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KiBot Integration

KiBot and BoardReadyOps solve different parts of the hardware release flow. KiBot is best used as the artifact generator and automation engine. BoardReadyOps is best used as the release-readiness, evidence, and policy gate that validates generated outputs before a PCB is sent to manufacturing.

Concern KiBot BoardReadyOps
Generate Gerbers, drills, PDFs, BOMs, CPL/position files, and assembly artifacts Yes No
Run KiCad-oriented output automation and variants Yes Consumes and validates results
Check that manufacturing outputs are present and project-aligned Produces inputs Yes
Apply release gates, suppressions, baselines, and risk policy No Yes
Emit SARIF/JUnit/HTML/Markdown/JSON evidence for CI decisions Partial, depending on setup Yes
Produce a release evidence bundle and verify checksums No Yes

CI Pattern

Run KiBot first, store its output in a deterministic directory, then run BoardReadyOps against the same repository and generated artifacts.

jobs:
  hardware-release:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2

      - name: Generate fabrication outputs with KiBot
        run: kibot -c kibot.yaml -b hardware/main.kicad_pcb -d build/fab

      - name: Validate release readiness
        uses: oaslananka/boardreadyops@9bc8a075d885ad1182e2ad4fcd4c9160f8160c94 # v1.31.2
        with:
          config: boardreadyops.yml
          mode: enforce
          fail-on: high

A typical boardreadyops.yml keeps generated paths explicit so CI results are reproducible.

version: 1
mode: enforce
fail-on: high
vendor:
  profile: jlcpcb
projects:
  - path: hardware/main.kicad_pro
    outputs:
      gerbers: build/fab/gerbers
      drills: build/fab/drill
      bom: build/fab/bom.csv
      cpl: build/fab/positions.csv

Release Evidence Flow

A mature pipeline should produce a traceable decision record:

  1. Generate outputs with KiBot or kicad-cli.
  2. Run BoardReadyOps checks with the selected vendor profile and release gate.
  3. Review findings, suppressions, and waivers.
  4. Produce a release evidence bundle with boardreadyops release pack.
  5. Verify the bundle with boardreadyops release verify before handing artifacts to manufacturing.

What BoardReadyOps Does Not Claim

BoardReadyOps does not replace a DFM review from a board house, an electrical design review, or KiBot output generation. It reduces release risk by making the evidence visible, repeatable, and enforceable in CI.