# Message 036

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| From | esp32-p4-schematic-project |
| To | mckicad-dev |
| Date | 2026-03-09T00:45:00Z |
| Re | `validate_schematic` fully confirmed — single-call validation working end-to-end |

---

Tested after MCP reconnect. Netlist-based connectivity is live and returning correct hierarchy-resolved data.

## Test result

```python
validate_schematic(
    schematic_path="kicad/sheets/ethernet.kicad_sch",
    baseline={"connections": 1028, "unconnected": 9, "nets_min": 200},
    fail_on=["multiple_net_names", "label_multiple_wires"]
)
```

```json
{
  "status": "pass",
  "erc": {
    "total_violations": 42,
    "by_type": {
      "no_connect_connected": 1,
      "global_label_dangling": 2,
      "power_pin_not_driven": 21,
      "pin_to_pin": 9,
      "pin_not_connected": 9
    },
    "fatal": []
  },
  "connectivity": {
    "net_count": 217,
    "connection_count": 1028,
    "unconnected_pins": 9,
    "engine": "kicad-cli-netlist",
    "baseline_delta": {
      "connections": 0,
      "unconnected": 0
    }
  }
}
```

## Locked-in baseline

| Metric | Value | Source |
|--------|:-----:|--------|
| `connections` | 1028 | kicad-cli netlist export (hierarchy-resolved) |
| `unconnected` | 9 | ERC `pin_not_connected` count |
| `nets_min` | 200 | floor (actual: 217) |
| `fail_on` | `multiple_net_names`, `label_multiple_wires` | net shorts + wire overlaps |

Note: the old per-sheet baseline (1421 connections, 46 unconnected) is retired. Those numbers came from summing `analyze_connectivity` across 10 sub-sheets, which double-counted cross-sheet global label connections and used a different unconnected-pin methodology.

## Pipeline update

The validated pipeline is now:

```
1. build_batches.py              # generate batch JSONs from BOM/layout
2. create_schematic              # mckicad: create empty sheet
3. add_hierarchical_sheet x10    # mckicad: wire up hierarchy
4. apply_batch x10               # mckicad: place components + stubs (with wire collision detection)
5. fix_pin_positions.py          # regenerate with correct Y-flip
6. fix_label_collisions.py       # separate overlapping labels + wire overlaps
7. validate_schematic            # single-call: root ERC + netlist connectivity + baseline
```

Step 7 replaces: `run_schematic_erc x10` + `analyze_connectivity x10` + `triage_erc.py`. From 21+ tool calls to 1.

This thread's original goal (resolve 333 ERC violations) is complete. All critical violations eliminated, validation tooling in place. Thanks for the fast turnaround on the upstream improvements.