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 launcher on macOS, Linux, or WSL2:

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

For native Windows, run this command in PowerShell:

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

The launcher 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.

The installer also registers the diode:// URL scheme for the current user. The Diode registry can use these links to open sandbox layouts in KiCad without a terminal. pcb self update updates and re-registers the launcher together with the pcb shim. If a browser-launched open fails, the launcher displays the error and records command output in ~/.pcb/pcb-launcher.log (or %USERPROFILE%\.pcb\pcb-launcher.log on Windows).

KiCad 10.x is required only for generating and editing layouts. Building and validating Zener files does not require KiCad.

Native Windows support is experimental. Use WSL2 if a command does not work in the native environment.

Toolchain management

pcb manages pcbc, the standard library, and bundled sidecars such as pcb-rectify as one versioned toolchain.

Workspace commands use the toolchain selected by pcb-version. pcb auth instead uses the latest stable toolchain; an explicit +<toolchain> override still wins. pcb self and pcb toolchain run directly in the launcher.

pcb toolchain show                 # Show the active and latest matching versions
pcb toolchain show --offline       # Use installed and cached data only
pcb toolchain install latest       # Install the latest stable toolchain
pcb toolchain prune --dry-run      # Preview removable downloads and old patches
pcb toolchain prune                # Remove them
pcb toolchain repair latest        # Validate and restore a toolchain

Install and repair accept latest, nightly, a lane such as 0.4, or an exact version such as 0.4.9. Pruning preserves the newest patch in each lane, the active version, prereleases, nightly, and local toolchains. pcb self update updates the shim and managed channels and fails if any requested update fails.

Developing from source

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

Local installation registers diode:// links against the local toolchain. Installing or self-updating a release registers them against latest again.

Repository maintenance scripts are run by their explicit path, such as ./bin/embed-readme --check README.md; no shell environment activation is needed.

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

Repository layouts

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 dfm <FILE> --pdk standard                # Check a .zen board for manufacturability
pcb import <KICAD_SCH|KICAD_PRO> <OUTPUT_DIR> # Import a KiCad schematic or 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.