User Manual

Last updated: 9 October 2026 · applies to the web studio and the desktop app

1. Before you start

• Account and plan. Create an account (email or Google) and start a monthly plan. Plans include a monthly amount of credits; you can top up with credit packs or a custom amount whenever you need more.
• Web or desktop. The web studio runs on our servers and needs nothing installed. The desktop app (macOS) runs placement, routing and 3D on your own computer with the same account and credits, so it never waits in a queue. Both share the same projects list per account.
• A project = one board. Each project has its own conversation, schematic, board, 3D model and manufacturing files. Use the project selector at the top of the studio to switch between boards; the conversation follows the project.

2. Describing your board

You describe the board in plain words and the engine does the electronics. The better the brief, the better the board. A good first message answers these questions:

• What it does. One or two sentences: "a battery-powered temperature logger that uploads over Wi-Fi".
• The main chip or module, if you have a preference (for example an ESP32-C3 module, an STM32, an ATmega328). If you don't, say so and the engine will choose a sensible, in-stock part.
• Power. USB-C, a single-cell Li-ion battery with charging, 12 V input, mains adapter… and the voltages the board needs.
• Inputs and outputs. Buttons, LEDs, sensors, displays, motor outputs, relays, connectors and headers.
• Mechanics. Maximum size, mounting holes, where the connectors must be, an enclosure you already have.
• Anything that must be a specific way. Two layers, a certain connector footprint, a part you already own.

Example: "Micro drone flight controller for a 1S battery: ESP32 module, 6-axis IMU, four brushless motor outputs on the arms, USB-C for charging and programming, two buttons and two status LEDs. Square board with the four arms built into the outline, mounting holes at the ends of the arms."

You don't need to know electronics vocabulary. If something is unclear the engine will ask; if it can decide on its own it will, and it tells you what it chose.

3. Choosing the AI model — use the most capable one

The model selector in the chat lets you pick which AI designs the board, and the depth control how hard it thinks at each step:

Model	What it is for
Haiku	Quick answers and very simple boards. Cheap, but the least careful.
Sonnet 5.5	A good balance for small and medium boards.
Opus 5.5	Deeper reasoning for complex boards.
Fable 5.1	The most capable model: the hardest boards, the fewest mistakes.

Our recommendation for any board you intend to manufacture: the most capable model available (Fable 5.1, or Opus 5.5) with depth set to Max. It is the most accurate, and in practice it is also the fastest way to a finished board: a stronger model makes fewer mistakes, so it repeats fewer steps — a cheaper model that has to place and route the board three times ends up slower and, often, not cheaper. Use Haiku or Sonnet for quick experiments and questions, and switch up before the real design.

The credit-saving mode (the settings icon next to the chat) routes mechanical steps to a cheaper model automatically. It is fine for simple boards; turn it off for complex ones.

4. What happens during a design

A design is a sequence of steps, and the studio shows each one live in the chat:

1. Parts. The engine chooses real components from a stock database (so what you order actually exists) and draws the schematic.
2. Sync. The schematic is transferred to the board: every footprint and every connection.
3. Placement. Parts are placed without overlaps: connectors on the edges with their openings facing out, decoupling capacitors next to their chip, the antenna clear of copper.
4. Routing. Traces are drawn automatically, then the ground planes are poured.
5. Checks. Design-rule check, connectivity, trace widths for the currents involved, parts outside the outline, overlapping parts, connector orientation, 3D models.
6. Files. Gerbers, drill files, bill of materials and pick-and-place positions are generated, zipped and made ready for the factory.
7. Final review. A closing pass that refuses to call the board finished while any check fails.

A small board takes minutes; a complex one can take a good while, and the engine may go back to an earlier step when a check fails — that is normal. You don't have to keep the page open: the design continues on the server. Come back later and the conversation, the progress and the views are exactly where you left them. Press Stop only if you actually want it to stop.

