quality gates; tasks that involve MCP servers.

How do I install Pcb Design in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/pcb-design in oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro) into .claude/skills/pcb-design in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Pcb Design in Codex?

Run `npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/pcb-design in oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro) into .agents/skills/pcb-design in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Pcb Design in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro --skill pcb-design -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/pcb-design, .gemini/skills/pcb-design, .github/skills/pcb-design and .opencode/skills/pcb-design in your project.

What does Pcb Design need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Pcb Design is instructions for the agent only.

Does Pcb Design access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Pcb Design safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Pcb Design use?

Pcb Design is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Pcb Design use?

About 1.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Pcb Design?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Pcb Design: Suede MCP Release QA (JasonColapietro/suede-creator-skills, 127 stars), Sonarqube MCP (giuseppe-trisciuoglio/developer-kit, 356 stars), Sonar Quality Gate (SonarSource/sonarqube-agent-plugins, 111 stars) and Qwen Code E2E Testing (QwenLM/qwen-code, 28k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Pcb Design?

oaslananka (a GitHub user) maintains it in oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro, which has 120 GitHub stars. The repository holds 11 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

Source: oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Pcb Design

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

PCB Design Skill

When to use

Required context

Primary MCP tools

Project and intent

Read-only PCB inspection

PCB modification tools

MCP-first mutation boundary

Quality gates and specialist checks

Workflow

Quality checks

Failure modes

Output format

Safety rule

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro

Related

Questions about Pcb Design