The Waveshare RP2040 PiZero development board combines the desirable form factor of the Raspberry Pi Zero with the powerful RP2040 system-on-a-chip (SoC) from the Raspberry Pi Pico. With a compact size of 65 x 30mm, this board offers an interesting array of features for robotics, machine learning, and Internet of Things (IoT) projects.
At its core, the RP2040 PiZero development board features the RP2040 SoC, which includes a dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ CPU running at 133 MHz and 264KB of SRAM. Unlike the Raspberry Pi Pico, this board provides 16MB of flash storage, along with an onboard micro SD slot for additional storage needs.
One notable omission from the board is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. However, considering its affordability at $10, the RP2040 PiZero development board remains an attractive choice for IoT projects.
The board includes a mini HDMI port, which allows for DVI interface and the ability to create projects written in C. However, MicroPython and CircuitPython users may feel limited by this interface. For enthusiasts interested in video and retro games, Pimoroni’s Pico Vision may be a more suitable choice, as it offers double the RP2040s and more RAM.
The RP2040 PiZero development board features two USB C ports: one for power and data connectivity and the other user-configurable via PIO USB. It should be noted that using PIO USB is only possible in C projects and cannot be used simultaneously with the DVI interface.
One standout feature of this board is the onboard battery charging circuit, which allows for the use and charging of lithium batteries. This feature provides the board with its own uninterruptible power supply (UPS), making it particularly useful for remote or data collection projects.
The GPIO pinout of the RP2040 PiZero development board follows the HAT standard introduced with the Raspberry Pi B+ in 2014. While this is not the first board to adopt the HAT pinout, it enables compatibility with a range of HATs and addons available in the market. However, some HATs may require specific software libraries to function correctly.
In terms of software compatibility, the RP2040 PiZero development board supports Pico C/C++, MicroPython, and Arduino officially. It is important to note that the DVI interface and PIO USB are only compatible with C/C++ projects. However, it is possible that these libraries may be ported to the Arduino IDE in the future.
For more information about the Waveshare RP2040 PiZero development board, visit the product page on the Waveshare website.
Sources:
– Waveshare RP2040 PiZero Development Board (product page)
– [source article]