KiC-AI/README.md

KIC-AI Assistant

AI-powered PCB design assistant plugin for KiCad with Ollama integration.

🤖 Features

• AI Chat Interface: Interactive dialog for PCB design assistance
• 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
• Real-time Help: Ask questions about your design and get instant, context-aware answers

📋 Requirements

• KiCad 9.0+
• Python 3.7+
• Ollama with llama3.2:3b model
• requests Python package

🚀 Installation

Method 1: KiCad Plugin Manager (Recommended)

1. Download the plugin ZIP: kic-ai-assistant-v1.3.0-for-import.zip
2. Open KiCad → Plugin and Content Manager
3. Click Install from File
4. Select the downloaded ZIP file
5. Restart KiCad

💡 Direct Download: The ready-to-import ZIP file is included in this repository for your convenience!

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

💡 Usage

How to Use KIC-AI Assistant

Important: The plugin is accessed through KiCad's PCB Editor (pcbnew) but can analyze both schematic and PCB data.

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 AI interaction mode:
   • 🔍 Analysis Mode: Safe recommendations only
   • 📋 Advisory Mode: Step-by-step guidance with confirmation
   • 🤖 Assistant Mode: Interactive assistance and future automation
5. Start chatting: Ask questions or click "Analyze" for automatic analysis

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

Choose your preferred level of AI assistance:

🔍 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
• Example: "Your power supply has good decoupling, but consider adding a ferrite bead on the input"

📋 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
• Example: "To improve this circuit: 1) Select R14 2) Change value to 10kΩ 3) Update the schematic. Shall I guide you through this?"

🤖 Assistant Mode (Interactive)

• What it does: Interactive design recommendations and future automation
• Safety: Advanced features for experienced users
• Best for: Power users, complex design tasks
• Example: "I can help optimize your power routing. In future versions, I may automate some placement 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?"

Mode-Specific Examples:

Analysis Mode:

• "What do you think of this design?"
• "Any recommendations for improvement?"

Advisory Mode:

• "Help me remove resistor R14"
• "Guide me through optimizing this layout"
• "How do I fix this design rule violation?"

Assistant Mode:

• "Optimize my component placement"
• "Help me redesign this power section"
• "What automated improvements can you suggest?"

🖼️ Screenshots

Main Interface

The AI Assistant provides an intuitive chat interface with 3 interaction modes and dual analysis capabilities.

Mode Selection

Choose from 3 different AI interaction modes based on your experience level and needs.

Installation in KiCad

Installing the plugin through KiCad Plugin Manager

PCB Analysis

Automatic analysis provides comprehensive design insights and recommendations.

Analysis Features:

• Component count and types
• Board dimensions and layer information
• Net and track statistics
• Design recommendations
• Mode-specific AI responses

🛠️ Development

Project Structure

KIC-AI-Assistant/
├── metadata.json          # KiCad plugin metadata
├── plugins/
│   ├── __init__.py        # Main plugin entry point
│   ├── ai_dialog.py       # AI chat dialog interface
│   └── robot_icon.png     # Plugin icon
├── screenshots/           # UI screenshots
│   ├── main-interface.png
│   ├── mode-selection.png
│   └── pcb-analysis.png
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
├── CHANGELOG.md
└── UPGRADE_NOTES.md

Building

To create a release ZIP:

zip -r kic-ai-assistant.zip metadata.json plugins/ -x "*.pyc" "*__pycache__*"

🤝 Contributing

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

1. Fork the project
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📝 License

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

🙏 Acknowledgments

• KiCad team for the excellent PCB design software
• Ollama team for local LLM capabilities
• Meta for the Llama model

📞 Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue with detailed information
3. Include your KiCad version and error messages

🔄 Changelog

v1.3.0

• NEW: 3 AI Interaction Modes (Analysis, Advisory, Assistant)
• NEW: Mode-specific AI responses and behavior
• NEW: Enhanced user interface with mode selection
• NEW: Step-by-step guidance in Advisory mode
• NEW: Interactive assistance framework for future automation
• IMPROVED: Better mode explanations and help system
• IMPROVED: Enhanced conversation context awareness

v1.2.1

• Enhanced dual-mode analysis (PCB + Schematic)
• Improved context-aware AI responses
• Better user guidance and documentation

v1.0.0

• Initial release
• AI chat interface
• PCB analysis functionality
• Ollama integration
• English interface with larger fonts

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Made with ❤️ for the KiCad community

📦 Download Options

Ready to use:

• 📦 kic-ai-assistant-v1.3.0-for-import.zip (~10KB) - Direct import for KiCad Plugin Manager

For developers:

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

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

File	Size	Description
kic-ai-assistant-v1.3.0-for-import.zip	~10KB	Ready-to-import plugin - Use this for KiCad Plugin Manager

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