---

name: instapcb
description: Generate InstaPCB quotes and DFM checks from KiCad PCB designs. Use when the user asks for "InstaPCB quote", "PCB quote", "DFM check", "fabrication check", "can this board be manufactured", or has a .kicad_pcb file they want to fabricate.

InstaPCB Quote Generator

Generate DFM (Design for Manufacturing) checks and InstaPCB quotes from .kicad_pcb files. Parses the board design, extracts specs, generates a 3D preview, and displays an interactive quote form in the Gallia Viewer.

KiCad Service

All kicad-cli operations (GLB export, DRC) use the remote KiCad CLI service — KiCad is NOT installed locally in user containers. The service URL is configured via the KICAD_API environment variable (default: http://127.0.0.1:8780).

API client: /home/adom/gallia/viewer/kicad-api-client.js

InstaPCB Capabilities

Parameter	Offered
Board thickness	1.6mm
Layer count	1, 2, 4, 6
Min trace width / spacing	0.1mm
Min via drill	0.2mm
Copper weight	0.5 oz (0.0175mm)
Solder mask color	Green
PCBA (assembly)	Included by default
Turnaround	4 hours (fab + assembly)

Workflow

Step 1: Locate the .kicad_pcb file

Ask the user which .kicad_pcb file to quote, or search the project directory:

Glob pattern: **/*.kicad_pcb

Read the entire file content.

Step 2: Parse board specs

Extract these values from the S-expression format:

Board outline (XY dimensions)

Find all geometry on the Edge.Cuts layer — this defines the board shape:

• (gr_rect (start X1 Y1) (end X2 Y2) ... (layer "Edge.Cuts")) — width = |X2 - X1|, height = |Y2 - Y1|
• (gr_line (start X1 Y1) (end X2 Y2) ... (layer "Edge.Cuts")) — collect all start/end points
• (gr_arc ... (layer "Edge.Cuts")) — collect arc endpoints

For gr_line/gr_arc collections, compute the bounding box from all coordinates:

• boardWidth = max(X) - min(X)
• boardHeight = max(Y) - min(Y)

Report dimensions in mm, rounded to 2 decimal places.

Board thickness

Found in the general section:

(general
  (thickness 1.6)
)

Extract the thickness value in mm.

Copper layer count

In the (layers ...) section at the top of the file, count layers with type signal or power:

(layers
  (0 "F.Cu" signal)
  (31 "B.Cu" signal)
  (1 "In1.Cu" signal)
  (2 "In2.Cu" signal)
)

The count of copper layers determines the layer count (1, 2, 4, 6, etc.).

Minimum track width

Search for all (segment ...) entries and find the minimum width value:

(segment (start X Y) (end X Y) (width 0.25) (layer "F.Cu") (net N))

Also check (arc ...) track entries if present. Report in mm. If no segments exist, report null.

Minimum via size

Search for all (via ...) entries:

(via (at X Y) (size 0.6) (drill 0.3) (layers "F.Cu" "B.Cu") (net N))

Extract minimum size (outer diameter) and minimum drill values. Report in mm. If no vias exist, report null.

Solder mask color

Found in the stackup section if present:

(setup
  (stackup
    (layer "F.SilkS" (type "Top Silk Screen"))
    (layer "F.Paste" (type "Top Solder Paste"))
    (layer "F.Mask" (type "Top Solder Mask") (color "Green"))

Extract the color value. If no stackup section, default to null.

Copper thickness

Found in the stackup section:

(layer "F.Cu" (type "copper") (thickness 0.035))

0.035mm = 1oz, 0.0175mm = 0.5oz. If not specified, report null.

