Raspberry Pi has introduced a successor to last year’s Pico, a $ 4 microcontroller based on the RP2040 chip the company designed. The new model is called Pico W. It is basically the same hardware, but adds, as its name suggests, an 802.11n Wi-Fi radio, which makes it useful for mounting IoT and similar projects. It’s also more expensive than the standard Pico, priced at $ 6.
A 50 percent price jump isn’t insignificant (especially if you plan to buy a lot of them), but it’s understandable why the W version costs so much more than the original. Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton told Nilay Patel of The Verge that adding radios to products is very expensive. “Just the conformity of the radio for a modern Raspberry Pi product is the best part of half a million dollars,” he said. The $ 4 Peak doesn’t go away either. If cost is an important factor and you can do without network connectivity, you can still get the less expensive model.
The company says it added wireless to the Pico using an Infineon CYW43439 chip. Interestingly, this chip also supports Bluetooth, but Raspberry Pi says it is not currently enabled. (Although it suggests that at least there are plans to enable it in the future.)
While there are accessories available to connect your standard Pico to a network, they were significantly more expensive and bulky than having a Wi-Fi connection built into the microcontroller, as well as using valuable pins that could have been connected to other accessories. fun. The Pico W only comes built-in, and you can even use it as a replacement for a project based on a standard Pico if you want.
The 2.4 GHz 802.11n connectivity of the Pico W seems very old in the era of Wi-Fi 6E, but it’s worth noting that the Pico W isn’t made to be a desktop computer that can surf the Internet; is designed to control other electronic or hardware devices. Now, however, you can do this while sending back and forth information over a network. As an example, the normal Pico could allow you to control a series of LEDs with a switch or button. You can still build it with a Pico W, but you’ll also have the option to control the lights from your laptop.
The Pico H includes integrated pin connectors. Image: Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi also announced two other Pico products: the Pico H and the Pico WH. They’re the same as the Pico and Pico W, respectively, but they cost a dollar more and come with pre-installed pin headers and a debug connector, while the base versions only have normal bearing-like needles. Basically, pay to make things easier to attach, which will be worth it for some people but not for others. (Personally, I could buy the regular version just to give me an excuse to practice welding more.) The H is available today, while the WH will be available in August.
In its press release, Raspberry Pi says people who want to experiment with hardware have come to the Pico, as the shortage of semiconductors makes it difficult to find chips. While the company promises to have plans to make “tens of millions more” from Picos, it has also been hit: Anyone who has recently tried to buy their more complex computers, such as the Raspberry Pi 4, knows what to find. it in stock can be difficult. . Currently, however, Pico, Pico W and Pico H are available at various locations, including The Pi Hut and Pimoroni. Adafruit and Cytron have pages for Pico W and say they will be available soon to order.