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by ai.koppar.app
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Register a custom symbol

create_custom_symbol

Register a connectable schematic symbol for a part that is NOT in KiCad's libraries (search_kicad_symbol returned nothing). Use this for specialty ICs — LED-matrix drivers, niche sensors, etc. — INSTEAD of telling the synthesizer to model the part with discrete passives (which leaves every pin dangling and breaks the board). Provide the full datasheet pinout. The part then becomes available to the synthesizer as Part('custom', '') with the exact pin names you supply here, and is added to the Verified parts table. A part with three or more pins needs footprint= naming a real, in-library footprint for its package (search_kicad_footprint with the family and pin count, e.g. 'LGA-14'); the call is rejected without one, since a generated grid of pads cannot be assembled. List every pad of the footprint, NC pins included. When the package is not in KiCad's libraries, bring your own footprint instead: footprint_mod takes the whole .kicad_mod file as text (KiCad 6+, up to 1 MB; the CLI reads it with koppar custom-symbol --footprint-file). It is checked as a KiCad footprint, every pad must have a pin with that pad's number (and every pin a pad), and it is stored as 'custom:': the symbol uses it, and it goes on the board, into project.zip and into the fp-lib-table. footprint is then not needed. The name is used for file names: letters, digits and _ . + - (anything else becomes _). The symbol belongs to design_id.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
nameYesPart number, used as the symbol name (letters, digits, _ . + -).
pinsYesEvery pin from the datasheet.
datasheetNo
design_idYesThe design id returned by create_design or list_designs.
footprintNoA 'Library:Footprint' from search_kicad_footprint. Required for 3+ pins unless footprint_mod is given.
referenceNoReference prefix, e.g. 'U'.
descriptionNo
footprint_modNoYour own footprint: the full text of a .kicad_mod file, starting with '(footprint'. Its pad numbers must match the pin numbers.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed4 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / footprint / description
      Previous value: -"A 'Library:Footprint' from search_kicad_footprint."New value: +"A 'Library:Footprint' from search_kicad_footprint. Required for 3+ pins unless footprint_mod is given."
    • addedInput schema / properties / footprint_mod
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Your own footprint: the full text of a .kicad_mod file, starting with '(footprint'. Its pad numbers must match the pin numbers.",
+  "maxLength": 1000000,
+  "minLength": 20,
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • changedInput schema / properties / name / description
      Previous value: -"Part number, used as the symbol name."New value: +"Part number, used as the symbol name (letters, digits, _ . + -)."
    • changedInput schema / required
      Previous value: -[
-  "design_id",
-  "name",
-  "footprint",
-  "pins"
-]New value: +[
+  "design_id",
+  "name",
+  "pins"
+]
  2. First observed

TDQS

A4.8/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations only cover the safety profile (readOnlyHint=false, non-destructive, closed-world). The description adds substantial behavioral context: the part is registered as Part('custom','<name>'), added to the Verified parts table, the call is rejected without a footprint for 3+ pins, footprint_mod is validated as a KiCad footprint and stored as 'custom:<name>', and it propagates into project.zip and the fp-lib-table.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the routing condition and the destructive alternative, which is the most decision-relevant content. It is dense and long, but nearly every sentence carries non-obvious constraint information. Minor tightening possible around the footprint_mod storage/pipeline details.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For an 8-parameter, non-read-only tool with no output schema, the description supplies the pin-to-pad relationship rule, the validation/rejection behavior, and the downstream effects. An agent has everything needed to invoke it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 75% and the description meaningfully supplements it: it explains the footprint requirement for 3+ pins, the footprint_mod vs footprint relationship ('footprint is then not needed'), the name sanitization to letters/digits/_ . + -, and the instruction to list every pad including NC pins. It does not cover datasheet, description, or reference, but these are self-explanatory.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (Register) and resource (connectable schematic symbol) plus an explicit scope constraint: parts NOT in KiCad's libraries. It clearly distinguishes itself from the sibling search_kicad_symbol / get_kicad_symbol tools by naming the failure condition that routes an agent here.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly says when to use it (specialty ICs, when search_kicad_symbol returned nothing) and what NOT to do instead (telling the synthesizer to model the part with discrete passives, which 'breaks the board'). It also names the alternative path (footprint_mod vs footprint) with the condition that selects each.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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