eda-pcb

name eda-pcb description PCB layout and routing. Component placement, trace routing, copper pours, design rule configuration, and layout optimization for manufacturability. allowed-tools Read, Write, Glob, mcp__kicad-pcb__create_project, mcp__kicad-pcb__open_project, mcp__kicad-pcb__save_project, mcp__kicad-pcb__get_project_info, mcp__kicad-pcb__set_board_size, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_layer, mcp__kicad-pcb__set_active_layer, mcp__kicad-pcb__get_board_info, mcp__kicad-pcb__get_layer_list, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_board_outline, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_mounting_hole, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_board_text, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_zone, mcp__kicad-pcb__get_board_extents, mcp__kicad-pcb__get_board_2d_view, mcp__kicad-pcb__place_component, mcp__kicad-pcb__move_component, mcp__kicad-pcb__rotate_component, mcp__kicad-pcb__delete_component, mcp__kicad-pcb__edit_component, mcp__kicad-pcb__find_component, mcp__kicad-pcb__get_component_properties, mcp__kicad-pcb__group_components, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_net, mcp__kicad-pcb__route_trace, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_via, mcp__kicad-pcb__add_copper_pour, mcp__kicad-pcb__set_design_rules, mcp__kicad-pcb__get_design_rules, mcp__kicad-pcb__run_drc EDA PCB Skill PCB layout, component placement, and routing. Auto-Activation Triggers This skill activates when: User asks to "layout PCB", "place components", "route traces" User is working with .kicad_pcb files User asks about placement, routing, copper pours, vias Project has schematic but no PCB layout User mentions DFM, trace width, or clearance Context Requirements Requires: hardware/*.kicad_sch - Completed schematic with netlist docs/component-selections.md - Component details docs/design-constraints.json - Board size, layer count, etc. datasheets/ - For placement/routing recommendations Produces: hardware/*.kicad_pcb - KiCad PCB file docs/pcb-status.md - Layout progress tracking Workflow 1. Load Context @docs/design-constraints.json @docs/component-selections.md @docs/schematic-status.md @datasheets/ (for placement guidance) 1.5 Pre-Layout Validation Before starting layout, verify: Check Source Action if Missing Schematic ERC clean schematic-status.md Complete schematic first Layer count decided design-constraints.json See LAYER-COUNT-DECISION.md Stackup selected design-constraints.json See STACKUP-DECISION.md Board dimensions design-constraints.json Define constraints Critical interfaces design-constraints.json USB, SPI speeds, etc. Thermal budget design-constraints.json Power dissipation known Extract key constraints: { "board" : { "layers" : 4 , "thickness" : 1.6 , "dimensions" : { "width" : 50 , "height" : 40 } } , "dfmTargets" : { "manufacturer" : "JLCPCB" , "minTraceWidth" : 0.15 , "minClearance" : 0.15 , "impedanceControl" : true } , "interfaces" : { "usb" : true , "highSpeedSpi" : false } , "thermal" : { "maxPowerDissipation" : 2.5 } } Architecture Validation Warnings: Condition Warning USB + 2-layer board Cannot achieve 90Ω impedance Buck converter + no ground plane EMI issues likely WiFi/BLE + 2-layer Antenna performance degraded High-speed SPI (>20MHz) + long traces Signal integrity risk No thermal plan + >1W dissipation Thermal issues likely 2. Initialize PCB Create PCB file or open existing Import netlist from schematic Set board outline per constraints Configure layer stackup Set design rules 3. Configure Design Rules Set rules appropriate for manufacturer: JLCPCB standard: - Min trace width: 0.127mm (5mil) - Min clearance: 0.127mm (5mil) - Min via drill: 0.3mm - Min via annular ring: 0.13mm 4. Place Components Priority order: Fixed position items - Connectors (edge), mounting holes MCU/Main IC - Central location Crystal/oscillator - Within 5mm of MCU Power components - Near input, thermal considerations Decoupling capacitors - Adjacent to IC power pins Sensitive analog - Away from noisy digital Remaining components - Grouped by function See reference/PLACEMENT-STRATEGY.md for detailed guidelines. 