diodeinc-pcb-1

pcb

pcb is a command-line tool for circuit board projects written in Zener. Zener is a Starlark-based language for describing PCB schematics; pcb builds those designs, manages dependencies, and generates KiCad layout files.

Documentation | Language reference

Installation

Install the pcb shim:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/diodeinc/pcb/main/install.sh | bash

On Windows:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/diodeinc/pcb/main/install.ps1 | iex"

The shim downloads and runs the pcbc toolchain requested by each project. The Unix installer writes pcb to $HOME/.local/bin by default. The Windows installer writes pcb.exe to %USERPROFILE%\.pcb\bin by default. Set PCB_INSTALL_DIR to choose a different directory.

Requirements:

• KiCad 10.x for generating and editing layouts.

Windows support is experimental. For the most stable experience, use WSL2, macOS, or Linux.

Developing from source

git clone https://github.com/diodeinc/pcb.git
cd pcb
cargo build -p pcb -p pcbc
./install.sh --local

Quick Start

Create blinky.zen:

# ```pcb
# [workspace]
# pcb-version = "0.4"
# ```

Resistor = Module("@stdlib/generics/Resistor.zen")
Led = Module("@stdlib/generics/Led.zen")

VCC = Power()
GND = Ground()
LED_ANODE = Net()

Resistor(name="R1", value="1kohm", package="0402", P1=VCC, P2=LED_ANODE)
Led(name="D1", package="0402", color="red", A=LED_ANODE, K=GND)
Board(name="blinky", layers=4, layout_path="layout/blinky")

Build the design:

pcb build blinky.zen

Generate a KiCad layout:

pcb layout blinky.zen

Project Structure

Zener projects use one of two repository shapes.

Board repository

A board repository contains one board plus any local modules and components it owns:

MyBoard/
├── pcb.toml              # Workspace and board manifest
├── MyBoard.zen           # Board schematic
├── layout/               # KiCad layout files
├── modules/              # Reusable circuit modules
│   └── PowerSupply/
│       ├── PowerSupply.zen
│       └── pcb.toml
├── components/           # Custom component definitions
│   └── Manufacturer/
│       └── MPN/
│           ├── MPN.zen
│           └── pcb.toml
└── vendor/               # Vendored dependencies

Create one with:

pcb new board MyBoard https://github.com/myorg/MyBoard

Board repository pcb.toml:

[workspace]
repository = "github.com/myorg/MyBoard"
pcb-version = "0.4"

[board]
name = "MyBoard"
path = "MyBoard.zen"
description = "Replace with concise board description."

Registry repository

A registry repository contains reusable packages and no board:

registry/
├── pcb.toml              # Workspace manifest
├── components/           # Component packages
│   └── TPS54331/
│       ├── TPS54331.zen
│       ├── TPS54331.kicad_sym
│       ├── TPS54331.kicad_mod
│       └── pcb.toml
└── modules/              # Reusable module packages
    └── UsbCSink/
        ├── UsbCSink.zen
        └── pcb.toml

Registry pcb.toml:

[workspace]
repository = "github.com/myorg/registry"
pcb-version = "0.4"

Common Commands

pcb new board <NAME> <REPO_URL>              # Create a board repository
pcb build [PATHS...]                         # Build and validate designs
pcb sync                                     # Reconcile imports and dependency manifests
pcb layout <FILE>                            # Generate layout files
pcb import <KICAD_PRO> <OUTPUT_DIR>          # Import a KiCad project

Run pcb help or pcb help <command> for the full command reference.

License

Diode-authored code and docs are licensed under the MIT License except where otherwise noted. See LICENSE and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.

Acknowledgments

• Made possible by the excellent KiCad PCB design suite.
• Built on starlark-rust by Meta.
• Inspired by atopile, tscircuit, and others.