“I have only just started playing with this controller. The ability to use MicroPython on such a cheap, yet versatile device is really useful for those of us that use Python as their predominant programming language.”
“Well this is an interesting board. The best way I can describe the Pico is that it is a stripped down bare bones Pi Zero that's then been stripped back some more. Yes, that means you lose a lot (no WiFi, limited storage, blah blah) but you gain incredibly too: the cost is peanuts, the ability to immediately start working with no boot time is great, and best of all is battery life. I plugged in the Pico to Pimoroni's RGB Keypad Base and connected it to one of those cheap free USB battery packs you pick up at conferences. You know the type: free because you're not even going to get one charge of your mobile from it. The Pico ran, flashing lights on the Keypad Base for over 36 hours. I figure that connecting it up to something with a bit more juice and it'll give a nuclear fusion reactor a good run for its money. Well, maybe not, but at this price point it matters little.
Connecting the Pico up to Thonny on my Pi 4 for programming was a doddle. Well, when using the right USB cable it was. Curiously I've also cable that will provide power but no data connection to the Pi. Hence, if you connect it up and can't program in the Thonny IDE try another cable. Like me, you probably have dozens of the silly things lying around.
Absolutely splendiferous.”
“At this price what's not to like!
For me two things set this board apart. The programmable PIO and the excellent documentation. Its very easy to set up the SDK on a raspberry PI for SWD debugging, which is great.”