5. Route Critical Signals First Priority: Power delivery (wide traces, pours) Crystal/oscillator (short, guarded) USB differential pairs (90Ω impedance) High-speed signals (length matching) Sensitive analog (away from digital) General signals See reference/ROUTING-RULES.md for trace width and clearance guidelines. 6. Create Copper Pours GND pour on bottom layer (2-layer) Or GND on layer 2, power on layer 3 (4-layer) Thermal relief on pads Stitch vias for plane continuity 7. Route Remaining Signals Follow schematic groupings Minimize vias Avoid acute angles (use 45°) Keep trace lengths reasonable 8. DRC Check Run design rule check Fix violations Document intentional exceptions 9. Visual Review Generate board images Check silkscreen readability Verify component orientation marks Review for manufacturing issues 10. Pre-Manufacturing Review Validation checklist before ordering: Category Check Reference DRC 0 errors, 0 warnings DRC-VIOLATIONS-GUIDE.md Clearances Meet manufacturer minimums DFM-RULES.md Via sizes Drill ≥ 0.3mm (JLCPCB std) DFM-RULES.md Annular rings ≥ 0.13mm (1oz copper) DFM-RULES.md Trace widths Power traces sized for current ROUTING-RULES.md USB traces 90Ω impedance, length matched HIGH-SPEED-ROUTING.md Silkscreen Not on pads, readable Visual check Board outline Closed shape, proper clearance DFM-RULES.md Thermal verification: Power components have thermal relief Thermal vias under QFN/thermal pads Heat sink areas connected to copper pour No thermal bottlenecks (narrow traces for high current) Signal integrity verification: High-speed signals over solid ground Return paths not broken by splits Crystal area guarded, no traces crossing Antenna keep-out respected (if applicable) Output Format pcb-status.md # PCB Layout Status Project: [name] Updated: [date] ## Board Specifications - Size: X × Y mm - Layers: N - Thickness: 1.6mm ## Progress - [x] Board outline defined - [x] Mounting holes placed - [x] Critical components placed - [x] All components placed - [ ] Power routing complete - [ ] Signal routing complete - [ ] Copper pours added - [ ] DRC clean ## Layer Usage | Layer | Usage | |-------|-------| | F.Cu | Signals, components | | B.Cu | GND pour, some signals | ## DRC Status - Errors: X - Warnings: Y - Unrouted nets: Z ## Design Rules - Trace width: 0.2mm (signals), 0.5mm (power) - Clearance: 0.2mm - Via: 0.3mm drill, 0.6mm pad ## Notes - [Any special considerations] ## Next Steps - [What remains to be done] Guidelines Always check datasheets for recommended layouts Keep high-current paths short and wide Maintain ground plane integrity under sensitive signals Consider thermal management early Use the DRC frequently during layout Reference Documents Document Purpose reference/PLACEMENT-STRATEGY.md Component placement guidelines reference/ROUTING-RULES.md Trace width and routing rules reference/EMI-CONSIDERATIONS.md EMI/EMC best practices reference/DFM-RULES.md Design for manufacturing rules reference/DRC-VIOLATIONS-GUIDE.md Common DRC errors and fixes reference/STACKUP-DECISION.md Layer stackup selection reference/HIGH-SPEED-ROUTING.md USB, SPI, I2C, antenna routing Upstream documents: Document What to Extract LAYER-COUNT-DECISION.md (eda-architect) Layer count rationale THERMAL-BUDGET.md (eda-architect) Power dissipation limits DECOUPLING-STRATEGY.md (eda-research) Cap values and placement SCHEMATIC-REVIEW-CHECKLIST.md (eda-schematics) Pre-layout verification Next Steps After PCB layout is complete: Run /eda-check for comprehensive validation Update design-constraints.json stage to "validation"