5. Reviewing the result in the studio

• Schematic tab. The circuit diagram. Check that every part you asked for is there and that the values make sense to you.
• Board tab. The copper layers, silkscreen and outline, layer by layer. You can also move parts yourself by dragging them; the engine re-routes afterwards.
• 3D tab. A full 3D model you can spin. This is the best place to catch physical problems: a connector facing the wrong way, a part too close to a hole, silkscreen text over a pad.
• Factory tab. The manufacturing files and the zip for the factory, plus the bill of materials.

If a view looks old or missing after a change, the studio regenerates it on its own within a few seconds and says so.

6. Making changes

Just say what you want in the chat, in the same project: "move the USB-C to the left edge", "add a reset button next to the module", "make the board 10 mm narrower", "use a 3.3 V regulator that can give 1 A". The engine changes only what is needed and re-runs the checks. Small placement changes you can also do yourself in the Board tab.

• Each project keeps its own conversation; switching projects switches the conversation and the views.
• If the engine is busy on one project, a message for another project waits until it is free.
• Finished a board and want a variant? Create a new project and describe the change: the original stays untouched.

7. Credits and cost

• Credits are consumed only while the engine works — choosing parts, wiring, placing, routing, checking, generating files. Reading the views, moving parts yourself or leaving the page open costs nothing.
• Your balance updates live while a design runs. If it reaches zero mid-design, the engine pauses and asks you to top up; nothing is lost.
• Typical use: a simple board with the balanced model can fit in a few thousand credits; a complex board with the most capable model can take well over a hundred thousand. The most capable model costs more per step but usually needs fewer steps.
• Auto-recharge (optional, off by default) charges your saved card for the same amount again when the balance runs out, at most three times a day. You can switch it off any time from Account.
• Credits never expire while your subscription is active — unused credits roll over from month to month. If you cancel, you lose the credits left in your account when your paid period ends. Prices, plans and the refund policy are on the credits page and in the Refund Policy.

8. Manufacturing

When the final review passes, the Factory tab holds a zip with everything a PCB factory needs: Gerbers, drill files, the bill of materials with real part numbers and the pick-and-place file for assembly. It is prepared for JLCPCB's assembly service, and the Gerbers work with any factory.

Before you upload it, do this — every time:

1. Spin the 3D view and look at every connector: is the opening facing out? Can the cable actually be plugged in?
2. Check the board size and mounting holes against your enclosure.
3. Open the bill of materials and confirm the parts are the ones you expect (voltage ratings, package sizes).
4. Have the design reviewed by a professional, especially if the board involves high currents, mains voltage, batteries, motors, radio or high-speed signals, or if it will be sold or installed somewhere it could cause harm.
5. Order one or two prototypes first. Test them before ordering a batch.

The factory's own file check (JLCPCB shows a preview after upload) is a useful last look, but it only checks that the files are readable — not that the circuit is right.

9. What the studio checks for you — and what it cannot

Automatic checks before a board is called finished: design rules (clearances, widths), every connection routed, trace widths adequate for the currents you described, no part outside the outline, no overlapping parts, connectors facing out, 3D models present, manufacturing files newer than the last board change. The engine also refuses to throw away a routed board and start over on its own.

What no automatic check can guarantee: that the circuit does what you meant, that a part choice is ideal for your environment, thermal behaviour, EMC, regulatory compliance, or the mechanical fit in your enclosure. That is what the professional review is for.

Known limitations of the beta: very dense or very large boards may need several passes or a larger outline; unusual parts may not have a 3D model (the board is still correct); component stock changes daily, so a part in the bill of materials can be out of stock by the time you order — the factory will offer an equivalent.

10. The desktop app

• Sign in once with your BuildPCB account; the app uses the same plan and credits as the web.
• Placement, routing and 3D run on your computer, so there is never a queue.
• A running design never stops on its own. Closing the window keeps BuildPCB working in the background; quitting the app while a design is running asks you to confirm first.
• Your projects live in your user folder and stay on your computer when you uninstall.
• The app needs an internet connection: the AI itself runs on BuildPCB's side and verifies your plan.

11. Getting help

Something looks wrong, a step fails repeatedly, or the studio behaves unexpectedly? Write to [email protected] with the project name and what you expected. For questions about your account, billing or the plan, use the Account page.

Remember: this is a beta. If you find a bug, telling us about it is the most useful thing you can do.