KiCad Breadboard Builder lets you turn a KiCad schematic into a virtual breadboard layout: place supported components, connect them with jumper wires, and check the wiring against the schematic. It runs from KiCad’s PCB Editor, using the schematic netlist, and is useful for planning a physical build—not proof that the real circuit is safe or will work.
What KiCad Breadboard Builder does
KiCad Breadboard Builder is a plugin by kerstensrobin. Instead of drawing a breadboard circuit from scratch, it reads the netlist from a KiCad schematic and creates a workspace where you can arrange supported parts and wire their connections. The project describes it as a way to build and validate schematics on a breadboard.
The plugin is intended to bridge schematic design and physical prototyping. It offers a visual place to think through component placement and jumper routing, with checks that compare the virtual layout to the schematic. It does not replace a physical breadboard or test the actual components and wiring.
How to breadboard a KiCad schematic
- Prepare the schematic in Eeschema. Add and connect the components you want to prototype, then generate the schematic netlist. The plugin uses that netlist to populate its workspace.
- Open the project in KiCad’s PCB Editor. The documented plugin action is available in PCB Editor, not in the schematic editor.
- Install or open the plugin. The project documentation describes installation through KiCad’s built-in Plugin and Content Manager, as well as manual installation. Follow the repository’s instructions for your KiCad version and operating system; its documented plugin paths differ between KiCad 9 and KiCad 10 and across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Choose a board layout and place parts. Select a virtual breadboard arrangement, then place the components the plugin recognizes. The available board format and the supported component type both affect how closely you can represent a planned physical build.
- Connect and inspect the nets. Add jumper wires between breadboard holes, use net highlighting to trace connections, and run the layout validation to look for open nets and shorts against the schematic.
- Save or export the layout. The repository documents session save/load and PNG or SVG export, which can help preserve or share a planned arrangement.
Which virtual breadboard layouts are available?
The project documentation lists these arrangements. Hole counts are the project’s stated board dimensions, not measured capacity or a guarantee that a particular circuit will fit.
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| Layout | Documented size or format |
|---|---|
| Mini | 170 holes |
| Half | 400 holes |
| Full | 830 holes |
| Double | Board arrangement listed; hole count not stated in the repository documentation |
| Triple | Board arrangement listed; hole count not stated in the repository documentation |
| Double Rails | Rail-oriented arrangement listed; hole count not stated in the repository documentation |
| Sunny-11 | Board arrangement listed; hole count not stated in the repository documentation |
The author’s September 12, 2026 forum update highlighted Sunny-11, a 90-degree view rotation, a ratsnest preview, and broader component detection. These are project-described features, not results of independent testing.
Which components can it handle?
The repository documents support for several common discrete component groups, including:
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- Resistors, capacitors, and inductors
- Diodes, Zener diodes, and LEDs
- Potentiometers and switches
- BJT, JFET, and MOSFET transistors
It also says even-pin-count ICs with KiCad’s U-prefix can be supported automatically, naming 555 timers, 74xx logic, CD4xxx parts, counters, and shift registers as examples. This is a project-documented capability, not a promise that every symbol, footprint, package, or pin arrangement will be recognized correctly. Check the current project documentation and verify the resulting placement for your own schematic.
Can it validate wiring or simulate a circuit?
Connectivity checks
The plugin’s validation markers identify open nets and shorts by comparing the virtual breadboard layout with the schematic. That can help catch missing or incorrectly connected wires in the virtual plan. It cannot establish that a physical build will work: real parts can be damaged, placed incorrectly, or wired differently from the virtual layout.
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Documented SPICE features
The repository documents DC operating-point analysis and transient viewing through KiScope when the schematic includes one or more VSIN sources. For operating-point analysis, it says users need to assign binding posts to schematic nets and assign GND; supply values may be taken from schematic voltage sources when available. The author’s May 12, 2026 forum post says the simulation window uses libngspice01 shipped with KiCad and can run .op and .tran; the author also describes measurements as based on the schematic, with probes able to identify signals on breadboard nets.
These are descriptions of documented functionality and its dependencies, not independent confirmation of simulation accuracy. Treat simulation as an aid to schematic analysis, not a substitute for checking component ratings, building carefully, or testing on the bench.
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How it compares with a physical breadboard or another layout tool
A physical solderless breadboard is where you build and test the actual circuit. KiCad Breadboard Builder instead gives you a virtual layout connected to an existing KiCad schematic, with net highlighting and schematic-based connectivity checks. Its export options can also help you keep a record of the intended arrangement.
Separate visualization tools such as Fritzing may suit a different workflow. The available project descriptions do not establish a complete feature-by-feature comparison, so choose based on whether starting from a KiCad netlist, arranging components virtually, checking connectivity, and exporting a layout fit your needs.
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If you decide to move from planning to hardware, a real breadboard, jumper wires, and the circuit’s actual components are optional physical prototyping supplies—not requirements for installing or using the plugin.
Limits and project status to keep in mind
- The plugin depends on supported component types; do not assume every schematic symbol will become a usable breadboard part.
- Virtual validation checks the modeled layout against the schematic, not the safety or correctness of a physical circuit.
- SPICE features have documented setup conditions, including net-to-binding-post assignments and GND for operating-point analysis, and a VSIN source for the KiScope transient pane.
- The project author reported that v1.2.21 had been released on September 11, 2026, in a forum post dated September 12, 2026. Consult the repository for current installation and feature information.
KiCad’s addon policy says the KiCad team makes no guarantees about addon content’s quality, security, or safety, while striving to maintain a general standard. That is a general policy for addons, not a finding about this plugin specifically.
Where to get it
Start with the project repository for current documentation and installation instructions. The author’s KiCad forum thread contains dated updates and release notes. Independent workflow context is available in Hackaday’s April 23, 2026 coverage; later project documentation describes additional component support, including 555 timers.
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