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Route the board

route_board

Route with Koppar's router under the project's rules and net classes. nets limits it to those nets; preserve_existing (default true) keeps every track and via already on the board and routes only what is still open. pours: "keep" (the default when the board has zones) keeps the board's zones and routes every net as tracks; "engine" plans a GND pour and fans GND to it by via. Rule overrides apply to this run only. via_cost raises the price of a via in the local router (its default is 2), for fewer vias at some completion cost; the learned router takes its via discipline in ml_options. Takes time_budget_s (default 120, up to 900).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
netsNoNet names; * and ? wildcards, e.g. ["USB_D*", "+3V3"].
poursNo
routerNo"ml" (default): the learned router service, 1 to 8 layers; the time budget is its deadline. Nets outside the nets scope, and with preserve_existing the nets their copper already connects, keep that copper and everything else is routed around it (partial copper of a routed net is replaced). "ts": the local router, also the fallback when the service fails; pours/via_cost/grid_mm/negotiation_rounds apply to it only. "negotiated": PathFinder over every net at once, gridless on a coarse routing graph, the fine grid for the last open nets (the whole board from scratch, nets must be unset; GND routed as a net under its pour, then pruned). Minutes (its budget is 1800 s unless time_budget_s is given) but it closes dense boards the service leaves open. Follow with tidy_copper.
wait_sNoSeconds to wait for the job (default 55). A job still running comes back with status "running": follow it with get_board_job.
grid_mmNo
via_costNo
design_idYesThe design id returned by import_kicad_project or list_designs.
class_viasNoRoute with the Default class's via. Without it (and without via_diameter_mm) a route uses the board's smallest legal via where the class's is larger.
ml_optionsNoFields passed to the learned router service as they are (router "ml"): via_cost and via_cost_hi (prices in lattice cells; a move costs 1 and the served default via is 8, 12 while a net is on the quality ladder), ql_release (rejected rip trades before a net drops to via_cost, 0 never), endgame_release (false keeps failing nets at via_cost_hi), economy_via_mm (a via counts as this many mm in the economy pass, default 2), guide_via_w (per-cell via price from the model's via channel), plane_cost (signal copper on a poured layer, per cell), pair_w, guide_w, ripup, seed_offset, via_economy_victims (default 4; 8 trades harder), first_nets (globs routed before everything else: buses that span several connectors), draws (client-side: route this many seeded draws and keep the one that connects most then uses fewest vias; the tie-breaks alone move a 500-via board by about 8 vias), stitch_poured (false: no stitch via for a pad already on a layer poured with its net, GND pads on F/B), stitch_cluster_mm (join same-layer pads of a poured net within this reach by short traces and via once per cluster; 4 wins, 8 loses), stitch_cluster_nets (globs: which poured nets cluster), draw_open_penalty (client-side: vias an open net costs when draws are compared, default 0 = the most-connected draw always wins), layer_cost (per-cell price on named layers, {"F.Cu": 2}: the pour polish prices every layer but the plane's).
fewest_viasNoRouter "negotiated": the fine-grid router alone with its via phase (every net rerouted at 3x the via price and settled again): fewer vias, 2-3x the time.
pairs_firstNoRoute the differential pairs (USB D+/D-, CAN H/L, X_P/X_N) alone first, then everything else around them: a port pad row only lets a pair out before the neighbours take its lane.
clearance_mmNo
via_drill_mmNo
vias_in_padsNo'forbid' (default): no via inside an SMD pad under 2 mm. 'allow': vias may sit in pin pads, for a board ordered with filled and capped vias (JLCPCB POFV); dense connector rows close that otherwise stay open.
seed_existingNoML router: the connected nets in scope are sent as their own routes (seed_copper) and the service reworks the finished board with its rip-up and via-economy passes; kept only when KiCad counts fewer vias. Scope nets to the routed signal nets (pour nets stay).
time_budget_sNo
track_width_mmNo
via_diameter_mmNo
edge_clearance_mmNo
preserve_existingNo
negotiation_roundsNo

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observed

TDQS

A3.6/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

With readOnlyHint=false and destructiveHint=false already set, the description still adds real value: it discloses that preserve_existing defaults true and what copper it keeps vs replaces, that rule overrides are non-persistent, via_cost's default of 2 and its completion trade-off, and time_budget_s defaults (120, up to 900). It does not mention that the call is asynchronous/job-based, which is left to the schema.

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?

Given 21 parameters and a nested ml_options object, the length is defensible and the core purpose is front-loaded in the first clause. Several sentences are densely packed run-ons (the pours and via_cost sentences), but little is pure filler.

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

Completeness3/5

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

For a 21-parameter, nested-object, no-output-schema mutation, the description covers the main routing knobs but omits job/async behavior and expected runtime signal (the wait_s description carries that burden in the schema). An agent can invoke it, but must read the schema for the geometry and job-polling picture.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema coverage is 48%, so the description must compensate. It meaningfully explains nets, preserve_existing, pours, via_cost and time_budget_s (including defaults), but says nothing about the many geometry parameters (grid_mm, clearance_mm, track_width_mm, via_drill_mm, via_diameter_mm, edge_clearance_mm, negotiation_rounds). The vague line "Rule overrides apply to this run only" gestures at this group without naming which parameters it covers.

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

Purpose4/5

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

States a specific verb+resource ("Route with Koppar's router under the project's rules and net classes") and immediately scopes it via nets/preserve_existing. It is clearly distinguishable from siblings like ripup_routing, polish_vias or tidy_copper, though it never names those alternatives explicitly, so it stops short of full sibling differentiation.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

It gives conditional guidance for individual knobs ("preserve_existing (default true) keeps every track... and routes only what is still open", pours "keep" vs "engine") and notes rule overrides are run-scoped. However it never states when to pick this tool over ripup_routing, negotiated routing, or finish_board, so the routing workflow context is only implied.

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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