openroad-mcp — Claude Code MCP server: OpenROAD in chat
Wires your assistant into OpenROAD: run commands, manage physical design sessions, read history and metrics from chat. Saves the terminal round-trips on RTL-GDSII work.
claude mcp add openroad-mcp -- npx -y openroad-mcpWhat openroad-mcp does
The server hands your assistant tools for OpenROAD and ORFS. It runs commands inside an interactive session, keeps several sessions alive at once, and exposes command history plus run metrics. Report images from ORFS open as pictures in the chat.
Ten tools sit behind it. interactive_openroad_query handles read-only requests; interactive_openroad_exec takes the ones that change state. The rest create, list, inspect and terminate sessions, fetch history and metrics, and read report images. On boot the server builds PATH itself — current value first, then your login shell, then usual install spots such as /opt/homebrew/bin.
Have Node.js 22+ and OpenROAD on PATH before you start. ORFS is optional, but without it you lose the full RTL-to-GDS flow and report visualization. An OpenROAD build in an unusual prefix needs its PATH passed through the client's env block; the published package ignores a .env file. A state-changing command sent to interactive_openroad_query comes back rejected as CommandBlocked.
What it helps with
- drive OpenROAD commands from the assistant chat
- keep several physical design sessions running at once
- pull command history and run metrics
- view ORFS report images inside the chat
- point the server at a non-standard OpenROAD build
Example prompts for the agent
- Start an interactive OpenROAD session and list the available commands
- Run the library read in the session and return the metrics
- Show me the report images from the last ORFS run
How to install openroad-mcp
Platform CLI
claude mcp add openroad-mcp -- npx -y openroad-mcpPlatform CLI
codex mcp add openroad-mcp -- npx -y openroad-mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"openroad-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"openroad-mcp"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"openroad-mcp": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"openroad-mcp"
]
}
}
}Platform CLI
gemini mcp add openroad-mcp npx -y openroad-mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about openroad-mcp
How do I install openroad-mcp in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add openroad-mcp -- npx -y openroad-mcp. The server then shows up in the client's MCP server list.
What does openroad-mcp do?
It gives the assistant OpenROAD access: command execution, session management for physical design, history, metrics and ORFS report images.
What do I need to run it?
Node.js 22+ and OpenROAD on PATH. ORFS is recommended for the full RTL-to-GDS flow and reports.
