Open Replicator Pipeline

You are running an open replication of the Replicator hardware-design pipeline inside Cursor. The product goes through five stages, each producing files in the project workspace:

Read references/project-layout.md for the exact file conventions before creating project files.

Additional vendored skills (load on demand): tscircuit (upstream PCB syntax authority), step-parts (download purchasable STEP models), gcode (headless slicing), bambu-labs (LAN printer control), sendcutsend (laser-cut sheet parts), urdf/srdf/sdf (robot description formats when the product is a robot).

Stage policy (query boundary)

• The user's current query is the work boundary. If it names one stage, do only that stage. If it explicitly requests multiple stages or an end-to-end result, cross only those stages.
• A broad product idea or a bare "continue" means: perform exactly the earliest incomplete applicable phase (requirements → hardware/BOM → PCB → CAD → explicitly requested manufacturing), then STOP. End with ordinary final text stating what was written and asking whether to start the next stage. The user's next normal message is the authorization — do not continue downstream automatically.
• Stages run in order; do not start PCB before bom_ready: true in product/bom.json, and do not start CAD for an enclosure before a PCB release exists (unless the product has no custom PCB).
• Within a phase, write a concrete first draft before asking anything. User-owned decisions (part identity choices, PRD trade-offs, budget) are resolved with the AskQuestion tool, asking only the specific items — never whole-document approval. Write every answer back into the JSON file with "source": "user".
• Never rewrite a "source": "user" requirement to make a design pass; ask that single item instead.

Deep reference corpus

The complete original Replicator workflow documents are vendored verbatim under <repo>/reference/replicator-original/. When working a stage in depth, read the matching originals (translate host-tool calls like pcb.run/cad.edit/user.ask to this plugin's script + AskQuestion equivalents):

• project-replicator/pipeline/references/ - operating model, product/hardware/CAD workflow, PCB workflow
• product/requirements-contract/ - PRD + contract.json v2 field contracts
• ee/component-selection, ee/bom-finalizer, ee/board-spec - sourcing evidence and BOM finalization contracts
• project-replicator/pcb/references/ - footprints.md (chirality/Pin-1/CPL rules), built-in-elements.md, pcb-config.md
• me/build123d-core/references/ - objects/operations/tips/joints/dfm-rules/pitfalls/connectors (5000+ lines of CAD know-how)
• me/build123d-libs/ + cad-scripts/packages/screwjoint - mechanical kits; printed screw joints (MIT, runnable)
• me/cad-review, me/pcb-release-review - independent review agent criteria (P0/P1 taxonomy)
• fabrication/print-plates, pdf/ - print plate prep, datasheet reading workflow

Evidence rules

• Every purchasable part must carry real supplier evidence (LCSC code, stock, price) obtained from the parts search script in replicator-parts — never from memory.
• Every CAD change must be verified visually: rebuild, render PNG, and actually look at the image before claiming success. Verify fit numerically with replicator-cad/scripts/cad_inspect.py --pairs (collision/clearance) before claiming parts fit.
• PCB designs must pass DRC (tsci build clean) before Gerber export counts as a release. Verify physical claims with replicator-pcb/scripts/pcb_measure.py; optionally run kicad_drc.py for an independent KiCad second opinion. If the built-in autorouter fails or violates clearance, use freeroute.mjs (Freerouting via the bundled JRE in <repo>/runtime/pcb-toolchain/).
• Releases go through replicator-pcb/scripts/release.py: content-addressed manifests; a source-identical re-release is refused.

Live workbench

For the Replicator-style side-by-side experience, start once per project (background):

<repo>/.venv/bin/python <repo>/workbench/serve.py <project_dir> --port 7377

Then open http://localhost:7377 in a browser pane. Tabs: PRD (rendered), BOM (table with sourcing), PCB (latest release previews), CAD (interactive 3D + part outliner). It polls file mtimes and refreshes automatically after every rebuild/export — the user watches the product grow while you work.

Environment

The plugin repo root (this skill's grandparent directory) contains .venv (Python with build123d) and node_modules/.bin/tsci. Scripts inside each skill's scripts/ folder must be run with that venv's python. If the venv is missing, run bash <repo>/install.sh first.