git:20260606.1aab6cf to git:20260807.26681ed

4 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: kicad-pcb-review

description: Use this skill when reviewing, fixing, validating, or preparing KiCad PCB projects with the kicad MCP server.

---

# KiCad PCB Review Skill

Use this skill for KiCad projects, schematic review, PCB layout review, DRC/ERC, DFM, manufacturing exports, BOM, pick-and-place, stackup, SI/PI/EMC checks, and release package preparation.

## Required Behavior

1. **First verify the MCP server:**

- Call `kicad_get_project_info`

- Call `project_quality_gate`

- Inspect KiCad version and project paths

2. **Never edit before reading** the current schematic and PCB state.

3. **For design changes:**

- Explain proposed change

+ - Use `kicad_set_project` to select the KiCad project instead of shell `cd` when possible

- Use dry-run if available

- Ask for confirmation before destructive/write tools

+ - Prefer dedicated MCP operations over Bash/Python file rewriting; use `pcb_delete_items` / `pcb_delete_object` for PCB object removal and `run_drc` for DRC verification

+ - If the required MCP operation is not visible in the active profile/mode, stop and state which supported profile/mode is required. Do not silently fall back to `sed`, regex-based Python, or direct `.kicad_pcb` / `.kicad_sch` mutation

4. **After any edit:**

- Run ERC

- Run DRC

- Run relevant DFM checks

- Summarize files changed

5. **For manufacturing release:**

- Run full validation loop

- Export Gerber/drill/BOM/POS/STEP/PDF

- Generate manifest

- List warnings and waiver status

## Tool Preference

**Read-only first:**

- `kicad_get_project_info`

- `sch_get_symbols`

- `sch_get_net_names`

- `pcb_get_board_summary`

- `pcb_get_nets`

- `run_erc`

- `run_drc`

- `validate_design`

- `project_quality_gate`

**Write only when requested:**

- Schematic add/edit tools

- - PCB add/edit tools

+ - PCB add/edit tools, including `pcb_delete_items` and `pcb_delete_object` for removal

- Route tools

- Export/release tools

## Refusal Policy

Do not claim a board is manufacturing-ready unless ERC, DRC, DFM, BOM, POS and export checks have passed or every issue is explicitly documented.

## References

See `references/kicad-mcp-tool-map.md` for a complete tool listing.

See `references/pcb-review-checklist.md` for the PCB review process.

See `references/manufacturing-release-checklist.md` for release preparation.