Show HN: Copper-KiCad – MCP to design PCBs in KiCad better and cheaper

Clay Nicholson released Copper-KiCad 1.1.1, an open-source MCP server with 31 tools that connects AI apps to KiCad 10 so a model can design orderable circuit boards — schematic, LCSC/JLCPCB part sourcing, PCB layout and routing, ERC/DRC checks, renders and zipped JLCPCB fab files. The release ships as a Windows installer, a Claude Desktop .mcpb bundle, Claude Code plugin commands, and an `npx -y copper-kicad setup` route for Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex and Zed; Windows is tested end to end while the macOS and Linux installers are new. Six sample boards, including a 30 x 40 mm ESP32-C3 USB-C board with 15 parts and a 66 x 90 mm RP2040 macropad with 65 parts, pass KiCad 10's ERC and DRC with 0 errors and 0 unconnected items.

Copper connects your AI app to KiCad, so it can design real boards you can order: schematic, LCSC parts, PCB layout and routing, KiCad's own ERC and DRC, renders and JLCPCB fab files. You need KiCad 10 https://www.kicad.org/download/ . Then pick one: | You use | Do this | |---|---| | Windows, any AI app | Run Copper-for-KiCad-1.1.1-Setup.exe from the latest release https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/releases/latest and tick your AI apps | | Claude Desktop | Double-click copper-1.1.1.mcpb from the latest release https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/releases/latest | | Claude Code | The two plugin commands below | | Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex, Zed and others | npx -y copper-kicad setup Node.js 18+ , or add to Cursor https://cursor.com/install-mcp?name=copper&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoibnB4IiwiYXJncyI6WyIteSIsImNvcHBlci1raWNhZCJdfQ%3D%3D / install in VS Code https://vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=copper&config=%7B%22command%22%3A%22npx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22-y%22%2C%22copper-kicad%22%5D%7D | | A terminal | The one-line installer below | Claude Code claude plugin marketplace add claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp claude plugin install copper@copper Windows PowerShell powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/main/installer/install.ps1 | iex" macOS / Linux curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/main/installer/install.sh | sh Windows is tested end to end. The macOS and Linux routes are new: if one fails, please open an issue https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/issues . Setup finds KiCad, brings your libraries and settings along, connects your AI apps and makes a test call. It asks before each step and backs up everything it changes. To paste a config instead, Cursor, Claude Desktop and Windsurf take this entry docs/INSTALL.md https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/INSTALL.md has the others : { "mcpServers": { "copper": { "command": "npx", "args": "-y", "copper-kicad" } } } npx -y copper-kicad setup --demo runs the setup page on a throw-away folder, so you can look first. If something does not work, npx -y copper-kicad doctor or copper doctor after the Windows or one-line install names the fix. More in docs/INSTALL.md https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/INSTALL.md . Ask for something like "Design a USB-C powered ESP32-C3 board with a status LED, 30 x 40 mm". Your AI then works through it the way an engineer would: - It connects pins to nets by name U1.PA9 → USB DP , never by coordinates. - It searches LCSC/JLCPCB for real parts Basic parts first, live stock and imports each part's symbol and footprint, plus its 3D model when EasyEDA has one. - KiCad's ERC and DRC re-run after every change, and each finding comes with a ready fix. - It places parts and routes the board: a staged router with length matching, differential pairs and width classes, copper pours, and Freerouting. - It looks at its work: schematic, layer and ray-traced 3D renders go back to the model. - It writes Gerbers, drill, BOM and placement files for JLCPCB or PCBWay, OSH Park, generic , zipped. Copper has 31 tools and works with any MCP app and any model. The model is your AI app's: the Copper server never calls one. | RP2040 Macropad: nine hot-swap keys and a knob. 66 x 90 mm, 2 layers, 65 parts. | RP2040 D-pad E-ink: D-pad, e-ink FPC and IMU. 72 x 84 mm, 4 layers, 55 parts. | Stepper G0: a 12 V stepper controller on one board. 58 x 48 mm, 2 layers, 40 parts. | | ESP32-C3 USB-C: Wi-Fi and BLE on USB-C. 30 x 40 mm, 2 layers, 15 parts. | USB-C Power Bank: an IP5306 power bank with USB-C in. 50 x 24 mm, 2 layers, 22 parts. | Phone Breathalyzer: an alcohol sensor that plugs into a phone. 22 x 48 mm, 2 layers, 30 parts. | All six pass KiCad 10's ERC and DRC with 0 errors and 0 unconnected items. Layer art and fab files Gerbers, drill, BOM, placement are on coppereda.com https://coppereda.com . Install https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/INSTALL.md · Configuration https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/CONFIG.md · Parts providers https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/PROVIDERS.md · Fab profiles https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/FAB PROFILES.md · KiCad compatibility https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/COMPATIBILITY.md · Architecture https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md · Changelog https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md · Contributing https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md · Security https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/SECURITY.md Copper runs on your machine. Your designs stay there, and there is no telemetry. It goes online only to: - search and download parts: LCSC, JLCPCB and EasyEDA, with the jlcsearch.tscircuit.com mirror as a fallback - check for a newer KiCad gitlab.com during setup and doctor ; COPPER NO UPDATE CHECK=1 turns that off - download Freerouting GitHub and a Java runtime Adoptium , about 120 MB once, when you ask for autorouting - sign in to GitHub, if you link it without the GitHub CLI Installing fetches a little more: the npx launcher installs Pillow from PyPI if KiCad's Python lacks it, and the one-line installers fetch uv https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ , a Python 3.12 build and Pillow. The MCP server and CLI never call a language model. The package also holds copper kicad.agent , a chat sidecar for a separate desktop app; nothing in the server or CLI starts it. MIT https://github.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/blob/main/LICENSE . Copper is an independent project, not affiliated with KiCad, LCSC, JLCPCB or any other vendor named here.