EDA Tools MCP Server

Implementation of the paper: MCP4EDA: LLM-Powered Model Context Protocol RTL-to-GDSII Automation with Backend Aware Synthesis Optimization

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools integration for AI assistants like Claude Desktop and Cursor IDE. This server enables AI to perform Verilog synthesis, simulation, ASIC design flows, and waveform analysis through a unified interface.

Our Website

Demo

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/65d8027e-7366-49b5-8f11-0430c1d1d3d6

EDA MCP Server demonstration showing Verilog synthesis, simulation, and ASIC design flow

Features

Verilog Synthesis: Synthesize Verilog code using Yosys for various FPGA targets (generic, ice40, xilinx)
Verilog Simulation: Simulate designs using Icarus Verilog with automated testbench execution
Waveform Viewing: Launch GTKWave for VCD file visualization and signal analysis
ASIC Design Flow: Complete RTL-to-GDSII flow using OpenLane with Docker integration
Layout Viewing: Open GDSII files in KLayout for physical design inspection
Report Analysis: Read and analyze OpenLane reports for PPA metrics and design quality assessment

Prerequisites

Before using this MCP server, you need to install the following EDA tools:

1. Yosys (Verilog Synthesis)

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install yosys

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install yosys

From Source:

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt-get install build-essential clang bison flex \
    libreadline-dev gawk tcl-dev libffi-dev git \
    graphviz xdot pkg-config python3 libboost-system-dev \
    libboost-python-dev libboost-filesystem-dev zlib1g-dev

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/YosysHQ/yosys.git
cd yosys
make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

Alternative - OSS CAD Suite (Recommended): Download the complete toolchain from: https://github.com/YosysHQ/oss-cad-suite-build/releases

2. Icarus Verilog (Simulation)

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install icarus-verilog

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install iverilog

Windows: Download installer from: https://bleyer.org/icarus/

3. GTKWave (Waveform Viewer)

Direct Downloads (Recommended):

Windows: Download from SourceForge
macOS: Download from SourceForge or use Homebrew: brew install --cask gtkwave
Linux: Download from SourceForge or use package manager: sudo apt-get install gtkwave

Alternative Installation Methods:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install --cask gtkwave

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install gtkwave

# Build from source (all platforms)
git clone https://github.com/gtkwave/gtkwave.git
cd gtkwave
meson setup build && cd build && meson install

4. Docker Desktop (Recommended for OpenLane)

Direct Downloads:

Windows: Download Docker Desktop for Windows
macOS: Download Docker Desktop for Mac or brew install --cask docker
Linux: Download Docker Desktop for Linux

Installation:

Download and install Docker Desktop from the official website
Launch Docker Desktop and ensure it's running
Verify installation: docker run hello-world

Note: Docker Desktop includes Docker Engine, Docker CLI, and Docker Compose in one package.

5. OpenLane (ASIC Design Flow)

Simple Installation Method (Recommended):

# Install OpenLane via pip
pip install openlane

# Pull the Docker image
docker pull efabless/openlane:latest

# Verify installation
docker run hello-world

Usage Example:

# Create project directory
mkdir -p ~/openlane-projects/my-design
cd ~/openlane-projects/my-design

# Create Verilog file (counter example)
cat > counter.v << 'EOF'
module counter (
    input wire clk,
    input wire rst,
    output reg [7:0] count
);
    always @(posedge clk or posedge rst) begin
        if (rst)
            count <= 8'b0;
        else
            count <= count + 1;
    end
endmodule
EOF

# Create configuration file
cat > config.json << 'EOF'
{
    "DESIGN_NAME": "counter",
    "VERILOG_FILES": ["counter.v"],
    "CLOCK_PORT": "clk",
    "CLOCK_PERIOD": 10.0
}
EOF

# Run the RTL-to-GDSII flow
python3 -m openlane --dockerized config.json

Key Benefits:

The --dockerized flag handles all tool dependencies automatically via Docker

6. KLayout (Layout Viewer)

Direct Downloads (Recommended):

Windows: Download KLayout for Windows
macOS: Download KLayout for macOS or brew install --cask klayout
Linux: Download KLayout for Linux or sudo apt install klayout

Alternative Installation:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install --cask klayout

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install klayout

Installation

1. Clone and Build the MCP Server

git clone https://github.com/NellyW8/mcp-EDA
cd mcp-EDA
npm install
npm run build
npx tsc

2. Project Structure

mcp-EDA/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main server code
├── build/
│   └── index.js          # Compiled JavaScript
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Configuration

Docker Desktop MCP Integration

This method uses Docker Desktop's built-in MCP extension for the easiest setup experience.

