- \n
- Introducing The Raspberry Pi Pico<\/a>\n\n\n<\/li>\n\n<\/li>\n\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico Pinout<\/a>\n\n\n<\/li>\n\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico Peripherals’ Pins<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico Programming Languages<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico Setup (Ecosystem)<\/a>\n\n\n<\/li>\n\n<\/li>\n\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico LED Blinking (MicroPython)<\/a>\n\n\n<\/li>\n\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico Simulation (Wokwi)<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n
- Common Issues & Fixes<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n
- Concluding Remarks<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n
\n\n\nIntroducing The Raspberry Pi Pico<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
The Raspberry Pi Pico is a development board that’s based on the RP2040 chip from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It’s a low-cost dual-core microcontroller chip that can be used in embedded systems applications just like Arduino but with a much more powerful processing power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike the Raspberry Pi SBC boards, the Raspberry Pi Pico is not intended to run a general-purpose operating system (Linux), it can only run small embedded OS (like FreeRTOS) if needed in your project. But generally, you’ll most likely run bare-metal embedded applications with timers & interrupts on that RP2040 chip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Board\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Board.jpg\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Board\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
Raspberry Pi Pico & Raspberry Pi Pico W<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
There are two Raspberry Pi Pico boards that you can get depending on your project’s need for WiFi\/Bluetooth connectivity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Raspberry Pi Pico<\/strong>: No WiFi\/Bluetooth<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico W<\/strong>: Has WiFi & Bluetooth 5.2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Those two Raspberry Pi Pico boards can come to you with or without pin headers pre-soldered to the board. The version with a pin header soldered has an “H<\/strong>” letter in the name. The entire Raspberry Pi Pico boards family is shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Raspberry](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Board-Family.jpg\" "\\"Raspberry")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
Raspberry Pi Pico Specs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
The Raspberry Pi Pico<\/strong> Board Has The Following List of Features \/ Specs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Dual Core ARM Cortex-M0+ @ 133MHz<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 264kB on-chip SRAM Memory<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2MB External QSPI Flash (Supports up to 16MB)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 26 GPIO (+3.3V compatible)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 3\u00d7 12-bit ADC pins (500ksps)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 16x PWM Channels<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 1x Timer (4x Alarms), 1x Real-Time Counter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- SWD Debugging Port<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- USB 1.1 PHY (Device or Host)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Internal Core Temperature Sensor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2 \u00d7 Programmable IO (PIO) blocks, 8 state machines total
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe Raspberry Pi Pico W<\/strong> board has all the previous features plus the following additional wireless connectivity features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- On-board single-band 2.4GHz wireless interfaces: [ WiFi 802.11n + Bluetooth 5.2 ]<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bluetooth Supports: BLE & Bluetooth Classic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Despite the fact that this article’s main focus is the Raspberry Pi Pico board, it is still however very useful for all other variations of RP2040-based development boards. Especially the Raspberry Pi Pico W.<\/p>\n\n\n
Buying a Raspberry Pi Pico Kit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
If you’re looking forward to playing around with the Raspberry Pi Pico board to test its capabilities and features, you may just need to get a single board. Just like this one here<\/a>. However, if you’d like to follow along with the Raspberry Pi Pico series of tutorials published here on our website, you may consider getting the following items:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2x Pi Pico Boards, 2x Pi Pico W Boards, 4x BreadBoards, Resistors, LEDs, Buttons, Potentiometers, etc. The reason behind getting multiple boards is that we’ll be using one board as a PicoProbe debugger for SWD debugging activities. And at least 2x Pico W boards for IoT wireless applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The full kit list of the Raspberry Pi Pico series of tutorials is found at the link below, as well as some test equipment for debugging that you may consider getting for your home electronics LAB.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRaspberry Pi Pico Course Kit<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nTest Equipment Setup (Beginner)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nTest Equipment Setup (Advanced)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\nRaspberry Pi Pico Pinout<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
Here is a detailed Raspberry Pi Pico Pinout <\/strong>Diagram with colored labels and legends to help you easily identify the functionalities that each pin can perform. You can right-click and open it in a new tab to view the full-resolution image and\/or download it to your computer for reference.<\/p>\n\n\n
Raspberry Pi Pico Pinout Diagram<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Pinout\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Pinout.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Pinout\\"")
Image Source: raspberrypi.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n
Raspberry Pi Pico W Pinout Diagram<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
Here is a detailed Raspberry Pi Pico W Pinout <\/strong>Diagram with colored labels and legends to help you easily identify the functionalities that each pin can perform. You can right-click and open it in a new tab to view the full-resolution image and\/or download it to your computer for reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-w-Pinout\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-w-Pinout.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-w-Pinout\\"")
Image Source: raspberrypi.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nRaspberry Pi Pico Peripherals’ Pins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