Component and net counts

• Count (footprint ...) top-level entries for component count
• Count (net N "name") entries in the (net ...) section for net count

Step 3: Generate 3D GLB preview

Export a 3D model of the board via the remote KiCad service:

import { boardExportGlb } from '/home/adom/gallia/viewer/kicad-api-client.js';

try {
  await boardExportGlb('/path/to/board.kicad_pcb', '/tmp/instapcb-board.glb');
} catch (err) {
  console.warn('GLB export failed, continuing without 3D preview:', err.message);
}

The service exports the full board (tracks, pads, zones, silkscreen, soldermask) and applies Y-up → Z-up conversion server-side. If the service fails (missing 3D models, etc.), continue without the GLB — the quote form will show specs without the 3D preview.

Step 4: Send to Gallia Viewer

POST the extracted specs and GLB path to the GV internal API:

curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8771 \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "action": "show_instapcb",
    "specs": {
      "boardName": "MyBoard",
      "boardWidth": 50.0,
      "boardHeight": 30.0,
      "boardThickness": 1.6,
      "layerCount": 2,
      "minTrackWidth": 0.25,
      "minViaSize": 0.6,
      "minViaDrill": 0.3,
      "copperThickness": 0.035,
      "solderMaskColor": "Green",
      "componentCount": 12,
      "netCount": 24
    },
    "glbPath": "/tmp/instapcb-board.glb"
  }'

Specs JSON fields:

Field	Type	Description
boardName	string	Board name (from filename, without extension)
boardWidth	number	Board width in mm
boardHeight	number	Board height in mm
boardThickness	number	Board thickness in mm
layerCount	number	Number of copper layers
minTrackWidth	number or null	Minimum track width in mm
minViaSize	number or null	Minimum via outer diameter in mm
minViaDrill	number or null	Minimum via drill diameter in mm
copperThickness	number or null	Copper thickness in mm
solderMaskColor	string or null	Solder mask color (e.g. "Green")
componentCount	number or null	Number of footprint instances
netCount	number or null	Number of nets

Omit glbPath if the GLB export failed.

Step 5: Report results to user

After sending to GV, summarize the DFM check results:

• Board size: W x H mm
• Layers: N (supported/not supported)
• Thickness: X mm (1.6mm offered)
• Min trace: X mm (0.1mm minimum)
• Min via drill: X mm (0.2mm minimum)
• Solder mask: color (green only)
• Components: N (PCBA included)

Flag any specs that fall outside InstaPCB capabilities. If everything passes, tell the user the board is compatible with InstaPCB.

About InstaPCB

InstaPCB is Adom's on-site PCB fabrication and assembly service. Key facts:

• Single-board ordering — order just 1 PCB. No minimum quantity. This is a massive advantage for prototyping: iterate on a single board, test it, tweak, reorder. Traditional fabs force you to order 5+ boards minimum. Default the quote to qty 1.
• 4-hour turnaround for fully assembled PCBs at JLCPCB-like pricing
• UV fiber laser process eliminates most wet chemistry from traditional PCB fabrication
• Only possible because of proximity to Mouser Electronics (world's largest chip distributor, also in Fort Worth/DFW) — drone delivery means components arrive fast enough for same-day assembly
• Industry standard is ~2 weeks for assembled boards from China — InstaPCB compresses that to 4 hours
• Assembled boards go straight to the subscriber's cloud workcell for immediate testing
• Available as an amenity to cloud workcell subscribers

Troubleshooting

• KiCad service unreachable: Check that the KiCad CLI service is running. Verify with curl http://$KICAD_API/health (default: http://127.0.0.1:8780/health).
• GLB export fails: Often due to missing 3D model files referenced in footprints. This is non-critical — send specs to GV without the GLB path and the quote form will display without 3D preview.
• No Edge.Cuts geometry: Some board files may not have a defined outline. Report board dimensions as "unknown" and warn the user.
• No segments or vias: Simple boards may have no tracks (only copper fills/zones). Report min track width and via size as null — the quote form handles this gracefully.
• GV not responding: Check that the Gallia Viewer server is running on port 8770/8771. Restart with: pkill -f 'node.*viewer/server.js' && node /home/adom/gallia/viewer/server.js &