
cclyliuyi/mcp-cst-studio
Developer toolsMCP server for CST Studio Suite — antenna design, RF simulation, and PCB layout
Overview
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server providing AI-driven access to CST Studio Suite for antenna design, RF/microwave simulation, and PCB layout. - across 20 categories: geometry, materials, ports, boundaries, mesh, solvers, simulation, results, parameters, antenna templates, arrays, matching networks, diagnostics, optimization, PCB, and more - : Connected mode (direct CST execution on Windows) and Offline mode (VBA script generation on any OS) - : Patch, dipole, monopole, horn, Yagi, helix, Vivaldi, slot, IFA, PIFA, spiral, bowtie — with automatic dimension calculations from target frequency - : Stackup creation, trace routing with impedance calculation, via modeling, ground planes - : 30+ metals, dielectrics, and RF substrates with accurate electromagnetic properties - : All generated VBA passes through security validation - : Built-in help system for CST VBA objects and methods Works without CST installed. Tools generate VBA scripts that can be executed in CST Studio Suite.
README
MCP Server for CST Studio Suite
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server providing AI-driven access to CST Studio Suite for antenna design, RF/microwave simulation, and PCB layout.
Features
- 170 tools across 20 categories: geometry, materials, ports, boundaries, mesh, solvers, simulation, results, parameters, antenna templates, arrays, matching networks, diagnostics, optimization, PCB, and more
- Dual-mode operation: Connected mode (direct CST execution on Windows) and Offline mode (VBA script generation on any OS)
- 13 parametric antenna templates: Patch, dipole, monopole, horn, Yagi, helix, Vivaldi, slot, IFA, PIFA, spiral, bowtie — with automatic dimension calculations from target frequency
- PCB/SI tools: Stackup creation, trace routing with impedance calculation, via modeling, ground planes
- Material database: 30+ metals, dielectrics, and RF substrates with accurate electromagnetic properties
- VBA injection prevention: All generated VBA passes through security validation
- CST VBA reference: Built-in help system for CST VBA objects and methods
Installation
pip install mcp-cst-studio
Or from source:
git clone https://github.com/RFingAdam/mcp-cst-studio.git
cd mcp-cst-studio
pip install -e ".[dev]"
Configuration
Claude Code (.mcp.json)
{
"mcpServers": {
"cst-studio": {
"command": "mcp-cst-studio",
"env": {
"CST_PATH": "C:\\Program Files\\CST Studio Suite 2026",
"CST_WORK_DIR": "C:\\cst_projects"
}
}
}
}
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
CST_PATH |
CST installation directory | Auto-detected on Windows |
CST_WORK_DIR |
Project working directory | ~/cst_projects |
CST_VERSION |
CST version year | 2026 |
Usage
Offline Mode (Any OS)
Works without CST installed. Tools generate VBA scripts that can be executed in CST Studio Suite.
"Design a 2.4 GHz rectangular patch antenna on FR-4 substrate"
→ Returns calculated dimensions + complete VBA script for CST
Connected Mode (Windows with CST)
When the CST Python library is available, tools execute directly:
"Create the antenna, run the time-domain simulation, and show me the S-parameters"
→ Builds geometry, configures solver, runs simulation, extracts results
Tool Categories
| Category | Tools | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Project | 8 | Create, open, save, close, export projects |
| Geometry | 13 | Brick, cylinder, sphere, cone, torus, extrude, loft, wire, polygon |
| Boolean | 4 | Add, subtract, intersect, insert operations |
| Transforms | 4 | Translate, rotate, mirror, scale |
| Materials | 15 | Create, load, assign materials; built-in material database; lossy metals; anisotropic |
| Ports | 8 | Waveguide, discrete, lumped, plane wave, Floquet ports |
| Boundaries | 6 | Boundary conditions, background, symmetry, frequency range |