Prerequisites

Docker Desktop 4.39.0+ installed and running
Claude Desktop installed

Setup Steps

Install Docker Desktop Extension:
- Launch Docker Desktop
- Go to "Extensions" from the left menu
- Search for "AI Tools" or "Docker MCP Toolkit"
- Install "Labs: AI Tools for Devs" extension

Configure Docker MCP Connection:

Open the installed "Labs: AI Tools for Devs" extension
Click the gear icon in the upper right corner
Select the "MCP Clients" tab
Click "Connect" for "Claude Desktop" or "Cursor IDE"

This automatically configures Claude Desktop and Cursor IDE with:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP_DOCKER": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "alpine/socat",
        "STDIO",
        "TCP:host.docker.internal:8811"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor IDE Setup

Add Your EDA MCP Server:

Locate your Claude Desktop config file, Settings > Developer > Edit Config:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Add your EDA server to the existing configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP_DOCKER": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "alpine/socat",
        "STDIO",
        "TCP:host.docker.internal:8811"
      ]
    },
    "eda-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/your/eda-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PATH": "/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
        "HOME": "/your/home/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop and verify both servers are running in Settings > Developer.

Cursor IDE Setup

Open Cursor Settings:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (macOS)
- Search for "Cursor Settings"
- Navigate to "MCP" in the sidebar

Add MCP Server: Click "Add new MCP server" and configure:

 {
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP_DOCKER": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "alpine/socat",
        "STDIO",
        "TCP:host.docker.internal:8811"
      ]
    },
    "eda-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/your/eda-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PATH": "/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
        "HOME": "/your/home/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Enable MCP Tools:
- Go to Cursor Settings → MCP
- Enable the "eda-mcp" server
- You should see the server status change to "Connected"

Usage Examples

1. Verilog Synthesis

Ask Claude: "Can you synthesize this counter module for an ice40 FPGA?"

module counter(
    input clk,
    input rst,
    output [7:0] count
);
    reg [7:0] count_reg;
    assign count = count_reg;
    
    always @(posedge clk or posedge rst) begin
        if (rst)
            count_reg <= 8'b0;
        else
            count_reg <= count_reg + 1;
    end
endmodule

2. Verilog Simulation

Ask Claude: "Please simulate this adder with a testbench"

// Design
module adder(
    input [3:0] a,
    input [3:0] b,
    output [4:0] sum
);
    assign sum = a + b;
endmodule

// Testbench will be generated automatically or you can provide one

3. ASIC Design Flow

Ask Claude: "Run the complete ASIC flow for this design with a 10ns clock period"

module simple_cpu(
    input clk,
    input rst,
    input [7:0] data_in,
    output [7:0] data_out
);
    // Your RTL design here
endmodule

What you get after completion:

runs/RUN_*/final/gds/design.gds - Final GDSII layout
runs/RUN_*/openlane.log - Complete execution log
runs/RUN_*/reports/ - Timing, area, power analysis reports
All intermediate results (DEF files, netlists, etc.)

4. Waveform Analysis

Ask Claude: "View the waveforms from the simulation with project ID: abc123"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

MCP Server Not Detected:
- Verify the absolute path in configuration
- Check that Node.js is installed and accessible
- Restart Claude Desktop/Cursor after configuration changes

Docker Permission Errors:

sudo groupadd docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
sudo reboot

Tool Not Found Errors:
- Verify tools are installed: yosys --version, iverilog -V, gtkwave --version
- Check PATH environment variable in MCP configuration
- On macOS, ensure Homebrew paths are included: /opt/homebrew/bin
OpenLane Timeout:
- The server has a 10-minute timeout for OpenLane flows
- For complex designs, consider simplifying or running multiple iterations
GTKWave/KLayout GUI Issues:
- On macOS: GTKWave/KLayout may need manual approval in Security & Privacy settings
- On Linux: Ensure X11 forwarding is working if using remote systems
- On Windows: Ensure GUI applications can launch from command line

Debugging

Check MCP Server Logs:
- Claude Desktop: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log (macOS)
- Cursor: Check the MCP settings panel for error messages

Test Tools Manually:

yosys -help
iverilog -help
docker run hello-world
gtkwave --version
klayout -v

Verify Node.js Environment:
```
node --version
npm --version
```

Support

For issues and questions:

Check the troubleshooting section above
Review MCP server logs
Test individual tools manually
Open an issue with detailed error messages and environment information

Note: This MCP server requires local installation of EDA tools. The server acts as a bridge between AI assistants and your local EDA toolchain, enabling sophisticated hardware design workflows through natural language interaction.

