# Raspberry Pi Pico

**URL:** <https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272>\
**Category:** Hardware\
**Created:** [January 21, 2021, 7:57am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272 "2021-01-21T07:57:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/stm/32/5013_2.png) [@STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/STM)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 7:57am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/1 "2021-01-21T07:57:11Z")

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A dual-core ARM M0+ microcontroller.  
May be useful for adding more stuff to the Zynth 😀

> **[Raspberry Pi Pico Review: ‘Pi Silicon’ Debuts on $4 Microcontroller](https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/raspberry-pi-pico-review)**
>
> The smallest Raspberry Pi yet!

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**Author:** ![riban](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/riban/32/2331_2.png) [@riban](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/riban)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 10:33am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/2 "2021-01-21T10:33:13Z")

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Ooh! That looks interesting. If only there was a way to buy one without doubling its price with postage…

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**Author:** ![MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mrbroccoli/32/3195_2.png) [@MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/MrBroccoli)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 11:34am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/3 "2021-01-21T11:34:57Z")

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I had a quick look at it. Can’t see much that distinguishes it from all the other similar devices, apart from it being part of the RP support system.

I’ll wait for the Arduino nano / teensy / esp8266 / esp32 comparison articles I think!

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**Author:** ![wyleu](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/wyleu/32/514_2.png) [@wyleu](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/wyleu)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/4 "2021-01-21T12:23:30Z")

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Well if you are considering soldering SMD carving your own dies can’t be too far away . . .

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**Author:** ![Baggypants](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/baggypants/32/1911_2.png) [@Baggypants](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/Baggypants)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 12:34pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/5 "2021-01-21T12:34:50Z")

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Who here will be the first to buy the 600 unit reel?

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**Author:** ![riban](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/riban/32/2331_2.png) [@riban](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/riban)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/6 "2021-01-21T13:23:20Z")

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It could replace the MCP chips in zyncoder modules.

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**Author:** ![MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mrbroccoli/32/3195_2.png) [@MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/MrBroccoli)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/7 "2021-01-21T21:52:58Z")

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> **[Pico RGB Keypad Base – Pimoroni](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/pico-rgb-keypad-base)**
>
> Connect a glorious, squishy, 4x4 rainbow-illuminated keypad to your Raspberry Pi Pico - perfect for making a custom USB input device!

Now we are talking.

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**Author:** ![STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/stm/32/5013_2.png) [@STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/STM)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 2:45am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/8 "2021-01-22T02:45:32Z")

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> [@MrBroccoli](#):
>
> Now we are talking.

Nice! Ordered one with a pico (only one pico per costumer) to have something to tinker with right after the other dozens of things I’d like to play with 😉

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**Author:** ![MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mrbroccoli/32/3195_2.png) [@MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/MrBroccoli)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:52am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/9 "2021-01-22T09:52:46Z")

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Right… I did the same, because I simple must be one of the first to have one of these lying around on a shelf mostly

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**Author:** ![catherder](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/catherder/32/5330_2.png) [@catherder](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/catherder)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:54am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/10 "2021-01-22T09:54:00Z")

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What makes it interesting for me is the almost 10 times higher clock than that of an Arduino and it does both USB device and host mode. Very interesting for MIDI projects. I ordered the audio interface as well. Just £13.30 and if that’s true: Pico Audio Pack uses its PCM5100A DAC to output up to 32-bit, 384KHz stereo… Not sure if it meant to be 38.4KHz

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**Author:** ![deldor](https://discourse.zynthian.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@deldor](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/deldor)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/11 "2021-01-22T18:14:53Z")

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Just laid my hands on a Pi Pico by getting a copy of HackSpace mag. from newsagent, which has a “free” one on the cover - at £6 the mag was still cheaper than buying online with postage, particularly as you can only order 1 each online at the moment.

Hopefully get a chance to have a play with it in the next few days.

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**Author:** ![deldor](https://discourse.zynthian.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@deldor](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/deldor)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/12 "2021-01-23T20:32:15Z")

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Well it works.  
Flashes onboard LED and does Hello World! via USB and can be viewed with Minicom.

I am using a Pi 400 as the “programmer” machine.

Once tool chain is installed it’s easy to drag and drop the .UF2 file to the Pico when mounted as a USB storage device. Once dropped, it automatically reboots and runs the code dropped onto it.

Will hopefully send a sequence of MIDI notes tomorrow via the serial UART and my little midi interface circuit to my Zynthian, for a test. Then will play with other IO features.

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**Author:** ![MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mrbroccoli/32/3195_2.png) [@MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/MrBroccoli)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/13 "2021-01-25T13:53:01Z")

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![20210125_134512](https://discourse.zynthian.org/uploads/default/original/2X/3/3cd86c46a714e9c7d0a4a86a785fa6c1e875de02.jpeg)

It just arrived!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/stm/32/5013_2.png) [@STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/STM)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/14 "2021-01-25T15:31:16Z")

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Nice! I’m a bit envious because I’ll have to wait some days as mine just got shipped today…

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**Author:** ![riban](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/riban/32/2331_2.png) [@riban](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/riban)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/15 "2021-01-25T15:46:29Z")

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And they are getting smaller: [https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/tiny-2040](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/tiny-2040)

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**Author:** ![MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mrbroccoli/32/3195_2.png) [@MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/MrBroccoli)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:20pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/16 "2021-01-27T19:20:57Z")

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> **[Raspberry fish & RP2040 chip - Raspberry Pi](https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/raspberry-fish-rp2040-chip/)**
>
> In this guest post, Stijn of This is Not Rocket Science shares their fishily musical application of our new RP2040 chip.

And they are getting synthier

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**Author:** ![MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mrbroccoli/32/3195_2.png) [@MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/MrBroccoli)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/17 "2021-01-31T14:37:21Z")

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[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cVHCllbN3bQ/maxresdefault.jpg "#370 Raspberry Pi Pico vs ESP32 (-S2) and STM32 Blackpill") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVHCllbN3bQ)

Brace yourselves, comparison videos are coming.

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**Author:** ![STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/stm/32/5013_2.png) [@STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/STM)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/18 "2021-02-05T18:16:40Z")

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Well, it’s something 🌈

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sbYOZ7JBS1I/maxresdefault.jpg "Raspberry Pi Pico Rainbow") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbYOZ7JBS1I)

Now I just have to learn how to code an USB Midi controller (with feedback). Sooo… Never? 😉

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**Author:** ![MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mrbroccoli/32/3195_2.png) [@MrBroccoli](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/MrBroccoli)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/19 "2021-02-05T18:42:52Z")

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I got one too…

Hot tip on the feedback idea… Each light is a Modi note that your midi app (in our case zynthian) plays back when you press a key. The colour will probably depend on the note velocity.

At least that’s how I understand it on other midi controllers.

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**Author:** ![STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/stm/32/5013_2.png) [@STM](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/STM)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272/20 "2021-02-05T18:48:26Z")

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Something like that, yes.  
But first I have to figure out how to send Midi over USB or just come up with some small Midi circuit

[Next page](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/raspberry-pi-pico/5272.md?page=2)