Copper connects your AI app to KiCad, so it can design real boards you can order: schematic, LCSC parts, PCB layout and routing, KiCad's own ERC and DRC, renders and JLCPCB fab files.

Claude Code

claude plugin marketplace add claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp claude plugin install copper@copper

Windows (PowerShell)

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/main/installer/install.ps1 | iex"

macOS / Linux

curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/claynicholson/copper-kicad-mcp/main/installer/install.sh | sh

Windows is tested end to end. The macOS and Linux routes are new: if one fails, please open an issue.

Setup finds KiCad, brings your libraries and settings along, connects your AI apps and makes a test call. It asks before each step and backs up everything it changes. To paste a config instead, Cursor, Claude Desktop and Windsurf take this entry (docs/INSTALL.md has the others):

{ "mcpServers": { "copper": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "copper-kicad"] } } }

npx -y copper-kicad setup --demo runs the setup page on a throw-away folder, so you can look first. If something does not work, npx -y copper-kicad doctor (or copper doctor after the Windows or one-line install) names the fix. More in docs/INSTALL.md.

Ask for something like "Design a USB-C powered ESP32-C3 board with a status LED, 30 x 40 mm". Your AI then works through it the way an engineer would:

Copper has 31 tools and works with any MCP app and any model. The model is your AI app's: the Copper server never calls one.

RP2040 Macropad: nine hot-swap keys and a knob. 66 x 90 mm, 2 layers, 65 parts.

RP2040 D-pad E-ink: D-pad, e-ink FPC and IMU. 72 x 84 mm, 4 layers, 55 parts.

Stepper G0: a 12 V stepper controller on one board. 58 x 48 mm, 2 layers, 40 parts.

ESP32-C3 USB-C: Wi-Fi and BLE on USB-C. 30 x 40 mm, 2 layers, 15 parts.

USB-C Power Bank: an IP5306 power bank with USB-C in. 50 x 24 mm, 2 layers, 22 parts.

Phone Breathalyzer: an alcohol sensor that plugs into a phone. 22 x 48 mm, 2 layers, 30 parts.

All six pass KiCad 10's ERC and DRC with 0 errors and 0 unconnected items. Layer art and fab files (Gerbers, drill, BOM, placement) are on coppereda.com.

Install · Configuration · Parts providers · Fab profiles · KiCad compatibility · Architecture · Changelog · Contributing · Security

Copper runs on your machine. Your designs stay there, and there is no telemetry. It goes online only to:

Installing fetches a little more: the npx launcher installs Pillow from PyPI if KiCad's Python lacks it, and the one-line installers fetch uv, a Python 3.12 build and Pillow.

The MCP server and CLI never call a language model. The package also holds copper_kicad.agent, a chat sidecar for a separate desktop app; nothing in the server or CLI starts it.

MIT. Copper is an independent project, not affiliated with KiCad, LCSC, JLCPCB or any other vendor named here.