Hardware Compatibility

Hardware Compatibility

Supported microcontrollers and hardware platforms

Officially Supported

Raspberry Pi Pico W

✅ Full support

  • Chip: RP2040 (Dual ARM Cortex-M0+ @ 133MHz)
  • RAM: 264KB SRAM
  • Flash: 2MB
  • WiFi: 2.4GHz 802.11n (CYW43439)
  • GPIO: 26 pins
  • ADC: 3 channels, 12-bit
  • PWM: 16 channels
  • I2C: 2 controllers
  • SPI: 2 controllers
  • UART: 2 controllers

Raspberry Pi Pico 2W

✅ Full support

  • Chip: RP2350 (Dual Cortex-M33 @ 150MHz)
  • RAM: 520KB SRAM
  • Flash: 8MB
  • WiFi: 2.4GHz
  • GPIO/ADC/PWM/I2C/SPI/UART: Compatible footprint and pinout with Pico W

Coming Soon

ESP32 Series (future)

🔄 Planned

  • ESP32-C3
  • ESP32-S3
  • ESP32

Hardware Requirements

Minimum Requirements

For DeviceSDK device support:

  • Raspberry Pi Pico W or Pico 2W
  • Stable WiFi connectivity
  • 256KB+ RAM for complex applications
  • 2MB+ Flash for future updates
  • 2.4GHz WiFi
  • Hardware floating point

Pin Mapping

Raspberry Pi Pico W

Standard GPIO pin numbers (GP0-GP28) are used directly:

// GPIO 25 (onboard LED)
await this.env.DEVICE.send({
  type: 'gpio_write',
  pin: 25,
  value: 1
});

ADC Pins

ADC-capable pins on Pico W:

  • GP26 - ADC0
  • GP27 - ADC1
  • GP28 - ADC2

Special Pins

  • GP25 - Onboard LED (Pico W uses different pin for LED)
  • GP23-GP24 - WiFi module (reserved)

Peripheral Support

GPIO

✅ Digital input/output ✅ Pull-up/pull-down resistors ✅ Interrupt-driven monitoring

ADC

✅ 12-bit analog input ✅ 0-3.3V range ✅ Continuous sampling

PWM

✅ 16 independent channels ✅ Configurable frequency ✅ Duty cycle control

I2C

✅ Master mode ✅ Standard (100kHz) and Fast (400kHz) ⚠️ Slave mode not yet supported

SPI

✅ Master mode ⚠️ Slave mode not yet supported

UART

✅ Serial communication ✅ Configurable baud rate

Power Specifications

Raspberry Pi Pico W

  • Input voltage: 5V via USB or 1.8-5.5V via VSYS
  • Operating voltage: 3.3V logic
  • Current draw:
    • Idle: ~25mA
    • WiFi active: ~120mA
    • Peak: ~150mA

Raspberry Pi Pico 2W

  • Input voltage: 5V via USB or 1.8-5.5V via VSYS
  • Operating voltage: 3.3V logic
  • Current draw: similar to Pico W under WiFi load

Power Considerations

For battery operation:

  • Use sleep modes to conserve power
  • Disable WiFi when not needed
  • Efficient code reduces power usage

Flashing Frequency

Flashing is typically one-time per device. After the first flash, updates are delivered over-the-air (OTA). Only major firmware upgrades might need a repeat flash, and those are optional unless you specifically want the new firmware capabilities.

Development Setup

Required Hardware

  1. Raspberry Pi Pico W - The microcontroller
  2. USB Cable - Micro-USB data cable (not power-only)
  3. Breadboard (optional) - For prototyping
  4. Jumper wires (optional) - For connections
  • Sensors - Temperature, humidity, motion, etc.
  • LEDs - For visual feedback
  • Buttons - For user input
  • Resistors - For LED current limiting, pull-ups, etc.

Testing Your Hardware

Onboard LED Test

Flash this code to verify hardware:

export default class TestDevice extends DeviceEntrypoint {
  async onDeviceConnect() {
    // Blink LED 5 times
    for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
      await this.env.DEVICE.send({
        type: 'gpio_write',
        pin: 25,
        value: 1
      });
      await this.sleep(500);
      await this.env.DEVICE.send({
        type: 'gpio_write',
        pin: 25,
        value: 0
      });
      await this.sleep(500);
    }
  }
}

If LED blinks, your hardware is working!

Where to Buy

Official Distributors

Price Range

  • Raspberry Pi Pico W: $6-10 USD
  • Starter kits with accessories: $20-40 USD

Community-Tested Hardware

Users have reported success with:

  • Custom RP2040 boards
  • Pico-compatible clones
  • Development boards with RP2040

Note: These are not officially supported but may work.

Troubleshooting

Device Won’t Flash

  • Check USB cable supports data (not power-only)
  • Ensure BOOTSEL mode is active
  • Try different USB port

Device Won’t Connect

  • Verify WiFi credentials
  • Check network allows WebSocket connections
  • Ensure firmware is properly flashed

GPIO Not Working

  • Check pin number is correct
  • Verify pin isn’t reserved (e.g., WiFi pins)
  • Check for hardware shorts

Future Platform Support

  • ESP32 series (highest priority)

Next Steps