The Raspberry Pi Pico W is a small, low-cost development board designed for embedded applications. It is powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor and features 264KB of on-chip RAM, a Micro-USB port for power and data, and a range of GPIO pins for interfacing with external devices. It also includes built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, making it a versatile option for IoT projects. The board can be programmed using a variety of programming languages, including C, MicroPython, and CircuitPython, and is compatible with a wide range of peripherals and sensors.

 

Package Includes:

• 1 x Raspberry Pi Pico W Development Board

 

Features:

1. Dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor running at up to 133 MHz.
2. 264KB of on-chip RAM for program execution and data storage.
3. Built-in Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless communication.
4. Micro-USB port for power and data.
5. Separate pin header for external power sources, such as a battery.
6. 26 multi-function general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins.
7. Support for a variety of communication protocols, including I2C, SPI, and UART.
8. Onboard sensors, including a temperature sensor and a light sensor.
9. Programmable using C, MicroPython, and CircuitPython.
10. Compatible with a wide range of peripherals and sensors.
11. Small and low-cost, making it ideal for embedded systems and IoT applications.

 

Description:

The Raspberry Pi Pico W is a small, affordable development board that is designed to be used for embedded systems and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It was released in 2021 as a variant of the Raspberry Pi Pico board, and it includes additional built-in wireless connectivity options, specifically Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Pico W is powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, which is capable of running at up to 133 MHz. It also includes 264KB of on-chip RAM, which can be used for data storage and program execution. Additionally, the board has a Micro-USB port for power and data, and it supports external power sources, such as a battery, through a separate pin header. One of the most notable features of the Pico W is its built-in wireless connectivity options. It includes both Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity, which allow it to connect to a wide range of devices and networks. This makes it well-suited for IoT applications, as it can be used to communicate with other wireless devices, such as sensors or other computing devices. The board also features a range of general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins, which can be used to interface with external devices and sensors. These pins can be programmed to support a variety of protocols, including I2C, SPI, and UART. Additionally, the board includes a number of onboard sensors, such as a temperature sensor and a light sensor. Programming the Pico W can be done using a variety of languages, including C, MicroPython, and CircuitPython. The board is compatible with a wide range of peripherals and sensors, which makes it a flexible platform for building a variety of embedded systems and IoT applications.

 

Principle of Work:

The Raspberry Pi Pico W development board is based on a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, which is a low-power, high-performance processor designed specifically for embedded systems. The board has 264KB of on-chip RAM, which is used for program execution and data storage. To program the board, you can use a variety of programming languages, including C, MicroPython, and CircuitPython. The programming language is used to write code that controls the board's behavior and interacts with external devices and sensors. The board includes a range of general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins, which can be used to interface with external devices and sensors. These pins can be programmed to support a variety of communication protocols, including I2C, SPI, and UART. This allows the board to communicate with a wide range of peripherals and sensors.

In addition to the GPIO pins, the board includes built-in wireless connectivity options, specifically Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi. These wireless protocols allow the board to communicate with other wireless devices and networks, making it well-suited for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Once the board has been programmed, it can be powered using a Micro-USB port or an external power source, such as a battery. The code runs on the board's processor, which uses the on-chip RAM for program execution and data storage. The board's behavior is determined by the code that has been programmed into it, which can include reading sensor data, controlling external devices, and communicating with other devices and networks.

also, a key benefit of the Raspberry Pi Pico W development board is that it can be programmed using CircuitPython, a beginner-friendly programming language that simplifies the process of working with embedded systems and microcontrollers. CircuitPython is a variant of the Python programming language that has been specifically designed for use with embedded systems. It includes a number of built-in libraries and modules that simplify common tasks, such as working with GPIO pins, reading sensor data, and communicating with external devices.

To program the Raspberry Pi Pico W using CircuitPython, all you need to do is connect the board to your computer using a Micro-USB cable. The board will appear as a USB storage device, and you can simply drag and drop a CircuitPython script onto the board to start running it. This approach to programming is often referred to as "plug and play," since there is no need to install complex software or configure complicated settings. Instead, you can simply write your code in a text editor, save it as a ".py" file, and copy it onto the board like any other file.

Once the code has been copied onto the board, it will begin executing automatically. The code can interact with the board's GPIO pins, sensors, and wireless connectivity options, allowing you to build a wide range of projects and applications.

 

Pinout of the Module:

 

Pin	Name	Function
1	3V3	3.3V power output
2	GP0 / ADC0	General-purpose input/output (GPIO) or analog-to-digital converter (ADC) input
3	GP1 / ADC1	GPIO or ADC input
4	GP2 / ADC2	GPIO or ADC input
5	GP3 / ADC3	GPIO or ADC input
6	GP4	GPIO
7	GP5	GPIO
8	GP6	GPIO
9	GP7	GPIO
10	GND	Ground
11	SWDIO	Serial wire debug input/output, used for programming and debugging the board
12	SWCLK	Serial wire debug clock, used for programming and debugging the board
13	BOOTSEL	Boot selection pin, used for selecting the mode in which the board boots up
14	LED	An onboard LED that can be controlled by software
15	UART0_TX	UART transmit pin, used for serial communication
16	UART0_RX	UART receive pin, used for serial communication
17	I2C0_SCL	I2C clock pin, used for communicating with I2C devices
18	I2C0_SDA	I2C data pin, used for communicating with I2C devices
19	SPI0_RX	SPI receive pin, used for communicating with SPI devices
20	SPI0_TX	SPI transmit pin, used for communicating with SPI devices
21	SPI0_SCK	SPI clock pin, used for communicating with SPI devices
22	SPI0_CSn	SPI chip select pin, used for selecting the target device in SPI communication
23	USB_DN	USB data negative pin, used for USB communication
24	USB_DP	USB data positive pin, used for USB communication
25	USB_VBUS	USB power input pin
26	Wi-Fi_ANT	Wi-Fi antenna pin
27	BT_ANT	Bluetooth antenna pin
28	RESET	Reset pin, used for resetting the board

