The 133 MHz clock speed, meaning how fast the processor executes instructions, isn’t especially fast.

The M0+, which is the processor the Raspberry Pi Pico employs, is even more efficient than the typical ARM processor. Instead, the Raspberry Pi Pico operating system will be a real-time operating system (RTOS) that only performs one action at a time.Īs far as a processor, the ARM processors are extremely popular for IoT and have the highest level of energy efficiency among the most common processor types. Its only function is to stream video, so it doesn’t need a full OS. So, while on your desktop or laptop, you can open up multiple applications, an MCU will only run one application at a time.Ĭonsider a standard smart security camera. By contrast, a microcontroller board doesn’t have the ability to run a full operating system. They typically use RaspberryOS, which is based on the Linux operating system. They have high processing power for their size, and they can perform the same basic actions as your desktop computer. Most of the Raspberry Pi designs are single board computers (SBCs). Otherwise, here’s a rundown of what some of those features mean and why they’re important. If you already have some experience with IoT and MCUs, feel free to skip down to the next section. The only difference between the Pico W and Pico WH is again that the WH has pre-soldered headers.Īll four options have the following features:Ģ6 General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pinsĪll four Pico types also have an onboard LED, which will be important for your first project.

The Pico W and Pico WH add an onboard Wi-Fi module that lets the device connect to the Internet. So if you want to attach wires to a normal Pico, you’ll have to solder the headers yourself.

The Pico and Pico H are nearly identical, the only major difference being that the Pico H comes with pre-soldered headers - meaning places to connect wires - whereas the Pico doesn’t. These include the Raspberry Pi Pico, Pico H, Pico W, and Pico WH. It’s a family of high-performance MCU boards. The Raspberry Pi Pico isn’t just one microcontroller. Read on to learn about features, alternatives, projects, and resources for programming a Raspberry Pi Pico. You don’t need extensive programming knowledge, and there’s enough documentation online to keep you busy experimenting for weeks on end.

The Pico is also exceptionally cheap, especially compared to the siblings, and you can get started with one in just minutes. It holds a special place in the IoT world because of its small physical size paired with relatively high processing power and low energy consumption.Īdd to that the huge mainstream adoption of its larger siblings (Raspberry Pi 1 through 4) making Raspberry Pi hardware well-known throughout the IoT world. Raspberry Pi Pico is a popular microcontroller (MCU) option for hobbyists and IoT professionals alike.

Fritzing connect arduino raspberry pi