@buildwithtrace/trace-plugin

What's new in v0.1.6

Added

• Added 16 public agent skills covering match-lengths, trace-rules, team-workspaces, altium-import, and 12 additional Trace EDA workflows.

Changed

• CHANGELOG.md is now included in the published npm tarball.

Fixed

• Corrected CLI command and flag names exposed through the plugin (e.g. config list, config set env, output.format, --datasheet instead of --from-datasheet); corrected auth/PAT and BYOK environment variable names; noted that the CLI targets the latest API version by default.

Full history: release notes.

AI plugin that teaches coding agents about PCB and schematic design with Trace.

Changelog: see CHANGELOG.md in this package, or the suite-wide CLI & SDK Release Notes.

Installation

npx plugins add buildwithtrace/trace-plugin

What This Provides

When installed, your AI coding assistant (Cursor, Claude, Codex) gains deep knowledge of:

• Schematic design — symbols, wires, ERC, hierarchy
• PCB layout — routing, layers, DRC, impedance
• Component search — finding parts across distributors
• AI generation — creating symbols and footprints from descriptions
• Design review — checking your board for issues
• Manufacturing — Gerbers, BOM, DFM checks, ordering
• File conversion — Altium to KiCad, format interop
• CLI tools — all buildwithtrace commands (30+)
• MCP integration — connecting Trace tools to any AI editor
• BYOK — bring your own LLM key (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini)
• Signal tracing — net path analysis through schematics
• Team collaboration — workspaces, sharing, versioning

MCP Tools

This plugin also connects your editor to Trace's MCP server, giving the AI direct access to:

• Read and analyze your schematic/PCB files
• Run electrical rule checks (ERC)
• Run design rule checks (DRC)
• Search for electronic components
• Generate symbols and footprints
• Check DFM against manufacturers
• Ask design questions with project context

There are two ways to connect:

• Hosted (remote) MCP — https://mcp.buildwithtrace.com/mcp with OAuth 2.1. In Cursor, install in one click via Settings > Plugins (search "Trace"); or add the URL manually to any MCP client. No local process required.
• Local (stdio) MCP — buildwithtrace mcp serve, which adds local-file tools (read_schematic, search_in_files, list_project_files, get_project_info) that read your on-disk design files.

See the mcp-tools skill for full setup (marketplace install, manual config, and Bearer-token fallback for clients without OAuth).

SDKs & Integrations

Trace also ships official SDKs and integrations so you can drive the AI agent from your own code or CI:

| Package / Repo | Install | Use | |----------------|---------|-----| | @buildwithtrace/sdk (buildwithtrace/sdk-node) | npm i @buildwithtrace/sdk | Node/TypeScript SDK | | buildwithtrace-sdk (buildwithtrace/sdk-python) | pip install buildwithtrace-sdk | Python SDK | | buildwithtrace/github-action | uses: buildwithtrace/github-action@v1 | Run Trace in CI (PR review, ERC/DRC) | | buildwithtrace/homebrew-tap | brew install buildwithtrace/tap/buildwithtrace | Install the CLI via Homebrew |

Standalone agent: the SDKs run their own client-side tool loop, so agent and plan modes work without the CLI installed — the SDK executes the agent's file tools locally itself. This makes the SDKs a drop-in way to embed full agentic EDA workflows in scripts, services, and CI.

Requirements

• buildwithtrace CLI installed (pip install buildwithtrace)
• Trace account (free at buildwithtrace.com — new accounts include free AI agent credits)

Skills Included

| Skill | What It Teaches | |-------|----------------| | Trace Overview | Platform features, AI modes, capabilities | | Schematic Design | Symbols, wires, labels, ERC, hierarchy | | PCB Layout | Layers, routing, vias, DRC, impedance | | Component Search | Finding parts, BOM cross-reference, distributor search | | Symbol Generation | Creating symbols with AI, pin conventions | | Footprint Generation | Package types, pad dimensions, IPC standards | | Design Review | Review scopes, severity levels, checklists | | Manufacturing | Gerbers, drill files, DFM, panelization, ordering | | CLI Usage | All 30+ buildwithtrace commands | | MCP Tools | Editor integration, tool descriptions | | File Formats | .kicad_sch, .kicad_pcb, s-expression syntax | | Signal Tracing | Net connectivity, signal path debugging | | Altium Import | Converting Altium .SchDoc/.PcbDoc to KiCad/Trace | | Match Lengths | Length matching for high-speed buses (DDR, USB, LVDS, PCIe) | | TraceRules | Per-project AI behavior via .trace/rules.md | | Team Workspaces | Shared projects, roles, per-seat billing |

Quick Start

1. Install the plugin:

   npx plugins add buildwithtrace/trace-plugin

2. Install the CLI:

   pip install buildwithtrace

3. Log in:

   buildwithtrace auth login

4. (Optional) Set up MCP in your editor. Either install the hosted server in one click (Cursor Settings > Plugins > "Trace"), or add a local stdio server to .cursor/mcp.json:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "trace": {
         "command": "buildwithtrace",
         "args": ["mcp", "serve"]
       }
     }
   }

5. Ask your AI assistant about electronics design. It now knows Trace.

License

MIT