Removed unnecessary IPC drc - defaulting to only using the CLI

Author: lamaalrajih

README.md

@@ -152,9 +152,8 @@ The KiCad MCP Server provides several key features, each with detailed documenta
 - **BOM Management**: Analyze and export Bills of Materials
   - *Example:* "Generate a BOM for my smart watch project" → Creates a detailed bill of materials
 
-  - **Design Rule Checking**: Run DRC checks and track your progress over time
+  - **Design Rule Checking**: Run DRC checks using the KiCad CLI and track your progress over time
   - *Example:* "Run DRC on my power supply board and compare to last week" → Shows progress in fixing violations
-  - *KiCad 9.0+ Compatible:* Uses the new KiCad CLI or IPC API automatically
 
 - **PCB Visualization**: Generate visual representations of your PCB layouts
   - *Example:* "Show me a thumbnail of my audio amplifier PCB" → Displays a visual render of the board

docs/drc_guide.md

@@ -11,23 +11,14 @@ The Design Rule Check (DRC) functionality allows you to:
 3. Track your progress over time as you fix issues
 4. Compare current results with previous checks
 
-## KiCad 9.0+ Compatibility
-
-**Important Update**: With KiCad 9.0+, the DRC functionality has been reimplemented to work with the new KiCad APIs. The server now supports two methods for running DRC:
-
-1. **KiCad CLI Method** (Recommended) - Uses the `kicad-cli` command-line tool to run DRC checks without requiring a running instance of KiCad.
-
-2. **IPC API Method** - Connects to a running instance of KiCad through the new IPC API using the `kicad-python` package.
-
-The server automatically selects the best available method based on your KiCad installation.
+It does this all by using the `kicad-cli` command-line tool to run DRC checks without requiring a running instance of KiCad.
 
 ## Prerequisites
 
 For optimal DRC functionality with KiCad 9.0+, you should have:
 
 - KiCad 9.0 or newer installed
 - `kicad-cli` available in your system PATH (included with KiCad 9.0+)
-- For IPC API functionality: the `kicad-python` package installed (`pip install kicad-python`)
 
 ## Using DRC Features
 
@@ -43,7 +34,7 @@ Please run a DRC check on my project at /Users/username/Documents/KiCad/my_proje
 ```
 
 The tool will:
-- Automatically select the best available method (CLI or IPC API)
+- Use the kicad CLI to run the DRC check
 - Analyze your PCB design for rule violations
 - Generate a comprehensive report
 - Save the results to your DRC history
@@ -141,19 +132,7 @@ If the DRC check fails to run:
 
 1. Ensure your KiCad project exists at the specified path
 2. Verify that the project contains a PCB file (.kicad_pcb)
-3. Check your KiCad installation:
-   - For CLI method: Verify `kicad-cli` is in your PATH or in a standard installation location
-   - For IPC API method: Make sure KiCad is running with the API server enabled in Preferences > Plugins
+3. Check your KiCad installation: Verify `kicad-cli` is in your PATH or in a standard installation location
 4. Try using the full absolute path to your project file
 
-### Method Selection Issues
-
-If you want to force a specific DRC method:
-
-1. **CLI Method**: Ensure `kicad-cli` is available in your PATH
-2. **IPC API Method**: 
-   - Install the `kicad-python` package
-   - Launch KiCad before running the DRC check
-   - Enable the API server in KiCad preferences
-
 If you continue to experience issues, check the server logs for more detailed error information.

kicad_mcp/tools/drc_impl/ipc_drc.py

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 from kicad_mcp.utils.file_utils import get_project_files
 from kicad_mcp.utils.drc_history import save_drc_result, get_drc_history, compare_with_previous
-from kicad_mcp.utils.kicad_api_detection import get_best_api_approach
 
 # Import implementations
 from kicad_mcp.tools.drc_impl.cli_drc import run_drc_via_cli

kicad_mcp/tools/drc_tools.py

@@ -68,64 +68,3 @@ def check_for_cli_api() -> bool:
     except Exception as e:
         print(f"Error checking for KiCad CLI API: {str(e)}")
         return False
-
-
-def check_for_ipc_api() -> bool:
-    """Check if KiCad IPC API (kicad-python) is available.
-    
-    Returns:
-        True if KiCad IPC API is available, False otherwise
-    """
-    try:
-        # Try to import the kipy module
-        import kipy
-        print("KiCad IPC API (kicad-python) is available")
-        return True
-    except ImportError:
-        print("KiCad IPC API (kicad-python) is not available")
-        return False
-    except Exception as e:
-        print(f"Error checking for KiCad IPC API: {str(e)}")
-        return False
-
-
-def check_ipc_api_environment() -> Tuple[bool, Optional[str]]:
-    """Check if we're running in a KiCad IPC plugin environment.
-    
-    Returns:
-        Tuple of (is_plugin, socket_path)
-    """
-    # Check for environment variables that would indicate we're a plugin
-    is_plugin = os.environ.get("KICAD_PLUGIN_ENV") is not None
-    
-    # Check for socket path in environment
-    socket_path = os.environ.get("KICAD_SOCKET_PATH")
-    
-    if is_plugin:
-        print("Running as a KiCad plugin")
-    elif socket_path:
-        print(f"KiCad IPC socket path found: {socket_path}")
-    
-    return (is_plugin, socket_path)
-
-
-def get_best_api_approach() -> Literal["cli", "ipc", "none"]:
-    """Determine the best available KiCad API approach.
-    
-    Returns:
-        String indicating which API approach to use:
-        - "cli": Use KiCad command-line interface
-        - "ipc": Use KiCad IPC API (kicad-python)
-        - "none": No API available
-    """
-    # Check for IPC API first (preferred if available)
-    if check_for_ipc_api():
-        return "ipc"
-    
-    # Check for CLI API next
-    if check_for_cli_api():
-        return "cli"
-    
-    # No API available
-    print("No KiCad API available")
-    return "none"

kicad_mcp/utils/kicad_api_detection.py

@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 mcp[cli]
-httpx
-pytest
 pandas
-kicad-python
 
 # Development/Testing
-pytest-asyncio
+pytest