KIC-AI Assistant

AI-powered PCB design assistant plugin for KiCad with Ollama integration and real-time component pricing.

🎯 Quick Start

Ready to use:

• 📦 kicad-ai-assistant-v2.3.0-with-config.zip (~31KB) - Latest version with configuration system

For developers:

• 🔧 Clone this repository for complete source code, documentation, and screenshots

🎯 For most users: Download the ZIP file - it's specifically prepared for KiCad's Plugin Manager!

✨ Features

• AI Chat Interface: Interactive dialog for PCB design assistance
• 💰 Real-time Component Pricing: Get current pricing from multiple distributors via Nexar API
• 🔧 Configuration Management: Easy setup with tabbed configuration dialog
• Dual Analysis Modes: Support for both PCB layout and schematic/circuit analysis
• 3 Interaction Levels: Choose from Analysis, Advisory, or Assistant modes based on your needs
• Smart Mode Detection: AI adapts responses based on selected interaction mode
• Design Advice: Get practical suggestions for component placement, routing, and best practices
• Local LLM: Uses Ollama for privacy-focused AI processing
• Conversation Memory: AI remembers context throughout your design session
• 🌍 Multilingual Support: Choose from 6 languages (English, Nederlands, Deutsch, Español, Français, Português)
• Real-time Help: Ask questions about your design and get instant, context-aware answers

💰 Pricing Features

• Multi-Distributor Pricing: Real-time pricing from Digi-Key, Mouser, Farnell and more
• Demo Mode: Works immediately without API keys using realistic sample data
• API Key Management: Secure storage of Nexar API keys with encrypted configuration
• Bulk Pricing: Get pricing for all components in your PCB at once
• Smart Component Matching: Automatic matching of component values to distributor parts
• Pricing Tiers: See volume pricing for different quantities

📋 Requirements

• KiCad 9.0+
• Python 3.7+
• Ollama with llama3.2:3b model
• requests Python package
• Nexar API key (optional - demo mode works without it)

🚀 Installation

Method 1: KiCad Plugin Manager (Recommended)

1. Download the plugin ZIP: kicad-ai-assistant-v2.3.0-with-config.zip
2. Open KiCad → Plugin and Content Manager
3. Click Install from File
4. Select the downloaded ZIP file
5. Restart KiCad

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Download and extract the plugin
2. Copy to your KiCad plugins directory:
   • Windows: %APPDATA%/kicad/9.0/scripting/plugins/
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/kicad/9.0/scripting/plugins/
   • Linux: ~/.config/kicad/9.0/scripting/plugins/

🔧 Setup

1. Install Ollama

Download and install Ollama from ollama.ai

2. Install AI Model

ollama pull llama3.2:3b

3. Start Ollama Server

ollama serve

4. Configure Component Pricing (Optional)

For real-time component pricing, you can configure the Nexar API:

1. Get a free API key from Nexar
2. Open KIC-AI Assistant in KiCad
3. Click the ⚙️ Config button
4. Enter your API key in the "API Settings" tab
5. Click Save

🎯 Note: The plugin works perfectly in demo mode without any API keys!

💡 Usage

How to Use KIC-AI Assistant

1. Open your KiCad project in PCB Editor (File → Open → your_project.kicad_pcb)
2. Click the KIC-AI robot icon in the PCB Editor toolbar
3. Choose analysis mode:
   • Schematic/Circuit: Analyze component values, connections, and circuit design
   • PCB Layout: Analyze component placement, routing, and board layout
4. Select language: Choose from 6 supported languages
5. Select AI interaction mode:
   • 🔍 Analysis Mode: Safe recommendations only
   • 📋 Advisory Mode: Step-by-step guidance with confirmation
   • 🤖 Assistant Mode: Interactive assistance and future automation
6. Start chatting: Ask questions or click "Analyze" for automatic analysis
7. Get component pricing: Click the "💰 Pricing" button for real-time pricing
8. Configure settings: Click the "⚙️ Config" button to manage API keys and preferences

Dual Mode Capabilities

📋 Schematic Mode

• Circuit analysis and component review
• Component value validation
• Net connectivity analysis
• Circuit design recommendations
• Component selection advice

🔧 PCB Mode

• PCB layout analysis
• Component placement optimization
• Routing suggestions
• Design rule checking tips
• Manufacturing considerations

AI Interaction Modes

🔍 Analysis Mode (Safe)

• What it does: Analyzes your design and provides recommendations
• Safety: No modifications to your project
• Best for: All users, learning, getting design insights

📋 Advisory Mode (Guided)

• What it does: Provides step-by-step instructions with user confirmation
• Safety: Guides you through changes with clear steps
• Best for: Users who want detailed guidance

🤖 Assistant Mode (Interactive)

• What it does: Detailed step-by-step instructions and component-specific guidance
• Safety: Advanced features for experienced users
• Best for: Power users, complex design tasks

Example Questions

Schematic Mode:

• "Review the power supply circuit"
• "Check if R1 value is appropriate"
• "Analyze the op-amp configuration"
• "Are there any missing decoupling capacitors?"

PCB Mode:

• "How can I improve the routing on this PCB?"
• "Are there any potential EMI issues?"
• "What's the best way to place these components?"
• "Can you review my power distribution?"
• "Get pricing for all components in this design"

💰 Component Pricing Usage

The plugin includes powerful component pricing capabilities:

Demo Mode (No API Key Required):

• Click "💰 Pricing" to get realistic sample pricing
• Uses demo data from major distributors (Digi-Key, Mouser, Farnell)
• Perfect for testing and evaluation

API Mode (With Nexar API Key):

• Real-time pricing from actual distributors
• Up-to-date availability information
• Volume pricing tiers
• Multiple distributor comparison

Example Pricing Workflow:

1. Design your PCB with component values
2. Click "💰 Pricing" button
3. View pricing breakdown by component
4. See total BOM cost and availability

🌍 Language Support

The plugin supports 6 languages with native AI responses:

• 🇬🇧 English
• 🇳🇱 Nederlands (Dutch)
• 🇩🇪 Deutsch (German)
• 🇪🇸 Español (Spanish)
• 🇫🇷 Français (French)
• 🇵🇹 Português (Portuguese)

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Cannot connect to Ollama"

• Make sure Ollama is running: ollama serve
• Check if the model is installed: ollama list

"Requests module not available"

• Install requests: pip install requests

Plugin doesn't appear in KiCad

• Check plugin installation path
• Restart KiCad completely
• Check KiCad logs for errors

📁 Project Structure

kic-ai-assistant/
├── plugins/
│   ├── __init__.py                      # Plugin registration
│   ├── ai_dialog.py                     # Main dialog and AI integration
│   ├── config_manager.py                # Configuration management system
│   ├── simple_mcp_client_embedded.py    # Embedded MCP client for pricing
│   ├── nexar_server.py                  # Nexar API server implementation
│   └── robot_icon.png                   # Plugin icon
├── mcp_servers/                         # Model Context Protocol servers
│   └── nexar.py                        # External Nexar MCP server
├── screenshots/                         # Interface screenshots
├── README.md                           # This file
├── INSTALL.md                          # Detailed installation guide
├── CHANGELOG.md                        # Version history
├── CONFIG_UPDATE_v2.3.0.md            # Configuration system documentation
├── metadata.json                       # Plugin metadata
└── LICENSE                             # MIT License

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built for KiCad, the amazing open-source PCB design suite
• Powered by Ollama for local AI processing
• Thanks to the KiCad community for their support and feedback