| Mesh | 8 | Mesh type, density, refinement, adaptive meshing, hex/tet controls |
| Solvers | 8 | Time domain, frequency domain, eigenmode, integral equation, asymptotic |
| Simulation | 6 | Run, status, pause, resume, stop simulations |
| Results | 22 | S-parameters, far-field, near-field, impedance, VSWR, gain, efficiency, Smith chart |
| Import/Export | 5 | CAD import/export, Touchstone, far-field export |
| Parameters | 11 | Parametric design, sweeps, expressions, dependencies |
| Antenna Templates | 13 | Parametric antenna designs with RF calculations |
| Arrays | 8 | Linear / planar / circular array synthesis, element factors, beamforming |
| Matching | 8 | L / Pi / T networks, Smith-chart matching, stub matching |
| PCB | 12 | Stackup, traces, vias, ground planes, Gerber import, differential pairs |
| Diagnostics | 5 | Connection status, model integrity, mesh quality, solver convergence |
| Optimization | 3 | Goal-driven sweeps, genetic / gradient optimizers |
| VBA | 3 | Raw VBA execution, help reference, object listing |
Antenna Templates
Each template calculates dimensions from target frequency and generates a complete, simulatable CST model:
| Template | Type | Typical Gain | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patch | Planar | 5-8 dBi | 1-5% |
| Dipole | Wire | 2.15 dBi | 10-20% |
| Monopole | Wire | 2-5 dBi | 10-20% |
| Horn | Aperture | 10-25 dBi | 50%+ |
| Yagi | Array | 7-15 dBi | 3-5% |
| Helix | Wire | 8-15 dBi | 50%+ |
| Vivaldi | Planar | 5-12 dBi | 100%+ |
| IFA/PIFA | Planar | 1-3 dBi | 5-10% |
Connected Mode Setup (Windows)
To use with a live CST Studio installation:
Prerequisites
- Windows 10/11 with CST Studio Suite 2024+ installed
- CST Python libraries on your Python path (typically
C:\Program Files\CST Studio Suite 20XX\LinuxAMD64\python_cst_libraries) - Python 3.10+
Setup
# 1. Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/RFingAdam/mcp-cst-studio.git
cd mcp-cst-studio
pip install -e .
# 2. Set environment (or let auto-detect find CST)
set CST_PATH=C:\Program Files\CST Studio Suite 2026
set CST_WORK_DIR=C:\cst_projects
# 3. Add CST Python libs to PYTHONPATH
set PYTHONPATH=%CST_PATH%\LinuxAMD64\python_cst_libraries;%PYTHONPATH%
# 4. Verify
python -c "import cst.interface; print('CST available')"
mcp-cst-studio # starts stdio server
Claude Code / Claude Desktop
Add to your .mcp.json or Claude Desktop config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"cst-studio": {
"command": "mcp-cst-studio",
"env": {
"CST_PATH": "C:\\Program Files\\CST Studio Suite 2026",
"CST_WORK_DIR": "C:\\cst_projects",
"PYTHONPATH": "C:\\Program Files\\CST Studio Suite 2026\\LinuxAMD64\\python_cst_libraries"
}
}
}
}
Validation Checklist
Once connected, verify with these prompts:
- Connection: “What is the CST connection status?” — should show
connectedmode - Geometry: “Create a brick from (0,0,0) to (10,10,5) in component1” — should appear in CST
- Antenna: “Design a 2.4 GHz patch antenna on FR-4” — should build full model
- Simulation: “Run a time-domain simulation” — should start solver
- Results: “Show me the S-parameters” — should extract S11 data
Development
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest tests/ -v # 215 tests, all offline
ruff check src/ tests/ # linting
mypy src/mcp_cst_studio/ # type checking
License
AGPL-3.0-or-later. Relicensed from Apache-2.0 in v0.2.0 to align with the eng-mcp-suite toolkit-wide AGPL move. CST Studio Suite itself (Dassault Systèmes) is a separate commercial product invoked at runtime; this wrapper does not bundle or redistribute it.
Install
This server does not publish a one-line install command.
Open the repository installation guide New to MCP? Start with the mcpskill.org guide →Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"cst-studio": {
"command": "mcp-cst-studio",
"env": {
"CST_PATH": "C:\\Program Files\\CST Studio Suite 2026",
"CST_WORK_DIR": "C:\\cst_projects"
}
}
}
}