kicad-jlcpcb-workflow

KiCad → EasyEDA → JLCPCB Workflow

Help the user take a PCB project from "I want a board that does X" to "I clicked Order in EasyEDA and it's on its way from JLCPCB." The plugin automates parts sourcing, pin-map lookup, footprint placement, and net wiring — which was the slow tedious part. Routing and ordering happen in EasyEDA's web app because its cloud auto-router handles real boards (including RF) far more reliably than anything shippable headlessly.

The seven stages

1. Project setup — detect_kicad, create_project (or load_project)
2. Component sourcing — lcsc_search, lcsc_resolve_bom
3. Pin maps — part_pin_map (auto-called by pcb_generate, but you can inspect individual parts)
4. PCB generation — pcb_generate produces the wired .kicad_pcb
5. EasyEDA handoff — easyeda_handoff gives the user the import instructions
6. Routing — user, in EasyEDA web app (Auto Route button)
7. Ordering — user, in EasyEDA (PCB Order via JLCPCB button)

Resume-or-restart on an existing project

Every project writes a .kicad_jlcpcb_session.json to its root that tracks which stages have completed (project_created → parts_sourced → bom_confirmed → pcb_generated → handoff_rendered).

When the user points /pcb-new or /pcb-from-bom at a path that already has a project:

1. Call load_project on it. The response includes a session summary and resume_available: true if the prior workflow got past stage created.
2. Show the user the session summary: completed checkpoints, the persisted BOM length, whether a spec has been generated, what's next.
3. Ask whether to resume or start fresh. Resume means re-using the persisted bom / spec and skipping the stages that are already done. Starting fresh means deleting .kicad_jlcpcb_session.json (or picking a different directory) so the workflow begins at stage created again.
4. You can also call session_resume directly on any project directory to inspect state without loading the project as the active workspace.