KiCAD Symbol Search
toolscommand-linekicadsymbolsearch

Intelligent fuzzy search for KiCad schematic symbols with CLI interface. This TypeScript-based npm package provides smart symbol search capabilities by processing local KiCad symbol files and offering natural language search with intelligent parameter matching.

Features

  • 🔍 Intelligent Fuzzy Search: Find KiCad symbols using natural language descriptions
  • 📁 Local File Processing: Processes KiCad symbol files directly from your installation
  • ⚡ Fast CLI Interface: Quick command-line searches with formatted output
  • 🎯 Smart Symbol Matching: Recognizes library names, symbol names, and descriptions
  • 📊 Scored Results: Get ranked results with match explanations
  • 🔄 Automatic Caching: Caches processed symbols for fast subsequent searches
  • 🎨 Multiple Output Formats: Detailed, compact, table, or JSON display options
  • 🔧 Programmatic Integration: JSON output for scripting and automation
  • 💬 Interactive Mode: Prompt for search queries when none provided via command line

Installation

Global Installation (Recommended)

npm install -g @typecad/kicad-symbols

After global installation, you can use the kicad-symbols command from anywhere:

kicad-symbols "op amp"

Quick Start

Basic Search

# Search for operational amplifier symbols
kicad-symbols "op amp"

# Search for microcontroller symbols
kicad-symbols "microcontroller"

# Search for connector symbols
kicad-symbols "connector"

Interactive Mode

If you run the program without any search query, it will prompt you to enter one interactively:

# Start the program without arguments
kicad-symbols

# The program will display:
# kicad-symbols - KiCad Symbols Search Tool
# No search query provided. Please enter a search term:
# Examples: "capacitor", "LM358", "4xxx:14528", "op amp"
# Press Ctrl+C to exit
# 
# Search query:

Integrate in your typeCAD project

Open your project’s package.json and add the following line to the scripts section:

"KiCAD Symbol Search 🔍": "kicad-symbols"