Raspberry Pi Pico

The Raspberry Pi Pico series represents a pivotal moment in the history of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Prior to 2021, the organization was primarily known for its immensely popular single-board computers (SBCs) running full operating systems like Linux. The introduction of the Pico marked Raspberry Pi’s entry into the microcontroller market, competing directly with established platforms like Arduino and ESP32.

2021: The Dawn of RP2040 and the Original Pico

On January 21, 2021, Raspberry Pi announced the Raspberry Pi Pico, a low-cost microcontroller board priced at just $4 [1]. The most significant aspect of the Pico was not just the board itself, but the chip powering it: the RP2040.

The RP2040 Silicon

The RP2040 was Raspberry Pi's first in-house custom-designed silicon (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Designed over several years by a team in Cambridge, UK, the chip featured: * Dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processors running at up to 133 MHz. * 264 KB of internal SRAM and support for up to 16 MB of off-chip Flash memory (the Pico shipped with 2 MB of QSPI Flash). * Programmable I/O (PIO): A unique state-machine subsystem that allowed developers to write custom hardware interfaces (like VGA, SD card controllers, or custom serial protocols) without taxing the main CPU cores.

The Pico was an instant hit due to its high performance, excellent documentation, native C/C++ SDK, and robust MicroPython support.

2022–2023: Connectivity and Convenience

While the original Pico was powerful, the maker community increasingly demanded wireless connectivity for Internet of Things (IoT) projects.

Raspberry Pi Pico W

On June 30, 2022, Raspberry Pi answered these demands with the launch of the Raspberry Pi Pico W, priced at $6. The Pico W maintained the exact same footprint and RP2040 chip as the original but added an Infineon CYW43439 wireless chip. * Initially, this provided 802.11n Wi-Fi 4 connectivity. * In February 2023, a firmware update unlocked the chip's latent Bluetooth 5.2 and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) capabilities, giving users a complete IoT solution without requiring new hardware.

Pico H and Pico WH

Around the same time, Raspberry Pi introduced the Pico H ($5) and later the Pico WH ($7). These were identical to their respective base models but came with pre-soldered GPIO headers and a new 3-pin debug connector. This was a direct response to the education sector and beginners who lacked soldering equipment.

2024: The Second Generation (Pico 2 & RP2350)

On August 8, 2024, Raspberry Pi revolutionized their microcontroller lineup again with the announcement of the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 and the all-new RP2350 microcontroller [2].

Priced at $5, the Pico 2 offered a massive leap in both performance and architecture while remaining backward-compatible with the original Pico's footprint and software ecosystem [2].

The RP2350: A Dual-Architecture Marvel

The RP2350 chip was groundbreaking because it featured a dual-architecture design [2, 4]: * Dual-core ARM Cortex-M33 (with floating-point and DSP support) running at 150 MHz [2]. * Dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V processors [4].

Developers could choose which architecture to boot into, making the Pico 2 one of the most accessible development boards for experimenting with the open-source RISC-V architecture [4].

Key upgrades in the Pico 2 included: * Upgraded memory: 520 KB of on-chip SRAM and 4 MB of external flash [2]. * Enhanced security: Implementation of ARM TrustZone and advanced anti-tamper features [2]. * Lower power consumption and highly upgraded PIO capabilities.

Legacy and Impact

As of 2026, the Raspberry Pi Pico ecosystem is a cornerstone of embedded electronics [1, 5]. By developing their own silicon, Raspberry Pi bypassed the global supply chain constraints that affected other manufacturers in the early 2020s.

The introduction of the RP2040 and later the RP2350 not only cemented Raspberry Pi's position in the microcontroller market but also spurred a massive industry of third-party boards from companies like Adafruit, SparkFun, and Pimoroni, all built around Raspberry Pi silicon. The Pico series successfully bridged the gap between hobbyist tinkering, educational learning, and professional industrial applications.