New Raspberry PI Pico Microcontroller - RP2040


 
M

Mache

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In the last few days, the Raspberry Pi foundation released the RP2040 Pico microcontroller to pair with the Raspberry Pi system. Retail pricing for the Pico is $4 USD and they are looking to fundamentally change the microcontroller marketplace; taking it away from other platforms like the Arduino.

www.raspberrypi.org

Buy a Raspberry Pi Pico – Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi Pico series is a range of tiny, fast, and versatile boards built using RP2040, the flagship microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the UK
www.raspberrypi.org www.raspberrypi.org

Any ideas regarding migration of the HeaterMeter to this?

-- Mache
 
Mache said:
In the last few days, the Raspberry Pi foundation released the RP2040 Pico microcontroller to pair with the Raspberry Pi system. Retail pricing for the Pico is $4 USD and they are looking to fundamentally change the microcontroller marketplace; taking it away from other platforms like the Arduino.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-pico/

Any ideas regarding migration of the HeaterMeter to this?

-- Mache
Click to expand...

As @RJ Riememsnider pointed out, this is a $4 microcontroller. Currently the HM uses a $2 ATMEGA328 microcontroller and it's about 1/3 of the size of the Pico

What would be more innovate for the HM, would be to have a PCB that accepts the new PI4 compute module, but then you're in trouble if they change the form factor like they just did compared to the pi3 compute module.

Also, Arduino is going to be releasing their own products using the Raspberry Pi RP2040 silicon that the Pico is based on.
www.hackster.io

Arduino Announces Raspberry Pi RP2040 Core Port, Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect Board

The Raspberry Pi Pico has only just launched but Arduino, Pimoroni, SparkFun, and Adafruit are already planning RP2040 boards of their own.
www.hackster.io

I've already ordered a Pico for myself because I quite like CircuitPython and it's dirt cheap :)
 
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There will be no migration to this because its not useful at all (as a HeaterMeter). It lacks features of both the Pi and the ATmega needed to be in parody with the current system. It doesn't have the wifi, the ram, CPU power, nor the storage capabilities of a Raspberry Pi. It doesn't have enough ADC inputs to replace the ATmega. It does have some cool features on its own which makes it better than an STM Blue Pill for other projects, but I don't think there's a place for it in the HeaterMeter ecosystem. I have a hard time considering it though when you can get an ESP32 with similar capabilities which also includes wifi/bluetooth for around the same price point.

The Pi compute modules are cool too, but they rely on somewhat high precision SMD soldering to mate to anything I'd design which kinda makes them a non-starter. I'd never design something using those connectors and expect an amateur solderer to put it together, which means it would just have to be a manufactured product which people would have to source from me. Being open source as well, then anyone would be able to make a giant batch of them and sell them for cheaper so the risk is too high for me to make them, which removes any motivation for me to spend time making it. They are cheaper than a Pi4 too, but some of that cost would be eaten up by the cost of manufacturing the other half so the price isn't too much of an advantage.
 
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