KiCad MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides searchable access to KiCad component symbol libraries. Query your local KiCad libraries using natural language through Claude or other MCP-compatible clients.

Features

• Fast full-text search across 20,000+ KiCad components using SQLite FTS5

• Component metadata including references, values, descriptions, datasheets, and footprints

• Separate indexer and server for optimal performance

• MCP-compliant tools for integration with Claude Code and other MCP clients

Installation

Quick Start

1. Index Your KiCad Libraries

First, build the component database from your KiCad symbol libraries:

The database is stored at ~/.local/share/kicad-mcp/components.db.

2. Configure MCP Server

For Claude Code

Add the server to your Claude Code configuration:

Or manually edit ~/.claude/claude_mcp_config.json:

For Other MCP Clients

The server communicates via stdio using the MCP protocol. Configure your client to launch kicad-mcp as a subprocess.

3. Use the Tools

Once configured, you'll have access to these MCP tools:

• search_components - Search by name, description, or keywords

• list_component_types - Get all reference designator types (R, C, U, etc.)

• get_components_by_type - Filter components by reference type

• get_component_details - Get complete metadata for a specific component

Examples

Searching for Components

Component Details

Each component includes:

• Name - Component identifier

• Library - Source KiCad library

• Reference - Designator prefix (R, C, U, IC, etc.)

• Value - Component value/model

• Description - Human-readable description

• Keywords - Searchable tags

• Datasheet - URL to datasheet (if available)

• Footprint - Associated PCB footprint

Architecture

This project uses a two-tool architecture:

1. Indexer ( - Parses .kicad_sym files and builds a SQLite database with full-text search

2. MCP Server ( - Long-running process that serves queries from the pre-built database

This separation ensures fast server startup and allows updating the index independently.

KiCad Library Locations

Default search paths (Linux):

• System libraries: /usr/share/kicad/symbols/

• User libraries: ~/.local/share/kicad/9.0/symbols/

Adjust paths for your OS and KiCad version.

Development

Requirements

• Python 3.11+

• KiCad symbol libraries (.kicad_sym files)

• Dependencies: sexpdata, mcp (installed automatically)

How It Works

1. Parsing: The indexer uses sexpdata to parse KiCad's s-expression format

2. Storage: Components are stored in SQLite with FTS5 full-text search indexes

3. Querying: The MCP server receives requests via stdio and queries the database

4. Response: Results are returned in MCP-compliant JSON format

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please open an issue or pull request.

Acknowledgments

• Built using Anthropic's MCP SDK

• Parses KiCad symbol library format