Openroad MCP server

OpenROAD MCP Server

<!-- mcp-name: io.github.The-OpenROAD-Project/openroad-mcp -->

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for interacting with OpenROAD and ORFS.

About OpenROAD MCP

New here? Check out the Quick Start Guide to get your AI assistant analyzing designs in 5 minutes.

OpenROAD MCP eliminates the barrier between your AI assistant and physical design by connecting Claude, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible clients directly to the OpenROAD layout tools.

OpenROAD is the leading open-source, foundational application for semiconductor digital design, delivering an Autonomous, No-Human-In-Loop (NHIL) flow from RTL-GDSII. OpenROAD-flow-scripts (ORFS) is the fully autonomous flow built around it.

With this MCP server, your AI assistant can:

• Execute Commands - Run interactive OpenROAD sessions with full PTY support.
• Manage Sessions - Create, list, inspect, and terminate multiple physical design sessions.
• Track History & Metrics - Access full command history and performance metrics for analysis.
• Visualize Reports - List and read report images from ORFS runs directly in the chat.

Demo

Watch full demo video

Requirements & Installation

To use this MCP server, you need the server runtime, plus the underlying OpenROAD layout tools.

1. Server Runtime

• Node.js 22+ is required to run the npx distribution.

2. OpenROAD

OpenROAD must be installed and available in your PATH.

• Official OpenROAD Installation Guide

3. OpenROAD-flow-scripts (ORFS)

ORFS is optional but highly recommended for complete RTL-to-GDS flows and report visualization.

• Official ORFS Local Build Guide

Configuration

For platform-specific Node.js and C++ toolchain setup instructions, see the Cross-Platform Build Guide.

You do not need to clone this repo or pass path environment variables in the common case. The published npx package does not read a .env file.

On startup the server inherits the MCP client's environment, then fills PATH the same way which openroad would: current PATH, then your login-shell PATH, then common install locations (/opt/homebrew/bin, conda, local OpenROAD builds). ORFSFLOWPATH defaults to ~/OpenROAD-flow-scripts/flow, and is also detected when ORFS sits next to the openroad binary.

Supported MCP Clients

Here is the standard base configuration used across most clients:

{
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "openroad-mcp"]
}

Find your specific client below for the exact configuration snippet and file location.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport stdio openroad-mcp -- npx -y openroad-mcp

Or add the standard config to .mcp.json / .claude/settings.json.

If a GUI-launched client still cannot find openroad, pass an override. Use command -v so you do not hard-code paths:

claude mcp add \
  --env PATH="$(dirname "$(command -v openroad)"):${PATH}" \
  --env ORFS_FLOW_PATH="${HOME}/OpenROAD-flow-scripts/flow" \
  --transport stdio openroad-mcp \
  -- npx -y openroad-mcp

Put --transport between --env and the server name so the CLI does not treat the name as another KEY=value pair.

Claude Desktop

Add the standard config to:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claudedesktopconfig.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claudedesktopconfig.json

Cursor

Add the standard config to .cursor/mcp.json.

Shortened. The full README is on GitHub.