Pico: run multiple tasks with asyncio
Blink an LED, read a sensor, and serve a web page at the same time on a Pico with MicroPython asyncio. Cooperative multitasking without an RTOS.
Platform
Pico / RP2040
Cheap, fast, surprisingly fun once you wrap your head around PIO. MicroPython or C.
27 tutorials
Pico: log sensor data to microSD with timestamps
Wire a microSD card to a Pico over SPI and write timestamped CSV sensor logs that survive power loss. The offline data logger pattern.
Pico: drive DC motors with the L298N
Wire a Pico to an L298N motor driver, drive one or two DC motors with PWM speed control in MicroPython, and get direction control for free. The start of every wheeled robot.
Pico W: send email alerts over SMTP
Send email straight from a Pico W over SMTP with STARTTLS in MicroPython. Works with your own mail server or any provider's app password, no cloud IoT service in the middle.
Pico: measure wind speed with an anemometer
Wire a cup anemometer's reed switch to a Pico, count pulses with an interrupt, and convert pulse rate to wind speed with the manufacturer's constant.
Pico: GPS location and time with the NEO-6M
Wire a NEO-6M GPS module to a Pico over UART, parse NMEA sentences in MicroPython for position and atomic-clock UTC time, and learn why the first fix takes minutes outdoors.
Pico: read the RP2040's built-in temperature sensor
Read the temperature sensor inside the RP2040 chip with MicroPython's ADC and the 27-degree conversion formula. Zero wiring, one ADC channel, and a warning about what the number actually means.
Pico: program the Pico with the Arduino core (when C++ is the right tool)
Install the arduino-pico core, upload a blink sketch, and learn when the Pico deserves C++ instead of MicroPython: interrupts, timing precision, and memory headroom.
Pico: drive a 28BYJ-48 stepper motor with a ULN2003 driver
Wire a 28BYJ-48 stepper to a Raspberry Pi Pico with the ULN2003 board and drive it with MicroPython. Precise position control for about $3 in parts.
Pico W: set a static IP for a reliable local device
Give a Pico W a fixed IP address with MicroPython so bookmarks, port forwards, and automations keep working after the router reboots.
Pico: I2C in depth with MicroPython, scanners and bus recovery
Scan the I2C bus on a Pico for connected devices, recover from a locked-up SDA line, and understand the 7-bit vs 8-bit address gotcha. The pattern that turns 'my sensor is not responding' into a 30-second fix.
Pico: PWM in depth with MicroPython, frequencies and duty cycles
Use the Pico's 8 PWM slices from MicroPython to drive servos, dim LEDs, generate tones, and synthesize analog output with a low-pass filter.
Pico: UART serial with MicroPython, talking to other chips
Wire two devices with TX, RX, and a common ground. Read a GPS module, talk to a Nextion display, or exchange data between two Picos over UART in MicroPython.
Pico W: async web server with uasyncio, the modern pattern
Serve a real async web API from a Pico W using uasyncio, with background sensor tasks and non-blocking request handlers. The right way after the synchronous server gets too small.
Pico W: Bluetooth Low Energy peripheral with MicroPython and aioble
Turn a Pico W into a BLE peripheral that a phone can connect to over Bluetooth Low Energy, with a GATT service, read, write, and notify characteristics.
Pico 2: getting started with the RP2350 and MicroPython
Flash MicroPython to a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 (RP2350), connect over the REPL, and see what's new vs the original Pico. The 20-minute Pico 2 setup.
Pico 2: drive a DVI display over HSTX, the new thing on RP2350
Drive a 640x480p60 DVI display from a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 using the new HSTX peripheral. The Pico 2 can output digital video; the original Pico could not.
Pico 2: PIO state machine improvements on RP2350 vs RP2040
What changed in the PIO state machines between the Pico RP2040 and the Pico 2 RP2350. Most existing PIO programs run unchanged; the new bits matter for HSTX and ADC.
Pico 2: TrustZone on the RP2350, when the secure world matters
Use TrustZone on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 RP2350 to isolate secure boot, sign firmware, and lock down GPIO. C SDK only; MicroPython does not expose TrustZone.
Pico W: publish MQTT messages from MicroPython over Wi-Fi
Connect a Pico W to Wi-Fi and publish sensor readings to an MQTT broker from MicroPython. The pico equivalent of the ESP32 MQTT tutorial.
Pico W: serve a live sensor dashboard over Wi-Fi
Read a DHT22 or BME280 and serve a live dashboard from a Pico W. The smallest, cheapest way to put a sensor reading on your phone's browser.
Pico: use PIO to drive WS2812B LEDs (NeoPixels)
The Pico's Programmable I/O can drive WS2812B LEDs without blocking your code. A reusable PIO program you can drop into any project.
Pico: blink the onboard LED with MicroPython (the 5-minute start)
The shortest possible Pico + MicroPython tutorial. Blink the LED. Get to a working project before you know all the theory.
Pico: drive a servo motor with MicroPython
Control a hobby servo from a Pico using PWM and MicroPython. Includes the library code I use in every Pico servo project.
Pico: read a DHT22 with MicroPython
Wire a DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor to a Pico and read it from MicroPython. The smallest useful Pico sensor project.
Pico W: serve a web page from the chip over Wi-Fi
Connect the Pico W to Wi-Fi and serve an HTML page from the chip. The smallest useful web server on a $6 microcontroller.
Pico: get started with MicroPython on the Raspberry Pi Pico
Flash MicroPython to a Raspberry Pi Pico, connect over the REPL, and run your first script. The 10-minute Pico setup.