Introduction to Raspberry Pi Pico

Hello, readers welcome to new post. Here we will discuss Introduction to Raspberry Pi Pico. It is a microcontroller that is created by the Raspberry Pi having the first version. That is compatible with the Raspberry Pi RP2040 chip and its operation is based on the ARM Dual-core Cortex architecture. The operating frequency for this module is 133 megahertz. As compared to other Pi boards that are based on Linux single-board computers this board is less expensive and comes with 264 kilobyte SRAM.

In this post we will discuss its working pinout and some other features with detail. So let get started

Introduction to Raspberry Pi Pico

• This microcontroller consists of a Dual-core ARM cortex M0+ processor that has a frequency range of one thirty-three megahertz

• Comes with a Static RAM having a memory of two sixty-four kilo bytes with flash storage of two megabytes that can be extended to sixteen megabytes.
• It consists of twenty-six general-purpose input-output pins used for different purposes also compatible to the 3.3 volts digital input and output pins.
• It get power from USB, exterior power sources as well batteries. Its best benefit is that it uses drag-and-drop programming so there is no need of any programmer to program it.
• At the lower side of the board, there is no existence of wires. RP2040 is the first controller belonging to PI that revolutionized the operation.

Raspberry Pi Pico Features

• It is created by the Raspberry Pi in UK

• 21 mm × 51 mm form factor
• Dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz
• 264KB on-chip SRAM
• 2MB on-board QSPI Flash
• 26 multifunction GPIO pins, including 3 analog inputs
  • 2 × UART,
  • 2 × SPI controllers
  • 16 × PWM channels
  • 2 × I2C controllers,
• Accurate on-chip clock
• Temperature sensor
• Accelerated integer and floating-point libraries on-chip
• 1 × USB 1.1 controller and PHY, with host and device support
• 8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
• Supported input power 1.8 to5.5V DC
• The operating temperature value range is -20°C to +85°C
• The castellated module allows soldering directly to carrier boards
• Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB
• Low-power sleep and dormant modes

RP2040 Microcontroller

All previously used Raspberry Pi boards such as Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, and Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, come with  Processors BCM2835, BCM2836, BCM2711, etc. This type of processor is used to operate a complete operating system such as Linux.

The Raspberry Pi PIco RP2040 is made by Raspberry Pi as a microcontroller.

.RP2040 supports Dual ARM Cortex-M0+ cores the clock frequency is about 133 MHz and comes with  40 nm node.

This board comes with larger on-chip memory and certain featured Programmable I/O (PIO) blocks

• In the name of RP2040 RP is Raspberry Pi.
• 2 is processing cores
• 0 is the processor category
• 4 is Ram
• 0 no non-volatile memory

Raspberry Pi Pico Pinout

• There are forty pinouts positioned on the  BOARD out of forty twenty-six are general-purpose pins that work on the 3.3 volts with those eight ground pins.

• There are three pins also connected on the board to work as debugs.
• above figure, all pins are labeled
• Here all pins of Raspberry Pi Pico are discussed

Raspberry Pi Pico GPIOs PINs

• On twenty-six fro thirty are used and the 27th pin is employed for LED. These pins get power from the 3.3 volts. Pins denoted as GPIO0 to GPIO22 are digital pinouts while pins GPIO 26 to 28 are used as digital GPIO with that Analog to digital converter input.

Raspberry Pi Pico Power PINs

• These pins are used to get power from external power sources for the board and other external devices connected to the board get power. Pico power pins are described here
• VBUS: it is pin no 40 it gets the five volts input from the USB port
• VSYS: 39 no pins are used to give 3.3 volts output to the microprocessor of the board as well other input/output pins.
• 3V3_EN: It is used on and off the board and also used to enable 3.3 volts power supply

• 3V3(Out): Its bearable current is three hundred milliamperes giving power to RP2040.

Raspberry Pi Pico Ground Pinout

• Grund pins of Pi PICO are discussed here
• GND: The no of these pins are 3,8,13,18,23,28,33,38 these pins have had some connection. Every external device’s sensors are linked to these pins to make a close circuit that makes the common reference
• AGND: it is pin no 33 and is known as an analog ground this helps to give reference volts to ADC and DAC
• Also known as analog ground. It is intended for reference voltage for the ADCs and DACs.

Raspberry Pi Pico Test Point

• Points used to make the testing of the board during manufacturing are called test point
• Here are some test points listed
• TP1: used as ground
• TP2: used as USB DM
• TP3: Work as USB DP
• TP4: It is not used and the SMPS pin
• TP5: not used

Raspberry Pi Pico Programming

• It can get the program through the use of MicroPython and Thonny IDE used as compilers and also support the C and C++ languages