Raspberry Pi has released three new versions of its cheapest board, the Pico, each with a different mix of upgrades.
The most exciting addition is the Pico W, a carbon copy of the original with one major addition: wireless Internet support. The new microcontroller board is 50% more expensive, but unlikely to break the bank at just €6 per unit.
Raspberry Pi is also launching new Pico H (€5) and Pico WH (€7) models, which add preset headers and the company's new 3-pin debug connector to the original Pico and Pico W, respectively.
New Raspberry Pi Pico
Released in January of last year, the Raspberry Pi Pico is touted as the ultimate IoT platform, pitting the company squarely against Arduino. Although the Pico is not equipped to run a full operating system like other Pi boards, it can be easily programmed to control sensors, motors, and other peripherals.
"Whether you're looking for a standalone board for embedded development or a companion to your Raspberry Pi computer, or if you're just getting started with a microcontroller, this is the board for you," said James Adams, Raspberry Pi COO, at the time of publication.
Since its launch, the Raspberry Pi has sold almost two million Pico boards, with the custom RP2040 microcontroller at its core, which is also making its way into a number of third-party products. But now the company is launching new models to fill an obvious gap.
“Fast cores, large memory, and a flexible interface make the RP2040 a natural building block for IoT applications. But Pico itself has one obvious missing feature for IoT: a network connection method. Now that is about to change,” Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton wrote in a blog post.
“We worked with our friends at Infineon to add their CYW43439 wireless chip to the Pico W. Like all modern Raspberry Pi boards, the radio circuitry is encapsulated in a protective metal case, reducing compliance costs for customers who want Integrate it into your own products. .
Although the CYW43439 also offers Bluetooth support, Upton said the Pico W will not support Bluetooth at launch, but may add the feature in the future.
Raspberry Pi says Pico W and Pico H are available for purchase immediately, with Pico WH expected to hit shelves next month.