1 min

Tags in this article

, ,

The next-gen Pico microcontroller offers WiFi 4 connectivity, opening up a wide array of projects for developers.

Raspberry Pi launched Pico W, the first microcontroller to employ Raspberry Pi-built silicon and wireless connectivity. The RP2040 chip is meant to power next-gen boards, providing 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 connectivity delivered via Infineon’s CYW43439 wireless chip.

The large memory, flexible interfacing, and fast cores make the chip suitable for IoT applications such as machine learning and robotics. Though dated, WiFi 4 is broadly compatible, which is why Raspberry Pi markets the Pico W as an IoT platform for various projects.

Pico WH and Pico H

Raspberry Pi also released the Pico WH and Pico H for $7 and $5, respectively. These are very similar to the Pico W, but preferable for users looking to deploy immediately. Both the Pico WH and Pico H come with prepopulated pin headers, removing the necessity for at-home soldering and a three-pin debug connector.

While Raspberry Pi W and H are immediately available, the WH will be released in August. The microcontrollers are developed in the MicroPython and C languages. All models support modern tools and networking to help users get started on projects.