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 latest release ZIP file
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

💡 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.

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