The plugin approach
Works inside Altium, Cadence, and KiCad. No rip-and-replace. Keep your libraries, your workflows, your suppliers.
What ships with the plugin
Altium and KiCad today. Cadence follows.
Schematic parsing & cross-probing
Reads multi-sheet hierarchical schematics. Select a component on schematic, jump to layout. AI-driven functional block grouping.
Library cleanup module
Scrubs component libraries against datasheets and IPC standards. Flags non-compliant footprints and inconsistent layer features.
Layer stackup automation
Generates layer stackups from impedance targets and manufacturer material specs. Plugs into your design rules.
Scrape-and-place from PDF
Reads mechanical drawings. Extracts keep-outs, component locations, height constraints. Places parts automatically.
Live Altium connection
The Trace Plugin works on the project you have open in Altium Designer. AI design reviews, DFM analysis, and questions answered without leaving Altium.
API integrations
Use the Python and Node SDKs to integrate Trace with your team's scripts, services, and CI workflows.
Bundled native CLI
Install Trace, sign in to the desktop app first, then use the bundled trace-cli. No separate CLI installer.
Component sourcing
Cross-references component selection with live distributor stock, pricing, and lead times. Flags obsolete parts.
Bring your own manufacturer
Connect your own fab partner. Ask them to expose their API and Trace integrates it. DFM rules, quoting, and submission built in.
Who uses this
PCB design services bureaus
Design firms serving 30-100 OEM clients use Trace to 10x throughput. Same libraries, same conventions, faster output. The plugin means zero migration cost.
Research and hardware prototyping
R&D teams iterate faster with AI-assisted placement, automated DFM checks, and direct routes to prototype manufacturers. From concept to first board in days.
Defense, aerospace, medical devices
Enterprise engineering groups get per-engineer AI budgets, centralized billing, role-based access, and manufacturing partners validated for compliance.
Platform capabilities
Design conventions
AI learns your team's placement rules and style.
Version control
Every edit versioned. Rollback to any point.
Custom DFM rules
Per-project manufacturer constraints, validated live.
Per-engineer AI quota
Dedicated capacity. No shared pool.
Role-based access
Owner, admin, member. View-only for stakeholders.
Centralized billing
One invoice. Auto seat adjustments.
Workspace isolation
Personal and team contexts stay separate.
IPC compliance
Components validated against IPC-7351.
Manufacturer routing
Submit to pre-validated fab partners.
Component tracking
Live stock, obsolescence, and lead time checks.
Bring your own mfg
Connect any fab via their partner API.
Bring your own key
Route AI through your own API key from any supported provider.
Bundled native CLI
Use trace-cli from your Trace installation after signing in to the desktop app.
SSO and audit logs
SAML, compliance reporting. Enterprise plans.
Privacy mode, always on
Enterprise builds never collect product improvement data from your designs or AI chats.
Trusted by
Not enterprise yet? Trace offers per-seat team plans for growing hardware companies.
View team plansReady to accelerate your team's hardware workflow?
Request access to our technical architecture documentation, plugin SDK, and enterprise integration guides.