Code-first PCB design. Describe your circuit board in a simple DSL — get a deterministic, git-friendly, AI-editable design.
// blink.cypcb — 555 timer LED blink circuit
version 1
board blink {
size 60mm x 40mm
layers 2
}
component J1 connector "PIN-HDR-1x2" { value "5V PWR"; at 5mm, 20mm }
component U1 ic "SOIC-8" { value "NE555"; at 28mm, 20mm }
component R1 resistor "0402" { value "10k"; at 35mm, 30mm }
component C1 capacitor "1206" { value "10uF"; at 43mm, 20mm }
component LED1 led "0805" { value "RED"; at 55mm, 20mm }
net VCC [width 0.5mm current 2A] { J1.1; U1.8; U1.4; R1.1 }
net GND { J1.2; U1.1; C1.2; LED1.K }
// Routed traces saved in the file — survives reload, diffs cleanly
trace VCC {
layer Top
width 0.5mm
path 5mm,20mm -> 15mm,20mm -> 28mm,20mm -> 35mm,30mm
}
Save the file, board updates instantly. No compile step, no refresh.
New here? Syntax reference | Getting started | Examples
Traditional PCB tools (KiCad, Altium, Eagle) are GUI-first. The project file is a binary/XML side-effect of clicking. This makes:
- Git diffs unreadable
- AI assistance impractical
- Team review painful
- Automation fragile
CodeYourPCB flips the model: the source file is the design. Text in, board out.
The core idea: give AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Copilot, or Cursor the ability to design real PCBs through declarative code — the same way they write software.
Traditional PCB formats are opaque to LLMs. A KiCad .kicad_pcb file is thousands of lines of coordinate soup. No LLM can reason about that meaningfully.
.cypcb is different — the semantics are declarative and human-readable:
component U1 ic "SOIC-8" { value "NE555"; at 28mm, 20mm }
net VCC [width 0.5mm current 2A] { U1.8; U1.4; R1.1 }
trace VCC {
layer Top
width 0.5mm
path 5mm,20mm -> 28mm,20mm -> 35mm,30mm
}
An LLM can generate this, review it, refactor it, and catch mistakes — just like source code. Even routed traces are human-readable path blocks that diff cleanly in git.
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
.cypcb DSL with Tree-sitter parser |
Done |
| Live preview — save file, board updates instantly | Done |
| 2D renderer (KiCad-style) | Done |
| 3D viewer — extruded copper, solder mask, round trace caps | Done |
| Interactive trace routing (45° constraint, obstacle dodge) | Done |
| Trace segment & corner editing (drag to reshape) | Done |
Trace persistence — routed traces saved as path blocks, survive reload |
Done |
| Bidirectional sync — edit trace code ↔ board updates in real-time | Done |
Net constraints — [width 0.5mm], [current 2A] per net |
Done |
| IPC-2221 auto-width from current rating | Done |
| DRC — clearance, drill, connectivity, trace width vs current | Done |
| Gerber / Excellon / BOM / pick-and-place export | Done |
| Monaco editor with context-aware completions | Done |
| JLCPCB parts search & placement | Done |
| Custom footprint definitions in DSL | Done |
| Project manager with templates | Done |
| Dark / Light theme | Done |
| Web app (WASM) + Desktop app (Tauri v2) | Done |
| KiCad component library import | Done |
| Copper pour / ground planes | Planned |
| Module system — reusable circuit blocks, packages | Planned |
KiCad interop — import/export .kicad_pcb |
Planned |
| Parts engine — auto component picking from JLCPCB/LCSC | Planned |
Schematic generation from .cypcb |
Planned |
| Autorouter rewrite | Planned |
| Differential pair routing | Planned |
CI/CD — cypcb check + cypcb export in GitHub Actions |
Planned |
# Prerequisites: Rust, Node.js 18+, wasm-pack
cargo install wasm-pack
# Clone and start
git clone https://github.com/szymontex/codeyourpcb.git
cd codeyourpcb/viewer
npm install
npm start # builds WASM + starts dev serverOpen http://localhost:5173 — pick a template or open a .cypcb file.
# Linux prerequisites
sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libgtk-3-dev libayatana-appindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev pkg-config
npm run dev:desktop # dev mode
npm run build:desktop # release installercargo run -p cypcb-cli -- check examples/blink.cypcb # DRC
cargo run -p cypcb-cli -- export examples/blink.cypcb # Gerber + ExcellonEdit .cypcb files in your editor (VS Code, Neovim, etc.). Run npm run dev:watch in a terminal — the board preview updates on every save via WebSocket hot reload.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+E |
Toggle code editor |
Ctrl+S |
Save file |
Ctrl+O |
Open file / project manager |
Ctrl+J |
JLCPCB parts search |
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z |
Undo / Redo |
F |
Fit board to view |
3 |
Toggle 3D view |
R / Shift+R |
Rotate component CW / CCW |
? |
Keyboard shortcuts help |
During trace routing: F flip layer, / flip posture, Q toggle corner mode, A toggle angle snap.
codeyourpcb/
├── crates/
│ ├── cypcb-core # Types, coordinates, units
│ ├── cypcb-parser # Tree-sitter grammar + AST
│ ├── cypcb-world # ECS board state (hecs)
│ ├── cypcb-drc # Design rule checks
│ ├── cypcb-autoroute # A*-based autorouter (WIP)
│ ├── cypcb-router # FreeRouting DSN bridge
│ ├── cypcb-calc # Electrical calculations (IPC-2221)
│ ├── cypcb-export # Gerber / Excellon / CPL export
│ ├── cypcb-kicad # KiCad format import
│ ├── cypcb-library # Component library (SQLite + FTS5)
│ ├── cypcb-lsp # Language server (tower-lsp)
│ ├── cypcb-render # Board engine (WASM)
│ ├── cypcb-rules # Design rules & manufacturer presets
│ ├── cypcb-platform # Native/web abstraction layer
│ ├── cypcb-watcher # File system watcher
│ └── cypcb-cli # CLI entry point
├── viewer/ # TypeScript frontend (Vite + Canvas 2D + Three.js)
├── src-tauri/ # Tauri v2 desktop shell
├── examples/ # Sample .cypcb files
└── docs/ # User guide, syntax, API reference
CodeYourPCB sits in the emerging "PCB as code" space alongside a few other tools:
- JITX — commercial, most mature code-first EDA. Constraint-driven routing, signal integrity, VS Code integration. Proprietary.
- atopile — open-source
.atolanguage with compiler, reusable modules, component picking. Uses KiCad for layout. MIT. - tscircuit — open-source React/TypeScript PCB framework. Very LLM-friendly (TypeScript is natural for models). MIT.
Where CodeYourPCB differs: own rendering engine (no KiCad dependency), runs in browser via WASM, interactive routing built-in, traces persist as readable DSL code. Where it's behind: no module/package system yet, no schematic capture, smaller component library.
- Getting Started
- Language Syntax
- Architecture
- Project Structure
- Library Management
- Platform Differences (Web vs Desktop)
- LSP Server
- Contributing
Experimental. The DSL and file format may change between versions.
The core loop works: write .cypcb → see board → route traces → save → reload. Traces are deterministic (bit-exact round-trip). The main gaps are copper pour, module system, and autorouter.
PRs welcome.
Licensed under either of:
at your option.