# pcbGPT: Automatic PCB Schematic Synthesis from Natural Language Requirements

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.01188 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.01188/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 12 of its 31 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 31 May 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Evaluating Large Language Models Trained on Code](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.03374/) (2021)
- [Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Tools](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.04761/) (2023)
- [Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17651/) (2023)
- [Teaching Large Language Models to Self-Debug](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.05128/) (2023)
- [Chip-Chat: Challenges and Opportunities in Conversational Hardware Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.13243/) (2023)
- [ChipGPT: How far are we from natural language hardware design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.14019/) (2023)
- [AnalogCoder: Analog Circuit Design via Training-Free Code Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.14918/) (2024)
- [Learning to Design Circuits](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.02734/) (2018)
- [AUTOCIRCUIT-RL: Reinforcement Learning-Driven LLM for Automated Circuit Topology Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.03122/) (2025)
- [HARNode: A Time-Synchronised, Open-Source, Multi-Device, Wearable System for Ad Hoc Field Studies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.03219/) (2025)
- [τ-Ring: A Smart Ring Platform for Multimodal Physiological and Behavioral Sensing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.00778/) (2025)
- [TypedSchematics: A Block-based PCB Design Tool with Real-time Detection of Common Connection Errors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.14576/) (2025)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [From Agent Output to Authorized Transition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.28216/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Translating natural-language hardware requirements into correct printed circuit board (PCB) schematics remains difficult in embedded, IoT, and wearable development. Designers must choose compatible components, interpret datasheets, add support circuitry, and expose correct interfaces before layout and prototyping can begin, while many such circuits cannot be validated through straightforward simulation. We present pcbGPT, a grounded system for generating editable KiCad schematics from natural-language specifications. pcbGPT represents circuits in a Python DSL and combines tool-augmented synthesis with component-library search, datasheet-grounded design knowledge, execution-based checking, structural and semantic validation, and an interactive web workflow that supports iterative refinement and synchronization with KiCad projects. We evaluate the system on 20 embedded schematic-generation tasks with reference implementations, required components, and interface constraints that enable automatic comparison. The best model reaches overall pass@1 of 0.90 and pass@5 of 1.00; pass@1 is 1.00 on basic and easy tasks, 0.91 on medium tasks, and 0.72 on hard tasks. These results, together with failure analysis, show that pcbGPT can already generate useful, reviewable first-draft schematics for early prototyping, but is not yet reliable enough to replace expert review.