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Generating Circuit Boards with AI

AI assistants like Claude can help you design and generate circuit boards more quickly by understanding your requirements, searching for components, and writing tscircuit code. This guide walks you through setting up your project for AI-assisted circuit design.

Step 1: Choose Your Form Factor​

Before generating a circuit with AI, you'll typically want to start with a specific form factor or template. Common form factors include:

  • Arduino Shield - A PCB designed to stack on top of Arduino boards
  • Raspberry Pi Hat - A PCB designed to connect to Raspberry Pi GPIO headers
  • MicroMod Module - SparkFun's modular prototyping standard
  • Custom Board - Define your own dimensions and shape

Many of these templates are available via @tscircuit/common, making it easy to get started with a compatible board layout.

Example: Using an Arduino Shield Template​

Here's how you can start with an Arduino Shield form factor:

import { ArduinoShield } from "@tscircuit/common"

export default () => (
<ArduinoShield>
  <resistor name="R1" resistance="10k" footprint="0805" />
  <led name="LED1" color="red" footprint="led0603" />
  <trace from="R1.pin1" to="LED1.pin1" />
  <trace from="R1.pin2" to="LED1.pin2" />
</ArduinoShield>
)
PCB Circuit Preview

The ArduinoShield component automatically includes the correct mounting holes, header connectors, and board dimensions to fit standard Arduino boards.

Step 2: Configure Your AI Assistant​

To help AI assistants understand how to work with tscircuit, you'll need to provide them with:

  1. Project Context - Information about what you're building
  2. tscircuit Syntax Primer - Documentation on how to use tscircuit elements
  3. tscircuit CLI Primer - Information about available command-line tools, this will allow your tool to search

We recommend creating an AGENTS.md file in your project root that contains all this information. You can download our template below:

TODO add AGENTS.md template download link here!

Step 3: How AI Assists with Circuit Design​

Once configured, AI assistants can help you by:

Searching for Components​

When you ask for a specific component, the AI can use tsci search to find suitable parts:

$ tsci search "555 timer"
Found 5 footprint(s) from KiCad:
 1. Package_SO/SOIC-8_3.9x4.9mm_P1.27mm
 2. Package_DIP/DIP-8_W7.62mm
 ...

Found 3 package(s) in the tscircuit registry:
1. johndoe/555-timer-circuit (v1.0.2) - Complete 555 timer circuit
...

Importing Components​

The AI can import pre-built components from the registry:

$ tsci import seveibar/usb-c-connector

This adds the component to your project dependencies, making it available to import in your circuit files.

Writing Circuit Code​

The AI can generate tscircuit code based on your requirements, using the correct syntax for:

  • Component placement
  • Trace routing
  • Pin configurations
  • Footprint selection

Iterating on Designs​

As you provide feedback, the AI can:

  • Adjust component values
  • Add or remove parts
  • Reorganize layouts
  • Fix connection errors

Example Workflow​

Here's a typical workflow for AI-assisted circuit design:

  1. Define your goal: "I want to create an Arduino Shield that reads temperature from a sensor and displays it on an LCD"

  2. AI searches for components:

    tsci search "temperature sensor"
    tsci search "16x2 LCD"

  3. AI generates initial circuit:

    import { ArduinoShield } from "@tscircuit/common"

    export default () => (
      <ArduinoShield>
        <chip
          name="U1"
          footprint="soic8"
          pinLabels={{
            pin1: "VCC",
            pin2: "SCL",
            pin3: "SDA",
            pin4: "GND"
          }}
        />
        {/* ... rest of circuit ... */}
      </ArduinoShield>
    )

  4. Preview and iterate: Run tsci dev to see the design, then ask the AI to make adjustments

  5. Export fabrication files: When ready, use tsci export gerber to generate files for manufacturing

Tips for Working with AI​

  • Be specific: Describe exactly what you want, including component types and values
  • Provide context: Reference your form factor and any physical constraints
  • Iterate gradually: Make changes in small steps rather than redesigning everything at once
  • Verify connections: Always check that all components are properly connected
  • Review footprints: Confirm that selected footprints match your manufacturing requirements

Next Steps​