RP2040 chip for Raspberry Pi Pico - ARM® Cortex®-M0+ MCU 32-Bit
The RP2040 is a high-performance, low-cost microcontroller built around two ARM Cortex-M0+ cores. It is optimized for flexibility, ease of use, and deterministic real-time performance. Unlike many microcontrollers, it includes a unique programmable I/O subsystem (PIO), allowing custom hardware interfaces without extra components.
Key Features
Processing
Dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processors
Up to 133 MHz clock speed
Efficient integer performance with low power consumption
Memory
264 KB on-chip SRAM
External QSPI flash support (typically 2 MB–16 MB depending on board)
Programmable I/O (PIO)
2 PIO blocks, each with 4 state machines
Enables custom protocols (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART, WS2812, VGA, etc.)
Offloads timing-critical tasks from CPU
🔗 Connectivity Interfaces
2× UART
2× SPI
2× I2C
USB 1.1 controller (device or host support)
16× PWM channels
Analog Features
12-bit ADC (up to 5 channels, including internal temperature sensor)
Power & Voltage
Operating voltage: 1.8V – 3.3V
Low-power modes available
Package Options
QFN-56 (7×7 mm)
Development Ecosystem
Supports C/C++ SDK
MicroPython and CircuitPython support
Strong community and documentation
Typical Applications
Embedded systems and IoT devices
Robotics and automation
DIY electronics and prototyping
USB devices (HID, MIDI, etc.)
Custom communication interfaces using PIO
