> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.protoboard.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.protoboard.xyz/protobot/how-to-use.md).

# Using ProtoBot

Getting started with ProtoBot, common workflows, session management, and prompt patterns that get better results.

## Getting Started

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Open a board and launch ProtoBot

ProtoBot is scoped to the board you have open. Click the **animated bot icon** in the Activity Bar; the chat panel opens in the left sidebar.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Type what you need in plain language

* "What parts are on this board?"
* "Find me a 3.3V I2C temperature sensor"
* "Run DRC and tell me what's wrong"

The default **gpt-5.4** model handles most tasks; switch to **gpt-5.5** from the model selector for complex multi-step work, and adjust the **reasoning-effort** control next to it (Off, Low, Medium, or High; Medium by default) to trade thinking depth for energy.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Review the response

Expand the **tool-call cards** to see exactly what ProtoBot changed on your board, and the **extended thinking** view for its reasoning. Use the **Stop** button to interrupt generation at any time.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## Common Workflows

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Find & Place Parts" %}

1. *"Find a voltage regulator that takes 12V in and outputs 3.3V at 500mA"*
2. Review the matches, then: *"Place the LM1117-3.3 onto my board"*

Or combine both: *"Find and place a 3.3V voltage regulator for 12V input."*
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Wire Connections" %}

1. *"Create a harness between the MCU and the temperature sensor"*
2. *"Auto-link compatible interfaces on that harness"*
3. *"Auto-allocate resources for the I2C link"*

For standard protocols (I2C, SPI, UART), auto-linking handles the pin mapping automatically.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Validate & Fix" %}

1. *"Run DRC on the full board"*
2. *"How do I fix the voltage mismatch between the MCU and the sensor?"*
3. Approve the suggested fix, then: *"Run DRC again to confirm"*
   {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Plan a Project" %}

1. *"Set the board description to 'Indoor air quality monitor v1'"*
2. *"Add requirements: must measure CO2, temperature, humidity; battery-powered; BLE connectivity"*
3. *"Create tasks: select sensors, design power circuit, set up BLE interface"*
   {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Manage BOM" %}

1. *"Show me the full BOM"*
2. *"What's the estimated project cost?"*
3. *"Refresh prices for all items"*
4. *"Set DigiKey as the active supplier for the capacitors"*
   {% endtab %}
   {% endtabs %}

***

## Prompt Patterns

The more context and constraints you provide, the better ProtoBot performs.

| Pattern                  | Key Phrase                                                                     | Why It Works                                                          |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Constraints-first**    | "I need an I2C sensor that runs on 3.3V, accurate to 0.5 degrees, under $5"    | Filters results immediately instead of triggering follow-up questions |
| **Assumptions-explicit** | "Assume 5V logic and a 12V supply. Find a motor driver for a 2A brushed motor" | Eliminates the most common sources of irrelevant suggestions          |
| **Output-as-changes**    | "Add a 3.3V regulator, create a harness, auto-link, then run DRC"              | You get board changes to review, not an explanation to implement      |
| **Compare alternatives** | "Compare the BME280 vs DHT22 on accuracy, power, interfaces, and cost"         | Focused comparison on your criteria instead of a feature dump         |
| **Explain this error**   | "Why is DRC showing INCOMPATIBLE on the SPI harness, and how do I fix it?"     | Cause and fix in one turn                                             |
| **Build a subsystem**    | "Set up a motor chain: battery, driver, motor. Create harnesses and auto-link" | ProtoBot handles the mechanical steps; you review the result          |
| **Review my design**     | "Run DRC, check utilization, and suggest improvements"                         | A holistic pass across several tools in one request                   |
| **Batch operations**     | "Auto-allocate resources on all harnesses, then run DRC"                       | Repetitive work across the whole board in one turn                    |

{% hint style="success" %}
Combine patterns: *"Assume 3.3V logic. Find an I2C accelerometer under $3, place it, wire it to the MCU, and run DRC."*
{% endhint %}

### Do / Avoid

{% columns %}
{% column %}

### Do

* Be specific about constraints: voltage, current, protocol
* Break complex tasks into reviewable steps
* Use auto-link and auto-allocate for standard connections
* Run DRC frequently to catch issues early
  {% endcolumn %}

{% column %}

### Avoid

* Vague requests ("make it better")
* Skipping review before purchasing or producing
* Ignoring tool-call cards; they tell you exactly what changed
  {% endcolumn %}
  {% endcolumns %}

***

## Sessions

Conversations are saved as **sessions**, scoped to the board and persistent across visits.

* **New session:** click the new chat button at the top of the panel. Useful when switching topics; for related work, staying in one session gives ProtoBot better context.
* **Resume:** click the history icon to browse and reopen past sessions for this board.
* Very long conversations are automatically truncated to fit the model's context window; earlier messages remain in your session history.

***

## Prefer your own agent?

The **Agent Bridge (MCP)** lets external agents like Claude Code run the same tools ProtoBot uses, from your terminal or IDE. See the [Agent Bridge setup guide](/agent-bridge-mcp/setup.md).


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.protoboard.xyz/protobot/how-to-use.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

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Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.