Documentation

Getting started

VOLNARA works in three steps: you describe what you want, the AI generates a complete board, and you export manufacturing files. No schematic capture required — the engine handles component selection, placement, routing, and design-rule checks automatically.

1. 1
   Open the design terminal
   Click Launch Terminal from the homepage, or navigate to /design directly. If you have an existing project, open it from your dashboard.
2. 2
   Describe your board
   Type a plain-English description into the AI Copilot chat panel. Be as specific or general as you like — the engine infers what you leave out from its template library.
3. 3
   Review and export
   Inspect the generated board in the 3D viewer, tweak parameters if needed, then export BOM, pick-and-place, or KiCad files for manufacturing.

Design terminal

The design terminal is your workspace. It has three main areas: the AI Copilot chat panel on the left, the board viewer in the center, and the parameter panel on the right.

AI Copilot

The chat panel is where you describe your board. You can type a single sentence or provide detailed specifications. The AI parses your intent, selects matching circuit templates, and generates a complete board. You can also send follow-up messages to refine the design iteratively.

"ESP32-C3 dev board with USB-C power and Li-ion charging"

"STM32F4 board with an IMU, micro-USB, and 3.3V regulator"

"Simple breakout board for a BME280 sensor with I2C header"

Tip: Mentioning specific parts (e.g. “ESP32-C3”, “USB-C”, “Li-ion”) helps the engine select the right templates. If you leave details out, it picks sensible defaults.

Board viewer

The center panel renders your board in 3D with an FR4 substrate, solder mask, copper traces, pads, and realistic component models. You can orbit, zoom, and pan to inspect the layout. The viewer updates automatically every time the AI generates or modifies a board.

Parameters and layers

The right panel shows board parameters (dimensions, layer count, trace width) and a layer manager. You can toggle layer visibility, adjust board settings, and view the component library. Changes propagate to the viewer in real time.

Templates and components

VOLNARA uses a library of verified circuit templates to build boards. Each template represents a functional block — an MCU, a power supply, a sensor interface — with pre-validated schematics and footprints. When you describe a board, the engine selects the templates that match your requirements and composes them into a single design.

The template library is expanding. Visit the design terminal to see all available templates in the component browser.

Design rules and validation

Every generated board goes through automated checks before it reaches you:

• •Placement collision detection — components are spaced to avoid physical overlap.
• •Design Rule Check (DRC) — trace width, clearance, and via sizes are validated against manufacturing constraints.
• •Net connectivity — the router verifies that all nets in the schematic are connected on the board.
• •Board outline — edges, rounded corners, and mounting holes are generated to standard dimensions.

Pro and Business plans include advanced DRC with auto-fix, which automatically resolves common violations like trace clearance and pad spacing issues.

Layers

VOLNARA supports multi-layer boards depending on your plan:

Standard layers include Front Copper, Back Copper, Front Silkscreen, Back Silkscreen, Edge Cuts, and inner copper layers on 4+ layer boards. Toggle visibility from the layer manager in the design terminal.

Exporting your design

Once your board is generated, click the Export button in the design terminal header to download files. Three formats are available:

API reference

The VOLNARA backend exposes a REST API. All authenticated endpoints require a Bearer token in the Authorization header. The base URL is configured via the NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL environment variable.

Plans and generation limits

Each plan includes a monthly allowance of AI generations. One generation is consumed each time the AI creates or modifies a board. The counter resets every 30 days from your last reset date.

If you exceed your limit, generations pause until the next billing cycle. You are never charged overage fees. See pricing for full plan details.

Frequently asked questions