KiC-AI/CHANGELOG.md

Changelog

[1.5.0-MCP] - 2025-08-01

🚀 Major New Features - MCP Integration

• Model Context Protocol (MCP) Support: Revolutionary integration enabling AI to access external tools and databases
• Component Database Integration: Real-time component pricing, availability, and specifications
• Enhanced AI Analysis: PCB analysis now includes cost estimation and stock availability
• Smart Component Suggestions: AI can suggest alternatives based on pricing, availability, and specifications
• MCP Server Framework: Extensible architecture for adding new data sources and tools

🔧 Technical Improvements

• MCP Client: Full MCP protocol implementation for external tool integration
• Async Processing: Non-blocking component database queries
• Safety Controls: User confirmation required for all automated suggestions
• Error Handling: Graceful fallback when MCP services are unavailable
• Configuration System: Easy setup and management of MCP servers

📊 Enhanced Capabilities

• Cost Analysis: "Your PCB costs €12.34 with 45 components"
• Availability Checking: Real-time stock level verification
• Alternative Components: Smart suggestions for better/cheaper parts
• Supply Chain Intelligence: Integration ready for Digi-Key, Mouser APIs

🛡️ Safety & Reliability

• Safety Mode: All MCP modifications require user approval
• Backward Compatibility: Plugin works normally without MCP
• Graceful Degradation: Automatic fallback to basic mode if MCP fails

📁 New Files

• plugins/mcp_client.py - MCP protocol client implementation
• plugins/mcp_config.json - MCP server configuration
• mcp_servers/component_db.py - Sample component database server
• MCP_SETUP.md - Installation and configuration guide

[1.4.5] - 2025-07-31

Documentation & UX Improvements

• Clarified Usage Instructions: Updated README to clearly explain plugin is accessed via PCB Editor toolbar
• Better User Guidance: Enhanced dialogs to explain analysis mode selection
• Improved Error Handling: Clear messaging when no project is loaded
• Updated Documentation: Accurate description of how dual-mode analysis works

Bug Fixes

• Fixed user expectations about toolbar location (PCB Editor only, not Schematic Editor)
• Improved context selection dialog with clearer explanations
• Better handling of empty/no project scenarios

[1.2.0] - 2025-07-30

Major Features Added

• Dual Analysis Mode: Plugin now offers both PCB Layout and Schematic/Circuit analysis modes
• Smart Context Selection: User can choose between analyzing circuit design or PCB layout
• Schematic Analysis: Complete circuit analysis with component grouping, value analysis, and net connectivity
• Enhanced User Guidance: Clear dialogs explain analysis options and project requirements

New Schematic/Circuit Analysis Capabilities

• Circuit component analysis grouped by type (R, C, L, U, etc.)
• Net connectivity analysis for schematic review
• Component value and footprint validation
• Circuit topology insights and design recommendations
• Circuit-focused AI prompts and responses

Enhanced User Experience

• Context selection dialog when launching plugin
• Dynamic button labels: "Analyze PCB" or "Analyze Schematic" based on selected mode
• Mode-specific welcome messages and capabilities
• Better error handling and user guidance for project loading
• Clear instructions when no project is loaded

Technical Improvements

• Dual-context architecture supporting both PCB and circuit analysis workflows
• Enhanced AI system prompts tailored for circuit design vs PCB layout advice
• Improved component data collection for schematic analysis
• Better integration with KiCad's design data structures

Important Usage Notes

• Plugin is accessed through PCB Editor toolbar (KiCad limitation)
• Can analyze both schematic and PCB data from the same interface
• User selects analysis focus when plugin starts
• Requires loaded KiCad project (.kicad_pcb file)

[1.1.3] - 2025-07-30

Fixed

• Plugin icon now displays correctly in KiCad toolbar using Fabrication Toolkit pattern
• Implemented proper icon support with both icon_file_name and dark_icon_file_name
• Fixed ActionPlugin initialization following KiCad best practices
• All UI text and comments now in English for consistency

Improved

• Plugin initialization follows established KiCad plugin patterns
• Better icon handling for both light and dark themes
• Cleaner codebase with English documentation

[1.1.2] - 2025-07-30

Added

• Robot icon for better toolbar appearance
• Detailed component analysis with specific component information
• Enhanced AI context with full PCB data for every user question
• Specific component lookup capabilities (e.g., asking about "R1" or specific resistors)

Improved

• AI now provides specific answers referencing actual component values and positions
• Better PCB context integration for targeted component questions
• Increased context window for more detailed analysis
• Enhanced conversation memory with PCB awareness

Fixed

• Plugin icon now displays properly in KiCad toolbar
• AI responses now reference specific components instead of giving generic answers

[1.1.1] - 2025-07-30log

All notable changes to the KIC-AI Assistant plugin will be documented in this file.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.

[1.1.0] - 2025-07-30

Added

• Conversation Memory: AI now remembers previous messages in the conversation
• Context Management: Maintains last 20 messages for contextual responses
• Show Context Button: View what the AI remembers from your conversation
• Improved Prompting: Enhanced system prompts for better context awareness
• Larger Context Window: Increased to 4096 tokens for longer conversations

Changed

• Enhanced AI Responses: AI can now reference previous questions and build upon earlier discussions
• Better Context Handling: PCB analysis results are included in conversation context
• Improved Welcome Message: Updated to explain conversation memory feature

Fixed

• Conversation Continuity: AI no longer treats each message as isolated
• Memory Management: Automatic cleanup of old messages to prevent memory issues

[1.0.0] - 2025-07-29

Added

• Initial release of KIC-AI Assistant
• AI-powered chat interface for PCB design assistance
• Automatic PCB analysis functionality
• Ollama integration with llama3.2:3b model
• Real-time design advice and suggestions
• English interface with larger, readable fonts
• Support for KiCad 6.0+
• Component analysis and statistics
• Net and track information display
• Board dimension reporting
• Design best practices recommendations

Features

• Chat Interface: Interactive dialog for asking PCB design questions
• PCB Analysis: Click-button analysis of current PCB design
• AI Responses: Context-aware responses using local LLM
• Privacy-First: All AI processing happens locally via Ollama
• User-Friendly: Large fonts and clear English interface

Requirements

• KiCad 6.0 or higher
• Python 3.7+
• Ollama with llama3.2:3b model
• requests Python package

Installation

• Plugin installable via KiCad Plugin and Content Manager
• Also supports manual installation