 

Applications: 

1. Internet of Things (IoT) devices: The small size, low power consumption, and built-in wireless capabilities of the board make it well-suited for IoT applications.
2. Robotics: The board's GPIO pins and ability to control motors make it ideal for controlling robots and other mechanical systems.
3. Home automation: The board can be used to control and monitor various home automation systems, such as lighting and temperature control.
4. Educational projects: The low cost and ease of use of the board make it a popular choice for educational projects, particularly in teaching programming and electronics.
5. Wearable technology: The small size and low power consumption of the board make it a great option for wearable technology projects, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers.
6. Audio and music projects: The board can be used to create audio and music projects, such as synthesizers and music players.
7. Environmental monitoring: The board's ability to read various sensors and transmit data wirelessly make it useful for environmental monitoring projects, such as air quality sensors.
8. Industrial automation: The board can be used in various industrial automation applications, such as controlling machines and monitoring processes.

 

Circuit:

We will need no circuit as we use only the onboard LED

 

Library:

Installing CircuitPython on the Raspberry Pi Pico W development board is a straightforward process, and can be done in a few simple steps:

1. First, download the latest version of CircuitPython for the Raspberry Pi Pico W from the Adafruit website.

   1. Go to the Adafruit CircuitPython Downloads page at https://circuitpython.org/downloads.
   2. Scroll down to the section labeled "Raspberry Pi Pico" and find the latest version of CircuitPython for the Pico.
   3. Click the "Download" button next to the version you want to download. This will download a .uf2 file to your computer.
   4. Save the .uf2 file to a location on your computer where you can easily find it later, such as your desktop or Downloads folder.
2. Connect your Pico to your computer using a micro-USB cable.
3. Double-click the BOOT button on the Pico to enter the bootloader mode.
4. The Pico should appear on your computer as a USB drive named "RPI-RP2". Open this drive.
5. Drag and drop the CircuitPython .uf2 file that you downloaded in step 1 onto the "RPI-RP2" drive.
6. Wait for the file transfer to complete, which may take a few seconds.
7. Once the transfer is complete, the Pico will automatically restart and run CircuitPython.

That's it! You have successfully installed CircuitPython on your Raspberry Pi Pico W development board. You can now write and run Python code on the Pico, using any text editor or integrated development environment (IDE) that supports CircuitPython.

 

Code:  

CircuitPython code example that blinks an LED connected to pin GP25 on the Raspberry Pi Pico W development board:
(To use this code, simply save it as a .py file on your computer, connect your Raspberry Pi Pico W board to your computer via USB, and copy the file to the Pico board's USB drive. The code will automatically run on the board when it is powered up or reset.)

import time
import board
import digitalio

led = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.GP25)
led.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT

while True:
    led.value = True
    time.sleep(0.5)
    led.value = False
    time.sleep(0.5)

This code imports the necessary libraries for working with the board's GPIO pins and the time module for creating delays. It then sets up an LED connected to pin GP25 as output and enters an infinite loop that turns the LED on and off with a half-second delay between each state change.

 

 

Technical Details:

Microcontroller:

• RP2040 dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor
• 133 MHz clock speed
• 264 KB of RAM
• 2 MB of flash memory

Wireless Connectivity:

• Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) with built-in ceramic antenna
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.2 with built-in antenna

Power:

• Micro-USB port for power and data
• Input voltage: 5V DC (recommended)

I/O and Peripherals:

• 26x multi-function GPIO pins
• 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 2x UART, 3x 12-bit ADC, 16x PWM channels
• USB 1.1 host and device support
• Native QWERTY or DVORAK keyboard support
• 3.5mm stereo audio output
• 4x analog channels with 12-bit ADC resolution
• 40 MHz crystal for accurate timing and low jitter

Dimensions:

• 51mm x 21mm x 3.5mm (2.0" x 0.83" x 0.14")
• 7 grams (0.25 oz)

 

 

Resources:

• Documentation

 

Comparisons:

The Raspberry Pi Pico W development board and the Raspberry Pi Pico development board are similar in many ways, but there are some notable differences between them. Here's a comparison of the two boards:

1. Wireless Connectivity: The most significant difference between the two boards is that the Pico W includes built-in wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while the Pico does not. This means that the Pico W can easily connect to wireless networks and communicate with other devices without the need for additional hardware.
2. Processor and Memory: Both boards feature the same RP2040 microcontroller chip, which is a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor with 264KB of RAM. However, the Pico W includes an additional 2MB of flash memory for program storage, while the Pico has only 2MB of flash memory.
3. Form Factor: The Pico W is slightly larger than the Pico, measuring 51mm x 21mm compared to 51mm x 21mm. The Pico W also includes a USB Type-C port for power and data, while the Pico has a micro-USB port.
4. Power Consumption: The Pico W consumes more power than the Pico due to its built-in wireless connectivity. This means that battery-powered projects may not last as long on the Pico W compared to the Pico.