KiCad

1. Overview

Electronic schematic capture and PCB design suite where every net, footprint, and trace is stored in human-readable S-expressions with zero cloud licensing.

Category: Engineering & CAD.

2. Version and scope assessed

Version assessed: Source commit ba5ed30c1bee8bcfa7db6dc423f1d20224c4e3a5; PCB S-expression connectivity and project-archive inclusion limits.

4. Principle profile

5. Fundamental requirements

6. Evidence and verification

• E1: A standalone S-expression parser read the published version-20221018 board: nine footprints, seventeen pads, twenty-six segments and four vias. All seventeen pad net references resolve to declared net IDs; five 3D-model references use the external KICAD6_3DMODEL_DIR variable. This recovers explicit connectivity/asset references, not electrical correctness, fabrication validity or availability of the model files. (source), confidence high
• E2: Project archiving traverses the selected project directory and includes recognized extensions/named library tables. STEP/VRML and other extra-file extensions are conditional on Include Extra Files; hidden directories such as .git and .history are excluded. This is file selection, not a demonstrated resolution/copy of every externally referenced library or 3D model. (source), confidence medium
• E3: KiCad exposes project files and documented archive behavior, but independent restoration and preservation of every library dependency were not demonstrated. (source), confidence medium
• E4: The design workflow is local-file-based and does not require a hosted account. (source), confidence medium
• E5: Circuit design is user-directed, but electrical-rule warnings, manufacturing release approval, and revision control safeguards were not tested. (source), confidence low
• sovereignty: A positive Sovereignty finding requires established E1, E2 and E4 in the declared scope. The existing access/exit/custody record for KiCad does not establish all three minimums. The prior positive finding is withdrawn; recorded storage and portability strengths remain facts, not a verified failure. (source), confidence medium
• longevity: E3 is not established for KiCad's existing essential-record scope. The previous Longevity finding is replaced by Not assessed, not a verified failure or a positive placeholder. (source), confidence medium
• locality: Core design and archiving operate locally without a provider. (source), confidence medium
• transparency: The positive control observations above do not yet establish whole-scope E5. The methodology requires that minimum before a positive Transparency and Control finding; the previous positive finding is therefore withdrawn to Not assessed, not changed to Does not meet. (source), confidence medium
• E3: The standalone PCB parser resolves pad/net relationships and identifies external 3D-model variables, while archive source selects files rather than resolving every dependency. Hierarchical schematics, custom libraries, external models and cross-version editable/fabrication meaning have not been reconstructed. (source), confidence medium
• E5: Electrical correctness and manufacturing suitability are not themselves E5 authorization tests. The evidence does not sufficiently establish schematic-to-board mutation review, destructive library/board changes, output overwrite or release/correction controls in the existing engineering workflow. (source), confidence medium

7. Migration and recovery

Native storage format: Plain-Text S-Expressions (.kicad_sch/.kicad_pcb).

Synchronization or runtime model: Git / Local Vendor Libraries.

Example export or inspection command (not verified against any particular version or data set): kicad-cli pcb export gerbers board.kicad_pcb

8. Architectural strengths

Established strengths and their scope are recorded in the evidence and assessment findings on this page.

9. Architectural limitations

• Explicit PCB net references do not establish electrical or manufacturing correctness.
• External model variables require separately preserved assets/configuration.
• Archive selection can omit extras and hidden history; complete dependency recovery remains unverified.

10. Assessment findings and remaining work

Verification scenario: Open the project across machines; compare schematic, PCB, symbols, footprints, 3D models, netlists, and Gerbers.

What may invalidate an overconfident claim: Manufacturing Gerbers do not preserve editable circuit meaning or BOM and library dependencies.

Documentation starting point: https://docs.kicad.org/

Evidence update: 23 October 2026

• Resolved: A standalone S-expression parser read the published version-20221018 board: nine footprints, seventeen pads, twenty-six segments and four vias. All seventeen pad net references resolve to declared net IDs; five 3D-model references use the external KICAD6_3DMODEL_DIR variable. This recovers explicit connectivity/asset references, not electrical correctness, fabrication validity or availability of the model files. Source.
• Resolved: Project archiving traverses the selected project directory and includes recognized extensions/named library tables. STEP/VRML and other extra-file extensions are conditional on Include Extra Files; hidden directories such as .git and .history are excluded. This is file selection, not a demonstrated resolution/copy of every externally referenced library or 3D model. Source.
• Open: Hierarchical schematic/custom-library reconstruction, complete archive/move including external models, manufacturing and editable export comparison, old/new-version saves, .history recovery and schematic-to-PCB update effects. E5 needs inspectable schematic-to-PCB updates, destructive edit/output overwrite controls and available correction; accuracy claims are separate.

Assessment follow-up: These findings now appear in the application’s evidence and limitations. At the user’s request, existing eligibility and principle ratings are unchanged; E3/E5, principle consistency and blank-status fixes will be reconciled in the next pass. Reproduction details and retained inputs are in evidence/third-pass/batch-5/.

Human-readable criteria: Can an independent party preserve the source model, units, dependencies, and editable structure, reproduce the result, and exchange it without losing important design meaning?

Rating reconciliation: 24 October 2026

E3 and E5 remain Not Verified for the existing declared scope. Longevity and Transparency and Control are Not assessed pending their required minimums. Sovereignty is also Not assessed because the required access/exit/custody minimums are not all established. This is a targeted evidence decision, not a finding that the product fails. Existing E1, E4 and Locality findings were not re-certified.

Remaining: Hierarchical schematic/custom-library reconstruction, complete archive/move including external models, manufacturing and editable export comparison, old/new-version saves, .history recovery and schematic-to-PCB update effects. E5 needs inspectable schematic-to-PCB updates, destructive edit/output overwrite controls and available correction; accuracy claims are separate.

Next without installing locally: Inspect a complete synthetic schematic/PCB/library/model packet and expected connectivity/units manifest, with independent output comparisons. Obtain primary-source or external update/undo/overwrite evidence.

The individual decision and provenance are retained in evidence/rating-reconciliation/batch-6/. Overall: Insufficient evidence.

Individually reconciled in rating batch 6 on 24 October 2026. E3/E5 remain Not Verified for explicit missing coverage; dependent unsupported findings corrected. Previously resolved questions are retained, not counted again. E1/E4/Locality were not re-certified by this targeted review. The assessment procedure is described in the methodology.