This record as markdown: /tools/eda-agent/run-erc.md
What run_erc does on Eda Agent
AI agents invoke run_erc to trigger actions in Eda Agent. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why run_erc is rated High
ERC (Electrical Rules Check) is an analysis/validation operation that executes against a schematic to identify design violations and issues. While it performs a check rather than creating/modifying data (which would be Write), it is fundamentally an Execute action—it runs a diagnostic operation whose output depends on the schematic state.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'run_erc' indicates execution of ERC (Electrical Rules Check) analysis in KiCad. The server description emphasizes 'automation' and 'analysis' capabilities. ERC is a diagnostic operation that analyzes schematic designs but does not modify data.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs run_erc safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Eda Agent, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For run_erc, this is the rule to start with:
run_erc stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Eda Agent, apply this rule, and every run_erc call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about run_erc
run_erc is a execute tool on the Eda Agent MCP server. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Eda Agent MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Eda Agent MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for run_erc: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Eda Agent. Nothing to install.
run_erc is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the run_erc rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for run_erc. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
run_erc is provided by the Eda Agent MCP server (salitronic/eda-agent). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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