If you’re looking to get into the IoT world of DIY electronics, then you should check out the Raspberry Pi Pico W. This new version of the popular microcomputer features Wi-Fi, QSPI flash storage, 16 PWM channels, and two I2C controllers. This is an excellent board for many projects, including game development. Its specifications are also quite impressive. Keep reading to find out more. Until then, enjoy your new computer!
Wi-Fi
While the full Raspberry Pi can run Linux and serve as a web server, some applications prefer the lower-cost Pico. Wi-Fi is another benefit of the Pico, but the W opens up new applications that require a wireless connection. And if you’re not interested in using a server, upgrading to WiFi will cost you nothing. And if you’ve been thinking about building a WiFi-connected device for your Raspberry Pi, it’s not difficult to do.
The Pico W costs about $6, but the price will go up to seven dollars in August. The Pico H, Pico W, and Pico H are all available for purchase on several sites. Cytron and Adafruit both sell the Pico W and WH. These three boards are also compatible with the Raspberry Pi Zero. For more information, visit the Raspberry Pi website or the Adafruit website.
The Pico W has WiFi, but no Bluetooth. Its WiFi chip is made by Infineon, and the RP2040 firmware is still lacking Bluetooth support. It’s a steal at just over $6, but many people have been disappointed with the lack of Bluetooth. While there’s still a lot to be said for this microcontroller, Wi-Fi on Raspberry Pi Pico W is definitely a plus.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has announced the launch of a new microcontroller based on the same RP2040 chip used in the original Pico. Pico W microcontroller is built on TSMC 40nm process and has 264KB of on-chip SRAM. It costs around $6, which is considerably less than the original Pico. If you want to build your own IoT device or build a smart home automation system, the Pico W is the perfect device.
QSPI flash storage
QSPI flash storage is a useful way to add memory to your Raspberry Pi Pico W board. The device has a small footprint and nearly identical physical GPIO pinout. Most hardware designed for the Raspberry Pi should work fine on the Pico W. One noticeable change is the relocation of the SWD header. If you intend to use any hardware that requires this header, you will need to unsolder its pads.
You can purchase the Pico W board from any Raspberry Pi reseller. This new model costs about $6 and adds Wi-Fi support. The original Pico is still only $4, and the Pico W board now comes with Wi-Fi capability. QSPI flash storage allows you to store up to 2MB of data, making it ideal for IoT projects that do not require Wi-Fi connectivity.
If you don’t need a lot of storage, you can also purchase a microcontroller with an extra 2MB of RAM. The Pico W is a great addition to your Raspberry Pi projects. You can also add more RAM with more memory. It has a MicroPython port and 30 GPIO ports. You can also use the Pico for smart homes, wearables, robotics, and more. You can also download a detailed Raspberry Pi tutorial for a Pico using QSPI flash storage.
The Raspberry Pi 2040 has an abundant amount of onboard RAM but no built-in FLASH memory. Its QSPI flash memory is provided by an external QSPI flash chip, which is shared by the running application and the MicroPython and CircuitPython programs. The Pico has a minimum of 1 MB of RAM and the rest is used for images and programs.
16 PWM channels
The Raspberry Pi Pico W has 16 PWM channels. This means that you can control up to 16 LEDs on the same board. The device comes with two I2C controllers, two SPI controllers, and two UARTs multiplexed across the GPIO. Each of these channels is independent. Each pin can be used to drive two PWM outputs, but you cannot use the same pin for both duty cycle and frequency.
The Pi Pico expansion module provides an easy way to control 16 servos with a resolution of 16 bits. The Pico board also includes an output voltage regulator. This allows you to power the board from a battery via its VIN pin. This is a convenient feature to have if you’re trying to drive 16 LEDs simultaneously. It’s also easy to use and is ideal for learning new skills.
The Pico W has two firmware options – MicroPython and CircuitPython. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Obviously, the Pi Pico W is a lot faster than MicroPython, so you might want to use it if you’re just getting started. The IDE for Raspberry Pi comes with the Raspbian operating system, which is one of the most widely used.
Another option is to use a servo driver. It can be connected to two I2C pins and can drive up to 16 servos with its 16 PWM channels. It is easy to use and works well with any servo that has a 5V power supply. For a more advanced project, you can add an Adafruit 16-Channel 12-bit PWM/Servo Driver to the board.
Two I2C controllers
The Pi’s I2C controller allows you to create a master-slave configuration by writing to one of the RX FIFOs and reading the data from the other. It also allows you to set a DREQ (Data Request Equalizer) to control the speed of transfers to and from a particular I2C instance. The Pi’s I2C controller supports up to 127 slave devices.
The Pico W has GPIO pins that use the two I2C controllers and two SPI busses. Both of these interfaces are capable of digital input and output as well as pulse width modulation and specialist communication protocols. Moreover, there is an on-chip LED next to the microUSB connector. Lastly, the Pico features an on-board LED that is connected to GPIO pin 25.
The Pico W uses two I2C busses: the Serial Clock Line (SCL) and the Serial Data Line (SDA). The SDA bus transfers data while the SCL provides the clock signal. All devices on an I2C bus are connected to the SDA and SCL lines. They can operate as masters or slaves and are recognized by a unique 7-bit address. In both cases, the first byte of each packet contains an address in the LSB position and the read/write bit in the LSB position. This byte toggles between the two lines.
The I2C interface is an excellent way to connect a display. The Pi’s OLED display module supports the PSI/I2C interface. The SSD1305 built-in controller in the OLED display module provides 132 x 64 pixels of resolution and is compatible with SPI/I2C or 8080 parallel ports. The Pi’s four-wire SPI interface supports I2C communication. It transmits a 7-bit slave device address and 1 bit read and write bits.
Bluetooth
The Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller was released last January. It has since sold more than 2 million units, but lacked Wi-Fi. With the Pico W, that problem is solved. For $6, you can get WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Bluetooth is also expected to come later. The following are a few features of the Pico W. These features may make it a great option for home automation and other projects.
The Raspberry Pi Pico W uses the same RP2040 microcontroller as the original. It features two 133MHz cores and 256kB of SRAM. MicroPython and C++ are supported. To use the new Pico W, you will need to download the SDK and an updated UF2 image. Bluetooth is coming to the Raspberry Pi Pico W later.
The CYW43439 module supports both Bluetooth Low Energy and Classic. It may not be compatible with the Pico W yet, but the Pico H and Pico W come with pre-populated headers. Hopefully, the Pico W will have Bluetooth support soon. However, you should not wait too long to start programming. And be sure to read the official documentation for the Pico W before purchasing.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently announced the Pico W microcontroller. It costs just six dollars more than the original Pico but has a better WiFi and Bluetooth connection. If you are interested in WiFi-connected tasks, the Pico might be a good choice. However, if you’re looking for WiFi and Bluetooth, the Pico W is a great choice. There are plenty of other features and functions you can build on it.
