Raspberry Pi Pico

Raspberry Pi Pico Microcontroller Board

The Raspberry Pi Pico is a revolutionary low-cost, high-performance microcontroller board designed by Raspberry Pi. Unlike its single-board computer siblings, the Pico is built for physical computing, providing real-time control and interfacing with the physical world. At its heart is the powerful, Raspberry Pi-designed RP2040 chip, featuring a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, flexible I/O, and a wealth of peripherals. It's the perfect platform for both beginners learning to code with MicroPython and experts building complex, high-performance embedded systems.

[Image of Raspberry Pi Pico pinout diagram]

🔧 Key Features

• RP2040 Microcontroller: A powerful dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor running at a flexible clock speed of up to 133 MHz.
• Ample Memory: Features 264KB of high-performance SRAM on-chip and 2MB of external QSPI Flash memory for code and data storage.
• Extensive I/O: 26 multi-function GPIO pins, including 3 analog inputs, 2x UART, 2x SPI controllers, and 2x I2C controllers.
• Programmable I/O (PIO): Two revolutionary PIO subsystems that provide programmable, high-speed I/O for creating custom hardware peripherals like VGA outputs and SD card interfaces.
• Easy to Program: Features a simple drag-and-drop programming interface via its Micro-USB port, which appears as a mass storage device.
• Flexible Power Options: Can be powered via Micro-USB or by a wide range of external voltage sources (1.8V to 5.5V).
• Wireless Variant Available: Also available as the Pico W, which adds onboard 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.

💡 Applications

• Robotics and Motor Control: The dual cores and PIO make it perfect for handling complex motor control and sensor reading simultaneously.
• Data Acquisition: Use the multiple ADC and digital I/O pins to log data from a variety of sensors.
• Custom Peripheral Design: Leverage the power of PIO to create custom interfaces for legacy hardware or specialized protocols.
• Wearable Electronics: Its low power consumption and small footprint are ideal for wearable projects.
• Learning MicroPython: The go-to board for getting started with Python on a microcontroller.

⚙️ Technical Specifications

Microcontroller	Raspberry Pi RP2040
CPU Core	Dual-Core ARM Cortex-M0+ @ 133 MHz
On-Chip SRAM	264 KB
On-Board Flash	2 MB QSPI
GPIO	26 multi-function pins (23 digital-only, 3 ADC-capable)
Analog Inputs	3 (12-bit ADC, 500ksps)
Peripherals	2x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 16x PWM, USB 1.1 controller
PIO Subsystems	2 (with 8 state machines in total)
Input Power	1.8V – 5.5V DC

📦 Package Includes

• 1 × Raspberry Pi Pico Board
• Note: Pin headers are not included or soldered on the standard Pico model.

✅ Why Choose the Pico?

• Dual-Core Performance: Run tasks on two cores simultaneously, perfect for separating real-time control from higher-level processing.
• Revolutionary PIO: A game-changer for makers, allowing you to create any digital interface you can imagine, offloading the CPU.
• Designed by Raspberry Pi: Comes with the outstanding documentation, community, and support that Raspberry Pi is famous for.
• Beginner and Expert Friendly: Simple enough for a first project with MicroPython, yet powerful enough for complex professional applications.