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Get Started Free →mixelpixx/kicad-pcb
Workflow skill for KiCAD PCB layout and routing via MCP tools.
Passed 16 of 19 test cases with the skill, and 3 of 19 without it.
and 20 more in the full report
14 fixed4 passed either way4 still failing0 broke
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
This benchmark measured an earlier version of the skill.
A newer attempt on gemini-3.6-flash on 10/3/2026 did not produce a publishable comparison (not comparable). The snapshot above is the previously measured run.
One of 14 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
I just moved several footprints and re-routed two signal traces on a board that already has ground copper pours. What tool must I run before executing DRC to avoid false errors?
| Checked | Without skill | With skill |
|---|---|---|
| Calls refill_zones after moving components. | Missed | Passed |
| Explains that un-refilled copper pours cause false DRC errors. | Passed | Passed |
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
This skill guides Claude to perform PCB layout using Konnect MCP tools. ALL modifications go through MCP tools — never edit .kicad_pcb files directly.
Most PCB layout operations require KiCAD to be running with the board file open. The IPC connection communicates with the running KiCAD instance in real-time.
Some board-construction and component tools have guarded closed-board paths. IPC-first
tools fall back to the file only when the transport is unreachable and the target board
has not been observed live during this server session. These paths use revision-aware
atomic writes: placement preserves pads, graphics, attributes, and models; moves
preserve the existing angle; rotations update the footprint and its child angles; the
closed-board flip fallback mirrors supported geometry and swaps front/back layers,
refusing any 3D model whose offset/rotation it cannot transform. On KiCad 10.0.6+,
flip_component prefers KiCad's own native FlipItems IPC command instead, which
handles that 3D-model transform correctly — the file fallback only applies when no
live KiCad holds the board. A reachable KiCad that predates 10.0.6 returns
the structured error unsupported_capability; every reachable rejection stays closed instead of racing
the editor with a file edit.
unsafe_file_fallback is a stop condition. It means Konnect reached this board live
earlier in the current server session but IPC is now unreachable, so the saved file may
be older than lost editor state. Pause mutation work, tell the user that Konnect left
the file unchanged, and ask them to reopen/recover, reconcile, and save the board in
KiCad. A read-only tool taking board_source can return the same kind, where nothing
was going to be written: reporting the saved file as current would be the unsafe act.
There, board_source: "saved" inspects that snapshot deliberately and says what it
excludes — offer it instead of retrying the default. Continue through live IPC afterward. Preserve the guard: do not retry-loop,
restart Konnect automatically, or edit .kicad_pcb directly. If the user confirms a
clean close and an authoritative saved file, they may restart Konnect to deliberately
begin a new closed-board session.
If connection fails:
test cases passed, vs 3 / 19 without
More skills from the same source and nearby in the registry, with their headline benchmark lift.