Only 26 pins of the 40 pins of the Raspberry Pi Pico board are GPIO pins that can be used for IO operations, the rest are for power and debugging purposes. The GPIO pins of the Raspberry Pi Pico provide the following functionalities depending on the hardware peripherals’ settings you’re using in your project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 26x Digital GPIO Pins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 26x GPIO IRQ Interrupt Pins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 16x PWM Channels<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 3x ADC Analog Input Pins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2x UART Pins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2x SPI Pins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2x I2C Pins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- SWD Debug Port<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Note that the Raspberry Pi Pico GPIO pins are 3.3v logic level and they’re not 5v tolerant, unlike the Arduino GPIO pins. So you need to be careful when dealing with them. The following tutorial (linked below) is a great guide to help you use the Raspberry Pi Pico GPIO pins properly.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n![\"Raspberry](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Pinout-Diagram-Guide-GPIOs-Explained-300x169.jpg\" "\\"Raspberry")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\nRaspberry Pi Pico Pinout Guide: GPIOs Explained<\/a><\/div>\n\n\nThis article will give more in-depth information about the Raspberry Pi Pico GPIO pins and their functionalities. And how to choose the suitable pins for whatever functionality you’re trying to achieve and know the fundamental limitations of the device with some workaround tips and tricks.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\nRaspberry Pi Pico Programming Languages<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
What Programming Languages Are Supported By The Raspberry Pi Pico?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of writing this tutorial, the Raspberry Pi Pico supports programming in the following languages: MicroPython<\/strong>, CircuitPython<\/strong>, Arduino C++<\/strong>, Embedded C\/C++ (Pico SDK)<\/strong>, and Rust<\/strong>. More programming languages are being added to the list as time goes on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is already support for Scratch<\/strong> programming to teach kids and beginners. However, the major options currently are the following 4 programming languages that are mostly used to program the Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040-Based) boards.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n
\n \n C\/C++ Pico SDK<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Embedded](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Embedded-C-Programming-Logo.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n This is the most traditional (conservative) way of programming microcontrollers in the embedded systems industry. The Pico SDK C programming environment will give you some built-in low-level drivers to interface the RP2040 microcontroller’s peripherals (ADC, UART, SPI, etc..).<\/p>\n
You’ll ultimately have full control over your software that will definitely be running much faster and the code will be way less bloated compared to the other programming language options.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n \n Arduino C++<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"ESP32](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ESP32-Arduino-Vs-PlatformIO-Comparison.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n Programming the Raspberry Pi Pico using Arduino C++ is possible thanks to the community-maintained Arduino Core which is based on the Pico C SDK. This is the best option for all beginners as well as advanced makers who are already familiar with the Arduino environment.<\/p>\n
You’ll enjoy programming with the Arduino IDE and be able to use so many Arduino libraries that can accelerate your prototyping with the Pi Pico. The code will still run much faster and feel less bloated than MicroPython and other High-Level programming languages.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n \n MicroPython<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Micropython-logo.svg_.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n This is a less conservative way of programming microcontrollers. It’s a special version of the Python programming language designed to operate on small microcontrollers and has gained a lot of traction over the years.<\/p>\n
Programming the Raspberry Pi Pico in MicroPython is much easier for beginners and there are so many examples that you can copy & tweak for a rapid prototyping experience. The code will definitely run slower than C\/C++ programs but it’s not that big of a deal for a beginner who is just getting started and has some basic Python programming knowledge.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n \n CircuitPython<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"CircuitPythonLogo_Black\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/CircuitPythonLogo_Black.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n The CircuitPython is a fork of the MicroPython that was created by Adafruit. It’s the easiest programming experience you could think of thanks to the huge libraries list from Adafruit that includes nearly all sensors and modules that are commonly used in the makers’ space.<\/p>\n
Programming the Raspberry Pi Pico in CircuitPython is of course the easiest option among all and the code will run much slower than C\/C++ but, again, this is the most beginner-friendly programming language option out there.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n
In this tutorial, we’ll be using the MicroPython<\/strong> programming language to get started with Raspberry Pi Pico Programming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, you can still use a different programming language. Below are 4x “how to get started guides” that will help you get started with Raspberry Pi Pico using your desired programming language. There is a dedicated series of tutorials for each programming language with the Raspberry Pi Pico that you may need to check out.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nPico SDK (C\/C++)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Raspberry](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-C-C-SDK-Programming-And-Pico-W.jpg\" "\\"Raspberry")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGet Started<\/a>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nArduino<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Raspberry](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-Arduino-IDE-Programming-And-Pico-W.jpg\" "\\"Raspberry")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGet Started<\/a>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nMicroPython<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Getting](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Getting-Started-With-Raspberry-Pi-Pico-And-Pico-W.jpg\" "\\"Getting")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGet Started<\/a>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico W<\/strong>: Has WiFi & Bluetooth 5.2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Raspberry Pi Pico Pinout<\/a>\n\n\n<\/li>\n\n
![\"Raspberry](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-CircuitPython-Programming-And-Pico-W-Tutorial-Getting-Started.jpg\" "\\"Raspberry")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Setup-Thonny-IDE\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Setup-Thonny-IDE.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Setup-Thonny-IDE\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing-Thonny-IDE\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing-Thonny-IDE.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing-Thonny-IDE\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing1-Thonny-IDE\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing1-Thonny-IDE.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing1-Thonny-IDE\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing-Test-Thonny-IDE\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing-Test-Thonny-IDE.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Firmware-Flashing-Test-Thonny-IDE\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Interpreter-Testing\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Interpreter-Testing.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Interpreter-Testing\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Run-Code-on-Thonny-IDE\"](\"https:\/\/deepbluembedded.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Run-Code-on-Thonny-IDE.png\" "\\"Raspberry-Pi-Pico-MicroPython-Run-Code-on-Thonny-IDE\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n