traces

supercharged ee tools

source parts in plain english, catch schematic bugs erc can't, and pull datasheets — inside kicad and your terminal. open source, runs on your machine.

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three tools

• mcp — describe a part (“100nF 0402 X7R”, “low-Rds N-MOSFET SOT-23”, or an mpn) and get ranked, in-stock candidates across jlcpcb, digi-key, and mouser. install it into claude code, codex, or any mcp agent.
• kicad extension — a kicad 10 plugin that sources parts into your schematic, reconciles metadata, pulls symbols/footprints from lcsc, and fetches datasheets.
• semantic rule check (src) — erc checks your wiring. src checks the meaning: net-label typos, inconsistent buses, orphan nets, near-duplicate names. run /src from claude code or codex.

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local-first

no accounts, no billing, no telemetry. point it at openrouter, or run fully offline with a local model via ollama. live stock and pricing from the suppliers — the model selects, it never invents. mit licensed.

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quick start

# clone and install all three tools
git clone https://github.com/usetraces/traces.git
cd traces && ./install.sh   # creates .env; pulls a local model if no key

# start the local server
cd mcp && uv run traces-serve

one command sets up the server, the kicad plugin, and the /src skill. add keys to .env as needed — with none, sourcing runs fully local. details in the readme.