Add manufacturing-artifact-generation reasoning protocol#182
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Alan-Jowett merged 3 commits intomicrosoft:mainfrom Apr 6, 2026
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Add a systematic reasoning protocol for generating all manufacturing deliverables from a completed PCB design. This is Step 4 of 9 in the end-to-end hardware design workflow. The protocol covers 9 phases: 1. Input validation (DRC-clean board, target fab service, BOM data) 2. Gerber generation (all layers, RS-274X/X2, Protel extensions) 3. Drill file generation (Excellon, PTH + NPTH separated) 4. BOM generation with fab-specific formatting (JLCPCB LCSC numbers, PCBWay format, DNP handling) 5. Pick-and-place centroid file with rotation offset corrections 6. Assembly drawing generation (top/bottom PDF) 7. Fab-specific packaging (directory structure, Gerber ZIP, submission checklist) 8. Pre-submission validation (cross-artifact consistency checks: layer count, hole count, BOM count, PnP count, coordinate origin) 9. Python script generation wrapping kicad-cli for full automation Key design decisions: - Python script wrapping kicad-cli commands, consistent with the pcb-layout-design protocol's approach - Fab-specific BOM and pick-and-place formatting (JLCPCB, PCBWay) because generic artifacts require manual reformatting - Cross-artifact validation catches common submission failures (missing board outline, coordinate origin mismatch, drill unit mismatch) - No new audit protocol needed — the pre-submission validation phase serves as the self-audit Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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Pull request overview
Adds a new hardware-focused reasoning protocol to PromptKit for generating the full set of manufacturing deliverables (fab + assembly) from a completed KiCad PCB design, intended as a workflow step before templates start referencing it.
Changes:
- Introduce
manufacturing-artifact-generationreasoning protocol with phased guidance for Gerbers/drill/BOM/PnP/assembly drawings plus validation and an automation-script outline. - Register the new protocol in
manifest.yamlunder the reasoning protocols list.
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| protocols/reasoning/manufacturing-artifact-generation.md | New multi-phase protocol describing artifact generation, validation, and a Python automation script outline. |
| manifest.yaml | Adds the new protocol to the manifest so it’s discoverable by the bootstrap/component system. |
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Address four reviewer findings: 1. BOM export command used fake placeholders (\, \) that are not valid kicad-cli field syntax. Updated to use actual schematic field names (MPN, Manufacturer, LCSC, DNP). Documented that quantity is computed by --group-by grouping, not a field. 2. Drill hole count validation referenced 'pcbnew API' but pcbnew is not in the tool dependencies. Changed to parse tool definitions and hit counts from the Excellon drill file directly. 3. Script takes .kicad_pcb path but BOM export needs the schematic. Added schematic path derivation (same directory, same basename, .kicad_sch extension) with error handling for missing schematic. 4. 'oshpark' listed as supported fab service but not defined in FAB_CONFIGS. Removed from supported list until defined (OSH Park is fab-only, no assembly formatting needed). Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
1. Script accessed sys.argv[1] without arg count check, causing IndexError when run without arguments. Added len(sys.argv) guard with usage message and board file existence check, consistent with pcb-layout-design protocol. 2. kicad-cli commands used inconsistent output paths (./gerbers/, ./assembly/, bom-raw.csv) that didn't match Phase 7's defined directory structure (manufacturing/gerbers/, manufacturing/ assembly/). Updated all commands to use the manufacturing/ prefix for consistency. Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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Summary
Add a \manufacturing-artifact-generation\ reasoning protocol for producing all files needed to submit a PCB design for fabrication and assembly. This is Step 4 of 9 in the end-to-end hardware design workflow — the final protocol step before templates.
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