copperhead. Cursor for circuit boards.copperheadcopperheadResearchPricingBlogDocsCareersSign inLet's talkNewHardware as fast as softwareCursor for circuit boards.Copperhead is an open-source AI engineering platform that helps hardware teams design, verify and ship circuit boards.Start buildingRead the docs$ npm i -g copperheadReplaycopperhead v0.8.1claude via flag · kicad-cli 9.0.4~/hardware/open-key ❯ $ add a USB-C power input to the key  ▸ read_file docs/POWER.md (48 lines) ▸ list_nets 41 nets, no VBUS, no CC1/CC2 ▸ validate_change add-usb-c-power valid, edit tools unlocked ✓ propose: add-usb-c-power validated, edit tools unlocked ▸ edit_file hardware/open-key.kicad_sch: USB-C receptacle, 2x 5.1k CC pulldowns ▸ edit_file docs/POWER.md: VBUS budget, 5 V at 1.5 A ✓ edit: 2 files, 5 anchored regions ▸ run_erc clean, 0 violations ▸ check_drift docs match schematic ✓ verify: ERC clean, no drift ▸ record_decision DECISIONS.md +1 · CHANGELOG.md +1 ✓ remember: decision + changelog recordedturn 1/40 · 900 in / 120 out · 0s1s2s3s4s5s6s7s8s9s10s11s12s13s14s15s16s17s · drafting the power proposalturn 2/40 · 4.2k in / 800 out · 0s1s2s3s4s5s6s7s8s9s10s11s12s13s14s15s16s17s · placing the receptacleturn 3/40 · 9.1k in / 1.5k out · 0s1s2s3s4s5s6s7s8s9s10s11s12s13s14s15s16s17s · running ERCturn 4/40 · 11.8k in / 1.9k out · 0s1s2s3s4s5s6s7s8s9s10s11s12s13s14s15s16s17s · writing the decision logdone · verified erc · committed 3f2c9a1 · 17s · 12.3k tokens513installs / monthBacked byMicrosoft for StartupsGoogle for StartupsActivateClerkSupabaseGoogle WorkspaceSarvam AIHugging FaceMicrosoft for StartupsGoogle for StartupsActivateClerkSupabaseGoogle WorkspaceSarvam AIHugging FaceProven on copperProven on real copper.Open Telegraph: pocket-size ESP32-S3 Morse key, built end to end with this workflow. Every decision, every check, every file is public.Read the build storyBrowse the repoHow it worksNothing commits without its gate.You write the brief. copperhead runs eight stages against it, each one its own agent run, each one committing only once its gate finds the work on disk. A run that goes wrong stops instead of drifting.inbrief.mdwhat you want, written in your own words01specdocs/SPEC.mdgatea budgets section, actually filled in02architecturedocs/SUBSYSTEMS.mdgatereal reasoning under every subsystem03partsdocs/BOM.mdgatepart numbers chosen against datasheets04schematicdesign.kicad_schgatesymbols placed, docs agree, ERC clean05layoutdesign.kicad_pcbgatefootprints on the board, DRC clean06outputsgerbers / drill / STEPgategerbers actually on disk07firmwarefirmware/ / pins.hgatesources on disk, pins from the pinout08dev plandocs/DEVPLAN.mdgatea written bring-up and test planouta design packagegerbers, firmware, docs. One commit per stage.Every hop is a gate: no real work on disk, no commit.Copper border: verified by KiCad itself, ERC and DRC clean.Read the long version, one stage at a timePricingPay to not run it yourself.copperhead is open core. The CLI is free and always will be, and it does the real work on its own. You pay to host it, to work as a team or to give an auditor what they ask for.Talk to salesCLIFreeApache-2.0, foreverDesign on your own, on your own machine.Get startedIncludes:The full agent: do, create, init, check, watchBring your own Claude or GPT-5 keyRuns on your KiCad files, in your own git repoPlain markdown, JSON and KiCad output. No lock-in.Runs locally, never meteredCommunity supportMost popularCloud$49per user / monthFree for open hardware reposHosted runs on private repos, with a web viewer.Let's talkEverything in CLI, plus:Hosted runs, no local setup, from anywherePrivate repositoriesWeb viewer: chat, live schematic and board render, ERC/DRC statusRun history and shareable check reportsOne-click gerber, DXF/STEP, render and BOM exportBYO key, or managed inference with 200 credits a seatTeam$49per user / month+ $199 / mo platformCloud, with governance and CI for a whole team.Let's talkEverything in Cloud, plus:CI bot: run check as a required PR status checkShared, versioned constraint libraries across the orgSSO / SAML, role management, central billingManaged credits pooled across the teamShared run historyEnterpriseCustomannualSelf-hosted, built for procurement, one price a year.Talk to salesEverything in Team, plus:Self-hosted or VPC, so design data never leaves your networkAltium support beyond KiCadRBAC, security review, dedicated support and an SLAAn audit trail your compliance team can hand overFlat annual license, no per-run meteringFAQQuestions, before you ask them.What is copperhead?An open source AI agent that designs, documents and verifies printed circuit boards. You describe a change or hand it a product brief, and it edits your real KiCad files, updates every document that references them, and runs KiCad's own checks until they pass. Longer introduction here.What problem does it actually solve?Drift. A hardware design spreads one decision across a schematic, a bill of materials, a power budget and several documents, and nothing breaks when they fall out of sync. The inconsistency is found at bring-up, and a respin costs 5,000 to 50,000 dollars and six to eight weeks. The full argument is here.What do I need installed?Node 20 or newer, KiCad with kicad-cli on your path and a model API key of your own. Then npm i -g copperhead.Does it work on a design that already exists?That is the main case. Point it at a KiCad repository, run copperhead init and start asking for changes. It can also run the full pipeline from a written brief with copperhead create, but iterating on real designs is what it is best at.What will it refuse to do?It refuses to run on a dirty git tree, refuses to edit any design file before a validated change proposal exists and refuses changes that break a budget or constraint you have documented, citing the line it would violate. It also never invents a part number it cannot justify from a datasheet.Will it rewrite my whole schematic?No. Edits are surgical changes to the KiCad s-expression source, so your diffs stay small and reviewable and untouched parts of the file stay byte-identical. A tool that regenerates the file to move one net has made its own work impossible to review.9 more questionsStart buildingNever ship a board your docs no longer describe.copperhead is open source and free to use. Install once, describe the board you want in a short brief.md and run create.$ npm i -g copperhead
$ export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=<api-key>
$ copperhead create --brief brief.md
brief.md# Pocket Bluetooth speaker

