mixelpixx/Konnect

What it solves

Konnect enables AI assistants (like Claude) to directly design electronics schematics and PCBs within KiCAD 10. It replaces the manual process of describing changes to an AI and then applying them by hand, allowing the AI to perform actual design tasks, routing, and audits directly on the project files.

How it works

Konnect is a native KiCAD plugin written in Rust that implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It acts as a bridge between an AI client and KiCAD through several mechanisms:

• PCB Editing: Uses the KiCAD 10 IPC API (protobuf over NNG) for real-time, undo-aware edits to the board layout.
• Schematic Editing: Employs a custom S-expression engine with atomic writes to edit .kicad_sch files directly without requiring KiCAD to be open.
• Tooling: Provides 228 tools across 21 toolsets for tasks like component placement, wiring, ERC/DRC checks, and manufacturing exports via kicad-cli.
• Context Management: To save LLM tokens, it uses a router that loads a small starter kit of tools and allows the AI to pull in specific toolsets on demand.

Who it’s for

Electronics engineers and hobbyists using KiCAD 10 who want to AI-assisted PCB design, automated routing, and integrated design audits.

Highlights

• Deep Integration: Direct control over schematic capture and PCB layout with full undo/redo support.
• Production-Ready Architecture: A single static Rust binary that eliminates the heavy dependency chain of previous Python/TypeScript implementations.
• Full Design Pipeline: Includes tools for JLCPCB part searching, reference circuit templates, and production file exports (Gerbers, BOM, etc.).
• Live Visualization: Includes a standalone schematic viewer that auto-refreshes as the AI makes edits.