The Raspberry Pi Pico is a versatile, low-cost microcontroller board engineered by Raspberry Pi Ltd in the UK. Built around the custom RP2040 chip, it features a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor running at clock speeds up to 133 MHz. The Pico bridges high computing performance with accessible micro-level hardware control, making it a favorite for maker projects, embedded systems, robotics, and STEM education.
The board incorporates 264KB of high-speed on-chip SRAM divided into six independent banks and 2MB of onboard QSPI flash memory for program code and file storage. Programmability is effortless thanks to drag-and-drop mass storage flashing over its Micro-USB 1.1 port, with native support for C/C++, MicroPython, CircuitPython, and Arduino IDE.
A major highlight of the board is its 8 Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines, which can independently execute low-level hardware protocols without taxing the main CPU cores—allowing developers to emulate custom interface peripherals such as SD card controllers, WS2812 LED drivers, or VGA video signals. The board features a 40-pin DIP layout with castellated edges, making it ideal for standard breadboard insertion or direct surface-mount soldering onto custom target boards.
| Core Chipset | Raspberry Pi RP2040 silicon (Dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ @ 133 MHz) |
|---|---|
| Memory & Storage | 264KB SRAM + 2MB onboard QSPI Flash memory |
| Programmable I/O | 8× PIO state machines for flexible custom peripheral emulation |
| USB Controller | Micro-USB 1.1 interface supporting USB Host and Device modes |
| Multi-Function GPIOs | 26 multi-function 3.3V GPIO pins (including 3× 12-bit ADC channels) |
| Onboard Peripherals | 2× SPI, 2× I2C, 2× UART, 16× PWM channels, internal temperature sensor, and accurate clock |
| Power Management | Onboard low-noise SMPS supply supporting 1.8V to 5.5V DC input via V_SYS |
| Programming Modes | Drag-and-drop programming via USB storage drive using BOOTSEL button |
| Form Factor | Ultra-compact 21mm × 51mm DIP layout with castellated edge pads |
Is it compatible with Arduino and Raspberry Pi?
Yes. It works with Arduino, Raspberry Pi projects.
Can I buy the Raspberry Pi Pico W in Kanpur?
Yes – buy online with delivery across India, or pick it up from the iTechBuilders store, Damodar Nagar, Kanpur.
