Board Analysis

The analysis tools let you extract information from schematics, validate projects, analyze PCB layouts, and get real-time board data from a running KiCad instance via the IPC API.

Quick reference

Task	Example prompt
Get schematic info	What components are in my schematic at /path/to/project.kicad_sch?
Validate project	Validate my KiCad project at /path/to/project.kicad_pro
Analyze PCB layout	Analyze the PCB layout at /path/to/project.kicad_pcb
Live board stats	Get real-time board statistics for my project
Component details	Show me details for U1 on my board

Schematic information

What components are in my schematic at /path/to/project.kicad_sch?

Returns a list of all components with their values, footprints, connection information, and basic schematic structure.

You can also ask targeted questions:

What are all the resistor values in my schematic?

Show me all the power connections in my schematic

Project validation

Validate my KiCad project at /path/to/project.kicad_pro

The validate_project tool accepts either a .kicad_pro file or a directory containing one. It checks for:

• Missing project files
• Required components (schematic, PCB)
• Valid file formats
• Common structural issues

For schematic-level validation including ERC:

Validate my schematic at /path/to/project.kicad_sch

The validate_schematic tool runs a comprehensive health check including ERC, connectivity analysis, and optionally compares against a baseline.

PCB layout analysis

Analyze the PCB layout at /path/to/project.kicad_pcb

Provides information about board dimensions, layer structure, component placement, trace characteristics, and via usage.

Live board analysis (IPC)

These tools require a running KiCad instance with the IPC API enabled.

Real-time statistics

Get real-time board statistics for my project

The analyze_board_real_time tool connects to KiCad via IPC and pulls footprint, net, track, and connectivity data to build a comprehensive snapshot of the current board state.

Component details

Show me the details for U1 on my board

The get_component_details tool retrieves live component information including position, rotation, pad assignments, and net connections.

Connectivity check

Check the routing connectivity of my PCB

The check_connectivity tool reports total nets, routed vs unrouted counts, routing completion percentage, and names of routed nets.

Board statistics

What are the statistics for my board?

The get_board_statistics tool returns counts of footprints, nets, tracks, and vias, plus a breakdown of component types by reference-designator prefix.

Schematic analysis tools

Connectivity analysis

Analyze the net connectivity of my schematic

The analyze_connectivity tool walks every net and reports the pins connected to each one. Useful for understanding how components are wired together.

Pin connection check

Is pin 5 of U1 connected in my schematic?

The check_pin_connection tool checks whether a specific pin is connected to a net and what other pins share that net.

Pin verification

Verify that U1 pin 5 is connected to R3 pin 1

The verify_pins_connected tool confirms whether two specific pins share the same net.

Wiring audit

Audit the wiring for U1 in my schematic

The audit_wiring tool performs a detailed inspection of all connections to a component, checking for missing connections, unexpected connections, and wiring issues.

MCP resources

The server provides resources for accessing design information:

• kicad://schematic/{schematic_path} — information from a schematic file
• kicad://pcb/{pcb_path} — information from a PCB file

Combining analysis with other features

1. Analyze a schematic to understand component selection
2. Check the BOM for component availability and cost
3. Run DRC checks to find design rule violations
4. Use the export tools for visual overview

Troubleshooting

Schematic reading errors

1. Verify the file exists with the .kicad_sch extension
2. Check that it is a valid KiCad schematic
3. Ensure read permissions
4. Try analysis on a simpler schematic to isolate the issue

PCB analysis issues

1. Check the file exists with the .kicad_pcb extension
2. Ensure the file is not corrupted
3. Check for complex features that might cause parsing issues

IPC connection failures

1. Ensure KiCad is running with the project open
2. Verify the IPC API is enabled in KiCad’s settings
3. Check that kipy is installed (uv add kipy)
4. The tool will report a clear error if the IPC connection fails

Limitations

• Large designs may not be fully analyzed in a single pass
• KiCad version compatibility — best results with the same KiCad version the server targets
• Structural analysis — the tools analyze structure rather than simulating electrical behavior
• No SPICE — no electrical simulation capability