Ash (362)The Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller is now officially a family of boards thanks to the introduction of three new Pico models unveiled today featuring new exciting specifications from pre-soldered headers to much-sought-after wireless support. The new boards include the Raspberry Pi Pico W, Raspberry Pi Pico H, and Raspberry Pi Pico WH.
Price: $6 The Raspberry Pi Pico W is immediately available with an asking price of $6. It has the same specifications as the original Pico with the added bonus of 802.11n wireless network support as well as a new 3-pin debug connector.
| Spec | Raspberry Pi Pico W |
|---|---|
| Size | 21mm × 51mm |
| Microcontroller | RP2040 |
| Processor | Dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ |
| CPU Speed | 133 MHz |
| Wireless Support | 802.11n |
| Memory | 264KB SRAM |
| GPIO | 26 Multifunction Pins |
| Debug | 3-pin |
| Analogue Inputs | 3 |
| UART | 2 |
| SPI Controllers | 2 |
| I2C Controllers | 2 |
| PWM Channels | 16 |
| USB 1.1 Controller | 1 |
| Programmable I/O State Machines | 8 |
| Power Input | 1.8–5.5V DC |
| Clock Module | Yes |
| Temperature sensor | Yes |
| LED | Yes |
| Button | Yes |
Price: $5 For $5, users can pick up the Raspberry Pi Pico H which comes with headers pre-soldered into place. It does not have Wi-Fi support but can save makers valuable time by coming with headers by default.
Price: $7 The Raspberry Pi Pico WH combines the pre-soldered headers option with the wireless support. It has the same specifications as the Pico W but comes with headers right off the bat for an extra $1. According to the official post from Eben Upton, this board won’t be available until August.
The other notable change in specifications is the addition of a new 3-pin debug connector. This will be available going forward on the Raspberry Pi Pico as well as the Raspberry Pi Pico W modules. Additional information about the new debug connector can be found on the official Raspberry Pi website.
A secondary MicroPython UF2 firmware has also been released to accompany the new Wi-Fi support. Eben explains that this new release will be a separate build reserved specifically for the Pico W and will remain separate going forward. The original MicroPython firmware will be reserved for the regular Pico module. You can find more information about the new MicroPython UF2 wireless firmware on the official Raspberry Pi website. This new firmware is available now for makers to tinker with and explore.
Now is an excellent time to get started with the Raspberry Pi Pico. If you want to snag one of the new wireless boards, your best bet is to check out one of the official vendors. As of writing, Pimoroni is sold out but you can find options to preorder boards from places like Canakit, Vilros, and The Pi Hut.
Ash (362)The Raspberry Pi Pico is the first official microcontroller to come from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and like the SBCs that came before it, the Pico is compatible with a variety of HATs from third party developers. Today we’ve got an exciting new barcode scanning Pico HAT and Barcode Scanner Breakout to share with you created by maker Om Singh. Om recently created a Kickstarter that has more than surpassed its initial goal, ensuring the new boards are well on their way to development. The HAT is designed to mount to the Pico while the breakout can connect to devices via microUSB. Both provide a variety of tools to both scan and process various barcodes.
