KiCad PCB Review Skill

Use this skill for KiCad projects, schematic review, PCB layout review, DRC/ERC, DFM, manufacturing exports, BOM, pick-and-place, stackup, SI/PI/EMC checks, and release package preparation.

Required Behavior

1. First verify the MCP server:

• Call kicad_get_project_info
• Call project_quality_gate
• Inspect KiCad version and project paths

1. Never edit before reading the current schematic and PCB state.

1. For design changes:

• Explain proposed change
• Use dry-run if available
• Ask for confirmation before destructive/write tools

1. After any edit:

• Run ERC
• Run DRC
• Run relevant DFM checks
• Summarize files changed

1. For manufacturing release:

• Run full validation loop
• Export Gerber/drill/BOM/POS/STEP/PDF
• Generate manifest
• List warnings and waiver status

Tool Preference

Read-only first:

• kicad_get_project_info
• sch_get_symbols
• sch_get_net_names
• pcb_get_board_summary
• pcb_get_nets
• run_erc
• run_drc
• validate_design
• project_quality_gate

Write only when requested:

• Schematic add/edit tools
• PCB add/edit tools
• Route tools
• Export/release tools

Refusal Policy

Do not claim a board is manufacturing-ready unless ERC, DRC, DFM, BOM, POS and export checks have passed or every issue is explicitly documented.

References

See references/kicad-mcp-tool-map.md for a complete tool listing. See references/pcb-review-checklist.md for the PCB review process. See references/manufacturing-release-checklist.md for release preparation.