When we talk about the Raspberry Pi it is easy to think that we are referring to the “big” development board, the one that all or most of us know. But The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently launched a second proposal called Raspberry Pi Pico, which due to its dimensions is more interesting for certain uses. Much more if you accompany it with some of the most curious and fun accessories that already exist.
What is the Raspberry Pi Pico
The Raspberry Pi Pico, in case you don’t know it yet, is a very compact development board. It was presented in early 2021 with the aim of offering one more option for those looking to carry out projects where smaller elements are needed.
Logically, that it is a more compact board implies sacrifices, such as certain components and connections that are not compared to the Raspberry Pi 4. Even so, the technical characteristics of this Raspberry Pi Pico are not bad:
- RP2040 microcontroller designed by Raspberry Pi
- ARM Cortex M0 + dual core 133 Mhz
- 264 KB SRAM
- 2MB onboard Flash memory
- USB 1.1 with host support
- Low Power Mode and Hibernate
- Drag-and-drop programming using USB mass storage
- 26-pin multi-function GPIO
- 2 SPI, 2 I2C, 2 UART, 3 12-bit ADC, 16 PWM channels
- Temperature sensor
- Precise onboard clock
- On-chip floating point libraries
- 8 programmable I / O ports (PIO)
Taking into account that the Raspberry Pi Pico costs barely 5 euros , the truth is that it is not bad at all and it can give a lot of play if you already have experience or have enough skills and the desire to follow the numerous projects that are already beginning to circulate around Internet.
Best Raspberry Pi Pico Accessories
The Raspberry Pi Pico is a development board that you can do a lot of things with. For starters, thanks to its 26 GPIO pins and three analog inputs it can be used for IoT (Internet of Things) projects, home automation or even to create tiny gaming devices.
It is true that for some types of uses it is not the most suitable, for that is its other superior version and with more connections (microSD card reader, HDMI output, USB, etc.), but if you accompany it with some interesting modules you will see that things change.
PicoSystem
This without a doubt is the ideal complement and one of the best modules that we will see in a long time for the Raspberry Pi Pico. What’s more, you almost certainly want one as soon as you know about it.
PicoSystem is an all-in-one that includes a screen, a control cross and four buttons with which you can even turn the Raspberry Pi Pico into a small pocket console. To enjoy the odd game when you have a few minutes of leisure.
Scroll Peak
This small module with the same dimensions as the Raspberry Pi Pico offers a total of 119 white LEDs arranged in a 17 x 7 matrix . These can be controlled individually along with four touch buttons that allow you to pre-program them to perform different actions, such as on and off or different ways of lighting up following previously established patterns.
Unicorn Peak
In the same way as with the previous one, this Pico Unicorn module differs from the other one that instead of white LEDs there are RGB LEDs . Of course, this gives a little more play and allows you to create projects or use them to be able to show different types of alerts through a color code that can be implemented.
For the rest, they are physically identical in terms of sizes and it also offers four touch buttons that can be configured according to the needs of the user and the functions that you want to assign them.
Pico Audio
This other module designed for the Raspberry Pi Pico allows you to create an audio amplifier that improves the sound experience when using headphones with your device, whatever it is, if you previously pass the output signal through it. This is thanks to an integrated DAC that, like others on the market, helps to make up for the deficiencies of those integrated in, mainly, some portable players.
Peak RGB Keypad
With a matrix of 4 x 4 buttons illuminated through RGB LEDs, this module offers a keyboard that can be configured as the user wants to, for example, act as a custom USB control with which to launch macro actions available in many computer applications. type streaming or games.
Peak Display
Pico Display is a 1.14 ″ IPS LCD screen that offers a resolution of 240 × 135 pixels . It is little, it is true, but it is in color and is accompanied by four buttons plus an RGB LED that can give a lot of play. If you need a small display to show information, it is the ideal option.
For example, imagine using it to create some type of home automation controller through which you can interact with other household devices and on the screen it indicates its status. Surely you see many more uses if you already have experience in this project with Raspberry Pi.
How to get started with the Raspberry Pi Pico
All these curious modules are by Pimoroni and as you can see they give rise to numerous ideas. But if you are wondering how to start doing various projects with the Raspberry Pi Pico , it is best to do it with the official documentation offered by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This will help you to get to know the hardware well, its connections and see the first examples to know its potential and possibilities.
From there, it is a matter of starting to investigate and enter specialized forums where many users explain what they are doing, give advice and much more to get the most out of this particular device.