A palm-size Bluetooth speaker that plays for a day on one charge.

- ESP32, Bluetooth audio (A2DP sink)
- 3 W class-D amp into a 4 Ω driver
- Li-Po cell, USB-C charging
- Standby current budget: 100 µACircuit boards,designed by an agent.Open source, verified against KiCad and built by people who still solder.ProductQuickstartPricingDocsOpen TelegraphResourcesBlogFAQStatsStatusllms.txtBuilt onKiCadOpenSpecCompanychouhan.aiCareersContactConnect© 2026 · copperhead · Software Apache-2.0 · Hardware CERN-OHL-S v2.0copperhead.

copperhead is an open-source artificial intelligence engineering platform designed to assist hardware teams in the design, verification, and shipping of printed circuit boards by acting as an intelligent agent. The core problem copperhead addresses is the issue of drift, where inconsistencies across related documentation—such as schematics, bill of materials, power budgets, and various design documents—can lead to costly errors during hardware bring-up and expensive respin cycles. This inconsistency finding typically occurs at the testing phase, incurring significant costs ranging from five thousand to fifty thousand dollars over several weeks.

The platform operates through a structured, multi-stage workflow managed by an agent that processes inputs against real KiCad files. The process is executed in a gated manner, where each stage acts as a gate, ensuring that proposals are validated before any commitment is made to the design files. The overall pipeline involves eight sequential stages: starting with a brief, moving through areas like budget allocation, subsystem documentation, parts selection based on datasheets, schematic design, layout, generation of Gerber files and drill files, firmware development, and final sourcing of components. This gating mechanism ensures that all changes are surgically applied to the KiCad source files, maintaining small, reviewable changes and ensuring that no part of the file is altered more broadly than necessary.

The operational integrity is maintained by strict refusal protocols; copperhead will not operate on corrupted version control trees or execute changes that violate documented budget constraints or physical limitations cited in datasheets. Furthermore, it avoids inventing component numbers without justification from a datasheet. This rigidity ensures data integrity and prevents erroneous design outputs.

To utilize the platform, users require prerequisites including Node version 20 or newer, KiCad with kicad-cli installed, and an external model API key. The system is designed to interact directly with existing KiCad repositories by running its full pipeline from a written brief, or by iteratively proposing changes to real designs. A core feature is the ability to take an abstract requirement, such as a product brief, and have the agent execute the entire design documentation workflow autonomously.

The commercial structure of copperhead is open-core; while the command line tool and the underlying software are free and licensed under Apache 2.0, users can choose various deployment models based on their needs. A self-hosted option allows for maximum data security, suitable for enterprise environments requiring design data to remain within a private network. Commercial options include per-user monthly hosting plans for cloud-based execution, which offer features such as hosted runs and web viewers displaying live schematic and board renders with status checks. Team and enterprise tiers expand these features to include centralized governance through single sign-on, role management, shared run history, and dedicated support, enabling the platform to function within larger organizational contexts through robust CI/CD integration and security review capabilities.