What Ask Mode Does
Ask provides read-only help with your design. Use it to explain a signal path, compare components, interpret rule-check findings, or identify assumptions before deciding on a change.
Ask does not author CAD or project changes. It does not automatically switch to Agent when your question includes an edit request. Advice can still be wrong; read-only analysis is not engineering certification.
Start a Read-Only Review
- Open the project and document you want to discuss.
- Select Ask in the chat composer.
- Choose a supported model using Choose model if no selection is active.
- Name the circuit, references, operating conditions, and question.
- Review the answer against the drawing and original datasheets.
For example:
Review R1 and C1 on the open sheet without changing files.
R1 is 1 kΩ, C1 is 100 nF. The external source has negligible
output resistance and the external load is 1 MΩ.
Explain the cutoff calculation and any assumptions the design
does not establish.
Ask may read the current design and use available research tools. A missing file, unavailable source, or inconclusive lookup should remain an explicit gap—not evidence that a part or connection is correct.
What Ask Mode Can Do
- Explain component roles and circuit behavior.
- Compare topologies or exact parts against your stated requirements.
- Read supported attachments or Artifacts.
- Interpret available ERC/DRC findings and supported inspection results.
- Perform supported read-only or ephemeral analysis in capable hosts.
Checks depend on the current editor and declared capabilities. Do not assume that all inspection or simulation actions are available in every host; see Simulation and Availability.
What Ask Mode Cannot Do
Ask does not add, remove, or alter components; move footprints; route tracks; save a persistent bench; publish project changes; or create manufacturing outputs.
If you want a change after the review, deliberately select Agent and state the exact scope, or use Plan to review an approach first.
Example Prompts
Read a Datasheet
Attach the relevant PDF, then ask:
For this exact part and package, summarize the recommended
decoupling from page 12. Separate datasheet requirements from
your suggestions. Do not add components.
Interpret a Finding
Explain this DRC clearance finding: measured 0.15 mm,
required 0.20 mm. Identify what the rule checks and what I
should inspect before deciding on a fix. Do not edit the board.
Research a Part
Compare these two exact orderable part numbers for my 3.3 V rail.
Check package, dropout at 100 mA, capacitor requirements, and
reported availability for 50 units. Mark unavailable evidence
as unknown; do not silently substitute a part.
Stock and pricing are time-sensitive. Confirm the actual orderable variant and supplier listing before purchasing.
Ask Mode on the Web Dashboard
A browser chat does not automatically read files open in your local CAD editor. Provide the supported context you intend to share, and check the web dashboard guide for its available features. Do not assume desktop model choices or local inspection controls are present there.
Access and Usage
Ask is subject to account entitlement and usage limits, just like other AI requests. It is not universally free or unlimited. See Billing for the current access and usage view.
If the Answer Does Not Finish
Follow the displayed error or recovery control. Resume, where offered, reconnects to an existing stream or continues a retained failed/interrupted run. It is not a new send of the original question, and completed or cancelled runs cannot continue. See Chat before repeating a request.
For better questions, see Using Prompts.