Cite

@misc{wang2025mcp4edallmpoweredmodelcontext,
      title={MCP4EDA: LLM-Powered Model Context Protocol RTL-to-GDSII Automation with Backend Aware Synthesis Optimization}, 
      author={Yiting Wang and Wanghao Ye and Yexiao He and Yiran Chen and Gang Qu and Ang Li},
      year={2025},
      eprint={2507.19570},
      archivePrefix={arXiv},
      primaryClass={cs.AR},
      url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.19570}, 
}

EDA Tools MCP Server

Implementation of the paper: MCP4EDA: LLM-Powered Model Context Protocol RTL-to-GDSII Automation with Backend Aware Synthesis Optimization

Our Website

Demo

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/65d8027e-7366-49b5-8f11-0430c1d1d3d6

EDA MCP Server demonstration showing Verilog synthesis, simulation, and ASIC design flow

Features

Verilog Synthesis: Synthesize Verilog code using Yosys for various FPGA targets (generic, ice40, xilinx)
Verilog Simulation: Simulate designs using Icarus Verilog with automated testbench execution
Waveform Viewing: Launch GTKWave for VCD file visualization and signal analysis
ASIC Design Flow: Complete RTL-to-GDSII flow using OpenLane with Docker integration
Layout Viewing: Open GDSII files in KLayout for physical design inspection
Report Analysis: Read and analyze OpenLane reports for PPA metrics and design quality assessment

Prerequisites

Before using this MCP server, you need to install the following EDA tools:

1. Yosys (Verilog Synthesis)

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install yosys

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install yosys

From Source:

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt-get install build-essential clang bison flex \
    libreadline-dev gawk tcl-dev libffi-dev git \
    graphviz xdot pkg-config python3 libboost-system-dev \
    libboost-python-dev libboost-filesystem-dev zlib1g-dev

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/YosysHQ/yosys.git
cd yosys
make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

Alternative - OSS CAD Suite (Recommended): Download the complete toolchain from: https://github.com/YosysHQ/oss-cad-suite-build/releases

2. Icarus Verilog (Simulation)

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install icarus-verilog

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install iverilog

Windows: Download installer from: https://bleyer.org/icarus/

3. GTKWave (Waveform Viewer)

Direct Downloads (Recommended):

Windows: Download from SourceForge
macOS: Download from SourceForge or use Homebrew: brew install --cask gtkwave
Linux: Download from SourceForge or use package manager: sudo apt-get install gtkwave

Alternative Installation Methods:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install --cask gtkwave

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install gtkwave

# Build from source (all platforms)
git clone https://github.com/gtkwave/gtkwave.git
cd gtkwave
meson setup build && cd build && meson install

4. Docker Desktop (Recommended for OpenLane)

Direct Downloads:

Windows: Download Docker Desktop for Windows
macOS: Download Docker Desktop for Mac or brew install --cask docker
Linux: Download Docker Desktop for Linux

Installation:

Download and install Docker Desktop from the official website
Launch Docker Desktop and ensure it's running
Verify installation: docker run hello-world

Note: Docker Desktop includes Docker Engine, Docker CLI, and Docker Compose in one package.

5. OpenLane (ASIC Design Flow)

Simple Installation Method (Recommended):

# Install OpenLane via pip
pip install openlane

# Pull the Docker image
docker pull efabless/openlane:latest

# Verify installation
docker run hello-world

Usage Example:

# Create project directory
mkdir -p ~/openlane-projects/my-design
cd ~/openlane-projects/my-design

# Create Verilog file (counter example)
cat > counter.v << 'EOF'
module counter (
    input wire clk,
    input wire rst,
    output reg [7:0] count
);
    always @(posedge clk or posedge rst) begin
        if (rst)
            count <= 8'b0;
        else
            count <= count + 1;
    end
endmodule
EOF

# Create configuration file
cat > config.json << 'EOF'
{
    "DESIGN_NAME": "counter",
    "VERILOG_FILES": ["counter.v"],
    "CLOCK_PORT": "clk",
    "CLOCK_PERIOD": 10.0
}
EOF

# Run the RTL-to-GDSII flow
python3 -m openlane --dockerized config.json

Key Benefits:

The --dockerized flag handles all tool dependencies automatically via Docker

6. KLayout (Layout Viewer)

Direct Downloads (Recommended):

Windows: Download KLayout for Windows
macOS: Download KLayout for macOS or brew install --cask klayout
Linux: Download KLayout for Linux or sudo apt install klayout

Alternative Installation:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install --cask klayout

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install klayout

Installation

1. Clone and Build the MCP Server

git clone https://github.com/NellyW8/mcp-EDA
cd mcp-EDA
npm install
npm run build
npx tsc

2. Project Structure

mcp-EDA/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main server code
├── build/
│   └── index.js          # Compiled JavaScript
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Configuration

Docker Desktop MCP Integration

This method uses Docker Desktop's built-in MCP extension for the easiest setup experience.

