EDA Schematics Skill

Create and wire schematics for electronics projects.

Auto-Activation Triggers

This skill activates when:

• User asks to "create schematic", "add component", "wire"
• User is working with .kicad_sch files
• User asks about net names, connections, or ERC
• Project has component selections but no schematic
• User mentions schematic organization or sheets

Context Requirements

Requires:

• docs/component-selections.md - Selected components with LCSC numbers
• docs/design-constraints.json - Project constraints
• datasheets/ - Component datasheets for reference circuits

Produces:

• hardware/*.kicad_sch - KiCad schematic file(s)
• docs/schematic-status.md - Status and progress tracking

Workflow

1. Load Context

@docs/design-constraints.json
@docs/component-selections.md
@datasheets/ (relevant datasheets)

From design-constraints.json, extract:

• power.topology - LDO vs buck affects schematic complexity
• power.rails[] - All voltage rails to implement
• board.layers - 2-layer = simpler designs, 4+ = can be more complex
• thermal.budget - Identify hot components for grouping
• dfmTargets.assembly - Package sizes must match

1.5. Validate Readiness

Before starting schematic:

• All required components selected in component-selections.md?
• MCU selected with known pinout?
• Voltage regulators selected?
• Critical passives (decoupling values) defined?
• Datasheets downloaded for reference circuits?

If not, suggest running /eda-source [role] first.

2. Plan Sheet Organization

See reference/SCHEMATIC-HIERARCHY-DECISION.md for detailed guidance.

Based on complexity, organize into sheets:

Simple design (1-2 sheets):

• Sheet 1: Everything

Medium design (3-4 sheets):

• Sheet 1: Power (input, regulators)
• Sheet 2: MCU and core logic
• Sheet 3: Interfaces and I/O

Complex design (5+ sheets):

• Sheet 1: Power input and protection
• Sheet 2: Voltage regulation
• Sheet 3: MCU and clock
• Sheet 4: Communication interfaces
• Sheet 5: Connectors and I/O
• Additional sheets as needed

3. Create Schematic Structure

• Create main schematic file
• Add hierarchical sheets if multi-sheet
• Set up page sizes and title blocks

4. Place Components (Per Sheet)

For each component:

1. Place symbol from library
2. Set reference designator
3. Set value
4. Add LCSC part number to properties
5. Position logically

Tool syntax:

mcp__kicad-sch__add_component schematic_path="/path/to/file.kicad_sch" lib_id="EDA-MCP:SymbolName" reference="U1" value="10k" position=[100, 100]

• Use symbol_ref from library_fetch response (e.g., EDA-MCP:ESP32-C3)
• For standard parts, use KiCad libraries (e.g., Device:R, Device:C)
• Position uses grid-aligned coordinates (1.27mm grid)

Placement guidelines:

• Power flows top-to-bottom or left-to-right
• Signal flows left-to-right
• Group related components
• Leave space for wiring

5. Add Power Symbols

• Place VCC symbols for each rail
• Place GND symbols
• Use consistent power symbol naming

6. Wire Connections

Follow the reference circuits from datasheets:

1. Wire power connections first
2. Add decoupling capacitors to power pins
3. Wire critical signals (crystal, reset)
4. Wire communication buses
5. Wire remaining signals

Use net labels for:

• Inter-sheet connections
• Buses
• Avoiding wire crossing
• Named signals (for clarity)

7. Verify and Document

• Check all pins connected or marked NC
• Run ERC (electrical rules check)
• Document status

See reference/ERC-VIOLATIONS-GUIDE.md for fixing common ERC errors.

8. Pre-Layout Review

Before proceeding to layout, complete reference/SCHEMATIC-REVIEW-CHECKLIST.md:

• Power section verification
• Decoupling validation
• Interface protection check
• Test points present
• Net naming consistency
• Documentation complete

Net Naming Convention

See reference/NET-NAMING.md for complete conventions.

Quick reference:

Power:    VCC_3V3, VCC_5V, VBAT, GND, GNDA
Reset:    MCU_RESET, nRESET
SPI:      SPI1_MOSI, SPI1_MISO, SPI1_SCK, SPI1_CS
I2C:      I2C1_SDA, I2C1_SCL
UART:     UART1_TX, UART1_RX
GPIO:     LED_STATUS, BTN_USER, or GPIO_PA0

Output Format

schematic-status.md

# Schematic Status

Project: [name]
Updated: [date]

## Summary
- Total sheets: X
- Components placed: Y
- Wiring: Z% complete
- ERC: X errors, Y warnings

## Sheets

### Sheet 1: Power
- Status: Complete
- Components: U1 (regulator), C1-C4 (caps)
- Notes: ...

### Sheet 2: MCU
- Status: In Progress
- Components: U2 (MCU), Y1 (crystal), C5-C10
- Notes: Needs clock wiring

## ERC Issues
- [ ] Unconnected pin on U2.PA3 (intentional NC)
- [x] Missing power flag (fixed)

## Next Steps
- Complete MCU clock circuit
- Wire SPI bus to flash
- Run final ERC

Guidelines

• Always check datasheets for reference circuits
• Place decoupling caps within 3mm of IC power pins (in layout)
• Use net labels for any signal that crosses sheets
• Keep schematic readable - avoid wire spaghetti
• Add notes for non-obvious connections
• Mark intentionally unconnected pins with NC flag

Architecture Validation Warnings

Check these before proceeding to layout:

Reference Documents

Next Steps

After schematic is complete:

1. Generate netlist
2. Run /eda-layout to begin PCB layout
3. Update design-constraints.json stage to "pcb"