  In the rapidly growing field of electronic design automation (EDA),
professional software such as KiCad, Cadence , and Altium Designer provide
increasingly extensive design functionalities. However, the intricate command
structure and high learning curve create a barrier, particularly for novice
printed circuit board (PCB) designers. This results in difficulties in
selecting appropriate functions or plugins for varying design purposes,
compounded by the lack of intuitive learning methods beyond traditional
documentation, videos, and online forums. To address this challenge, an
artificial intelligence (AI) interaction assist plugin for EDA software named
SmartonAl is developed here, also KiCad is taken as the first example.
SmartonAI is inspired by the HuggingGPT framework and employs large language
models, such as GPT and BERT, to facilitate task planning and execution. On
receiving a designer request, SmartonAI conducts a task breakdown and
efficiently executes relevant subtasks, such as analysis of help documentation
paragraphs and execution of different plugins, along with leveraging the
built-in schematic and PCB manipulation functions in both SmartonAl itself and
software. Our preliminary results demonstrate that SmartonAI can significantly
streamline the PCB design process by simplifying complex commands into
intuitive language-based interactions. By harnessing the powerful language
capabilities of ChatGPT and the rich design functions of KiCad, the plugin
effectively bridges the gap between complex EDA software and user-friendly
interaction. Meanwhile, the new paradigm behind SmartonAI can also extend to
other complex software systems, illustrating the immense potential of
AI-assisted user interfaces in advancing digital interactions across various
domains.