Prerequisites

Docker Desktop 4.39.0+ installed and running
Claude Desktop installed

Setup Steps

Install Docker Desktop Extension:
- Launch Docker Desktop
- Go to "Extensions" from the left menu
- Search for "AI Tools" or "Docker MCP Toolkit"
- Install "Labs: AI Tools for Devs" extension

Configure Docker MCP Connection:

Open the installed "Labs: AI Tools for Devs" extension
Click the gear icon in the upper right corner
Select the "MCP Clients" tab
Click "Connect" for "Claude Desktop" or "Cursor IDE"

This automatically configures Claude Desktop and Cursor IDE with:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP_DOCKER": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "alpine/socat",
        "STDIO",
        "TCP:host.docker.internal:8811"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor IDE Setup

Add Your EDA MCP Server:

Locate your Claude Desktop config file, Settings > Developer > Edit Config:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Add your EDA server to the existing configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP_DOCKER": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "alpine/socat",
        "STDIO",
        "TCP:host.docker.internal:8811"
      ]
    },
    "eda-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/your/eda-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PATH": "/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
        "HOME": "/your/home/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop and verify both servers are running in Settings > Developer.

Cursor IDE Setup

Open Cursor Settings:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (macOS)
- Search for "Cursor Settings"
- Navigate to "MCP" in the sidebar

Add MCP Server: Click "Add new MCP server" and configure:

 {
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP_DOCKER": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "alpine/socat",
        "STDIO",
        "TCP:host.docker.internal:8811"
      ]
    },
    "eda-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/your/eda-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PATH": "/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
        "HOME": "/your/home/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Enable MCP Tools:
- Go to Cursor Settings → MCP
- Enable the "eda-mcp" server
- You should see the server status change to "Connected"

Usage Examples

1. Verilog Synthesis

Ask Claude: "Can you synthesize this counter module for an ice40 FPGA?"

module counter(
    input clk,
    input rst,
    output [7:0] count
);
    reg [7:0] count_reg;
    assign count = count_reg;
    
    always @(posedge clk or posedge rst) begin
        if (rst)
            count_reg <= 8'b0;
        else
            count_reg <= count_reg + 1;
    end
endmodule

2. Verilog Simulation

Ask Claude: "Please simulate this adder with a testbench"

// Design
module adder(
    input [3:0] a,
    input [3:0] b,
    output [4:0] sum
);
    assign sum = a + b;
endmodule

// Testbench will be generated automatically or you can provide one

3. ASIC Design Flow

Ask Claude: "Run the complete ASIC flow for this design with a 10ns clock period"

module simple_cpu(
    input clk,
    input rst,
    input [7:0] data_in,
    output [7:0] data_out
);
    // Your RTL design here
endmodule

What you get after completion:

runs/RUN_*/final/gds/design.gds - Final GDSII layout
runs/RUN_*/openlane.log - Complete execution log
runs/RUN_*/reports/ - Timing, area, power analysis reports
All intermediate results (DEF files, netlists, etc.)

4. Waveform Analysis

Ask Claude: "View the waveforms from the simulation with project ID: abc123"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

MCP Server Not Detected:
- Verify the absolute path in configuration
- Check that Node.js is installed and accessible
- Restart Claude Desktop/Cursor after configuration changes

Docker Permission Errors:

sudo groupadd docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
sudo reboot

Tool Not Found Errors:
- Verify tools are installed: yosys --version, iverilog -V, gtkwave --version
- Check PATH environment variable in MCP configuration
- On macOS, ensure Homebrew paths are included: /opt/homebrew/bin
OpenLane Timeout:
- The server has a 10-minute timeout for OpenLane flows
- For complex designs, consider simplifying or running multiple iterations
GTKWave/KLayout GUI Issues:
- On macOS: GTKWave/KLayout may need manual approval in Security & Privacy settings
- On Linux: Ensure X11 forwarding is working if using remote systems
- On Windows: Ensure GUI applications can launch from command line

Debugging

Check MCP Server Logs:
- Claude Desktop: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log (macOS)
- Cursor: Check the MCP settings panel for error messages

Test Tools Manually:

yosys -help
iverilog -help
docker run hello-world
gtkwave --version
klayout -v

Verify Node.js Environment:
```
node --version
npm --version
```

Support

For issues and questions:

Check the troubleshooting section above
Review MCP server logs
Test individual tools manually
Open an issue with detailed error messages and environment information

Cite

@misc{wang2025mcp4edallmpoweredmodelcontext,
      title={MCP4EDA: LLM-Powered Model Context Protocol RTL-to-GDSII Automation with Backend Aware Synthesis Optimization}, 
      author={Yiting Wang and Wanghao Ye and Yexiao He and Yiran Chen and Gang Qu and Ang Li},
      year={2025},
      eprint={2507.19570},
      archivePrefix={arXiv},
      primaryClass={cs.AR},
      url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.19570}, 
}