[Proposal] AI/LLM Integration for Schematic Generation (Final-Year Project)

[Néhémie Mukene]

Hello KiCad Developers,

My name is Néhémie, and I am an engineering student working on my Final-Year Project.

My proposed project involves exploring the integration of an AI or Large Language Model (LLM) into the KiCad ecosystem to facilitate natural language-driven circuit generation. The goal is to allow a user to generate an initial schematic and netlist simply by typing a functional description (e.g., "Design a 5V buck converter with 24V input and 2A output").

I am writing to this list to ask two main questions before finalizing my TFC scope:

1. Is anyone on the KiCad core development team or a major external contributor currently working on a formal AI/LLM integration project of this nature?

2. Are there existing external tools or plugins (beyond simple component creation) focused on AI-powered schematic or PCB layout generation that the project recommends looking into?

I would love for my final-year work to be a meaningful contribution to the KiCad community. Any guidance on whether this is an area of interest, or suggestions for the most valuable way to approach AI integration (e.g., focusing on scripting/plugins vs. core features), would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and for maintaining such a fantastic open-source tool.

Best regards,

Néhémie, 

ULC-Icam, 4th year

[Shane Mattner]

Hi Néhémie,

I've been working on a project called Circuit-Synth that enables LLM generation of Kicad projects using Python defined circuits.  I made a bunch of Claude Code infrastructure to automate designing circuits in Python, which Circuit-Synth library then turns into Kicad projects. This produces functionally perfect schematics with hierarchical labels on all pins and pcb's with parts on a rectanglular board. I'm still perfecting bi-directional syncing but generation of Kicad schematics from Python is pretty solid. Which means we can generate any Kicad circuit a LLM can think of.

I'd love to talk with you more about possibly contributing on the LLM front. I think there's a lot more we can do with Haiku-4.5 and more developed context with tools like Claude Code Skills.  I've explored other agentic workflows with Google ADK and Circuit-Synth with varying results. I've tried a bit of RAG but not enough to be confident it helps.

Circuit-Synth Claude Code demo generating an ESP32 circuit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssVUFBnKnu8

Project Website:
https://www.circuit-synth.com/

Github:

https://github.com/circuit-synth/circuit-synth

Thank you,

Shane

[Eeli Kaikkonen]

On Thu, Oct 30, 2025 at 1:13 AM Néhémie Mukene <nehemie...@gmail.com> wrote:

1. Is anyone on the KiCad core development team or a major external contributor currently working on a formal AI/LLM integration project of this nature?

2. Are there existing external tools or plugins (beyond simple component creation) focused on AI-powered schematic or PCB layout generation that the project recommends looking into?

Go to the KiCad user forum and do a search with relevant words. You will find many discussions about using AI with KiCad.

Eeli Kaikkonen

[Seth Hillbrand]

Hi Néhémie,

In answer to your first question, we do not have a current plan for AI/LLM integration into KiCad.

HQ Electronics maintains a fork that includes a form of AI integration at https://gitlab.com/kicad-hq/kicad/-/tree/release/9.0?ref_type=heads

That being said, the idea of natural language driven circuit generation is one of the least helpful applications for LLMs out there.  Not to pour cold water on your idea but if you are looking for a senior project that will be viewed positively by larger industry, I would strongly suggest that you not take this route.  No serious designer will want to incorporate even simplistic designs from AI without doing the work to verify the design, which likely takes as long or longer than just building it yourself.  And complex designs are out of the question because there are not enough examples to train on.

Instead, if you wanted to design something that makes people sit up and take notice or that might be useful in KiCad as a whole, I would recommend one of the following:

1. Datasheet-enhanced ERC.  Have your AI ingest all of the datasheets for each part and look for potential errors that normal ERC can't catch.  For example, voltage level mismatches between pins.

2. Symbol/footprint/3d model generation.  Have your AI read a datasheet and general an atomic part based on the data with proper pin assignment.  Bonus points if you give the user symbol variants to choose from (do you want your pins grouped by function or by number?  Split into units or all in one?)

3. Symbol management.  Have your AI read the datasheet for a symbol and check if the pins match and if they are the correct type.  

The critical element in all of these options is that they have lots of training data.  And they are presenting information to the engineer using them instead of trying to be the engineer.  In this way, they can improve the effectiveness of circuit designers.

Seth

Seth Hillbrand

Lead Developer

+1-530-302-5483‬

Long Beach, CA

www.kipro-pcb.com    in...@kipro-pcb.com

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[Néhémie Mukene]

Hi Seth and Shane,

Thank you both so much for taking the time to provide such detailed and insightful feedback.

Seth, I really appreciate your candid feedback on the natural language circuit generation idea. Your core point about focusing on utility-focused AI that assists the engineer, rather than trying to be the engineer, makes perfect sense. The constraints around training data for complex designs, and the necessity of verification, are crucial takeaways for my senior project planning.

Shane, on the other hand, it's truly awesome to see Circuit-Synth in action! Your work is fantastic. I'll certainly be keeping an eye on your bi-directional syncing developments.  

For my specific senior project, I've decided to align with the path that offers the most immediate, practical utility to the broadest user base. I'll be focusing on a proposal for the Datasheet-enhanced Electrical Rules Check (ERC).  

Thank you both again for the mentorship and for sparking a great discussion.

Best regards, 

Néhémie

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[José Angelo Amado]

Dear All.

I would be grateful if someone could develop a tool to convert files generated in LTSPICE SCH files  including QSPICE to KiCad and vice versa. 

I don't know if AI is needed to accomplish this feat.

Angelo

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José Angelo Amado

+55 (61) 9 9531 9090

[Lucas]

Angelo, 

You don't need AI for that. There is an importer for LTSpice in KiCad. Inside of the Schematic Editor you can use File->Import->Non Kicad Schematic and then you can import LTSpice'a asc file. I am not aware of a tool to export to LTSpice though. 

Regards, 

Lucas

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[José Angelo Amado]

Lucas,

I will try it.

Many thanks,

Angelo

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[José Angelo Amado]

Hello Lucas and all friendship team:

The KiCad SCH import into LTSPICE worked fine!

I have one more question:

I have a lot of simulations done under Orcad 9.2.

Can I import them into KiCad?

Cheers,

Angelo