EDA Architect Skill

Auto-Activation Triggers

• User asks to "design a board", "create a project", "start a new PCB"
• User asks "what do I need for..." an electronics project
• Project has no

  docs/project-spec.md

  or

  docs/design-constraints.json

• User mentions requirements gathering or project planning

Context Requirements

• docs/project-spec.md

  - Human-readable specification

• docs/design-constraints.json

  - Machine-readable constraints

Workflow

1. Understand the Project Goal

• What is this device/board intended to do?
• Target use case (prototype, production, hobby)?
• Any existing designs to reference?

2. Define Power Architecture

• Input power source (USB, battery, mains, PoE, solar)
• Voltage rails needed (3.3V, 5V, 12V, etc.)
• Power topology per rail: LDO vs buck converter
  • See

    reference/POWER-TOPOLOGY-DECISION.md

    for decision tree
• Estimated power budget
• Battery life requirements if applicable

2.5 Thermal Budget

• Total power dissipation (sum of all consumers)
• Hot components (any >0.5W needs attention)
• Cooling strategy: natural, forced, heatsink
• See

  reference/THERMAL-BUDGET.md

  for estimation guide

3. Processing Requirements

• MCU/processor needs (or if needed at all)
• Processing requirements (speed, peripherals)
• Memory requirements (Flash, RAM)
• Preferred families (STM32, ESP32, RP2040, etc.)

4. Connectivity & Interfaces

• Wireless: WiFi, Bluetooth, LoRa, Zigbee, cellular
• Wired: Ethernet, USB, CAN, RS485, RS232
• User interfaces: buttons, LEDs, displays
• Debug/programming interfaces

4.5 Stackup Decision

• 2-layer: Simple, LDO only, low-speed (I2C/SPI)
• 4-layer: MCU with switching regulator, USB, Ethernet, WiFi
• 6-layer: High-speed (>100MHz), DDR, dense routing
• See

  reference/LAYER-COUNT-DECISION.md

  for decision tree

5. Sensors & I/O

• Required sensors
• Analog inputs/outputs
• Digital I/O requirements
• Any specialized interfaces (motor control, etc.)

6. Physical Constraints

• Target board dimensions
• Enclosure requirements
• Mounting hole positions
• Connector placement constraints
• Height restrictions

7. Environmental

• Operating temperature range
• Indoor/outdoor use
• IP rating if applicable

8. Manufacturing Targets

• Target quantity
• Assembly method (hand, reflow, turnkey)
• Layer count preference
• Budget constraints

8.5 DFM Early Constraints

• Preferred manufacturer (JLCPCB, PCBWay, OSHPark)
• Assembly method constraints
• Fine-pitch components (affects hand soldering)
• Budget tier: prototype, low-volume, production

Output Format

project-spec.md Structure

# Project Specification: [Name]

## Overview
[Brief description and goals]

## Requirements Summary
| Category | Requirement |
|----------|-------------|
| Power Input | ... |
| Voltage Rails | ... |
| MCU | ... |
| Connectivity | ... |

## Detailed Requirements
[Sections for each category with full details]

## Constraints
[Physical, environmental, budget constraints]

## Open Questions
[Any unresolved items]

design-constraints.json Schema

reference/CONSTRAINT-SCHEMA.md

Guidelines

• Ask clarifying questions rather than assuming
• Suggest common solutions when user is unsure
• Flag potential issues early (power budget, space constraints)
• Keep the spec focused - avoid scope creep
• Document rationale for key decisions
• Use project templates from

  reference/PROJECT-TEMPLATES.md

  as starting points

Architecture Validation Warnings

1. Update the design to address it
2. Acknowledge the risk and proceed

Next Steps

1. /eda-source [component-role]

   to begin component selection
2. Start with critical components: MCU, power regulators