Raspberry Pi is synonymous with low-cost computing through their credit-card-sized boards, which have sold millions of units since launching in 2012. Over that time there have been size and shape modifications, with the A, B, Zero, and compute modules (as well as the brand new “400” keyboard-embedded device), and their capabilities have increased with more powerful processors. But two things have been relatively constant: the price (around $25–$35 for their A and B-based models) and the functionality (Linux-based computing).
Both of those blow up today with the announcement of the Raspberry Pi Pico, their first microcontroller. It’s a diminutive board with some attractive features. Among them, the price, which is just $4, and the microcontroller chip, which, like another fruit-monikered computer company has recently done, is custom-designed silicon.
Here are the specs:
- RP2040 microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom
- Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz
- 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards
- USB 1.1 with device and host support
- Low-power sleep and dormant modes
- Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB
- 26 × multi-function GPIO pins
- 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels
- Accurate clock and timer on-chip
- Temperature sensor
- Accelerated floating-point libraries on-chip
- 8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
The board is designed to run C/C++ and MicroPython. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi (more on that in a moment). And those PIOs give an interesting flexibility to the device.
While the board pushes into the territory of traditional dev board makers like Arduino, Adafruit, and Sparkfun, these companies today also announced their adoption of the RP2040 chip, to be used in their own microcontrollers. Arduino, for instance, is putting it into a Nano-sized board called the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, which promises wireless capabilities as well as Arduino IDE compatibility.
Join us in welcoming the new @Raspberry_Pi RP2040 to the world of microcontrollers, along with the newborn Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect! https://t.co/wkk7OffpF4 pic.twitter.com/9JsaLXj7eP
— Arduino (@arduino) January 21, 2021
Adafruit has announced the ItsyBitsy RP2040 and Feather RP2040 additions to their lineups, which includes USB-C. We imagine they will support CircuitPython.
Sparkfun is launching three new boards with the RP2040 chip: The SparkFun Pro Micro, The SparkFun MicroMod, and The SparkFun Thing Plus
🎉Behold: Raspberry Pi's first microcontroller is here!🎉 We're thrilled to share the #RaspberryPi Pico and #RP2040 processor – and that's not all that's new today. See how we're enjoying (and employing) the latest innovation from @Raspberry_Pi: https://t.co/ERwtncHUTM pic.twitter.com/VQzUPuiYRL
— SparkFun Electronics (@sparkfun) January 21, 2021
And the fine folks at Pimoroni have built a ton of expansion boards for the Pico, as well as their own tiny microcontroller.
Just a few:
NEW PRODUCT ALERT: So. Many. Pico. Add-ons. We've gone completely overboard and made far too many products to fit in one tweet, so we'll be showcasing our shiny new Pico related boards throughout the day!
— pimoroni (@pimoroni) January 21, 2021
NEW PRODUCT ALERT: Pico Explorer Base – a very tidy all-in-one setup for experimentation, prototyping and learning – jam packed with features!https://t.co/jcR0rFGgKb pic.twitter.com/MW8Lyfbbx9
— pimoroni (@pimoroni) January 21, 2021
NEW PRODUCT ALERT: Pico Audio Pack – Make some high quality stereo noise via line-out or headphone jack, great for if you want to hook your Pico up to a synth!https://t.co/JvVZuN11KW
— pimoroni (@pimoroni) January 21, 2021
NEW PRODUCT ALERT: Pico Display Pack – This 1.14" IPS LCD screen is perfectly sized for a Pico, whether you want to display images, menus or 1,000 bouncy balls. It also has buttons!https://t.co/p9H3uP2AL9 pic.twitter.com/5zb92ty2fC
— pimoroni (@pimoroni) January 21, 2021
NEW PRODUCT ALERT: Pico RGB Keypad Base – a rainbow filled 4×4 grid of squishy buttons for your @Raspberry_Pi Pico 🦄https://t.co/DyyTIjQb5y
— pimoroni (@pimoroni) January 21, 2021
COMING SOON: Tiny 2040 – a fingernail-sized USB-C dev board just big enough to hold a RP2040 chip and a big ol' chunk of flash!https://t.co/zpMQv1GHDq
— pimoroni (@pimoroni) January 21, 2021
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