If you thought the world of microcontrollers was reserved for geeks with glasses, think again! The Raspberry Pico 2 has just been released, and it could well shake up our little tech worlds. More powerful, still as cheap, it has everything to seduce, whether you are a novice or an expert in electronic tinkering.
A microcontroller that doesn't fuss
Well, first of all, let's talk about the price. The Raspberry Pico 2, it arrives on the market with an entry price of less than 6 euros. Yes, you read that right! Less than 6 euros for a little gem of technology that fits in your pocket. When I saw that, I almost fell off my chair. Seriously, how can you not be impressed by such a quality/price ratio?
Raspberry Pi Pico 2
I still remember the first time I got my hands on a microcontroller. At the time, I had spent a small fortune for this tiny piece of card. But the Pico 2, it comes and says to us “Relax, I'm affordable for everyone”. And that's nice!
A small format, but performance to spare
Don't let its small size fool you. The Raspberry Pico 2 is a little monster. Under its hood, there is an RP2350 processor that beats at a frequency of 150 MHz. Yes, it's not a gaming PC processor, but for a microcontroller, it's more than respectable. And with its 4 MB of integrated flash memory, there is enough to run small projects without any worries. (And for those who are wondering, yes, that includes making LEDs blink until the end of time).
But the real masterpiece of the Pico 2 is its dual core. What does that mean? Basically, you can do two things at the same time without it slowing down (well, as long as you don't ask it to run “Cyberpunk 2077”, let's be reasonable). Imagine that you are creating a robot: while one of the cores manages the sensors, the other can take care of the motor. Do you see the thing? It's simply brilliant!
A world of opportunities (even for beginners)!
What's great about the Raspberry Pico 2 is that it doesn't forget about beginners. You might think that this kind of technology is reserved for crazy engineers or shadowy hackers, but not at all. Raspberry Pi has always been very good at creating an open community, where everyone is welcome (from the curious little schoolboy to the retiree looking for new hobbies).
By the way, the official Raspberry Pi website offers plenty of tutorials and easy-to-make projects for those who want to get started. You can even start with simple projects, like a weather station or a small retro game. (Personally, I always have a weakness for retro games. There's nothing like a good old “Snake” to immerse yourself in the 90s!)
Connectivity that leaves nothing to be desired
So, you might think that for such a low price, there must be concessions to be made. Well, think again! The Pico 2 comes with a whole bunch of connectivity. We're talking about 26 GPIO pins, I2C, SPI, UART… I'm not going to go into detail here (we don't want to put you to sleep), but believe me, there's enough to connect just about any sensor or module. And for those who like tinkering, it's a real playground.
So, what do you think?
Honestly, the Raspberry Pico 2 is a real favorite. At this price, with this performance, it's almost unheard of. And I say that knowingly, because I spend hours tinkering with a whole bunch of electronic gadgets (much to the dismay of my other half, who is fed up with seeing wires lying around the house).
What is certain is that this little microcontroller has a bright future ahead of it. Whether you are a coding pro or just someone who wants to get into electronics, the Pico 2 has what it takes to satisfy you. And at less than 6 euros, honestly, what do you risk? (Apart from becoming totally addicted, of course).
In short, I can only encourage you to try the Raspberry Pico 2. It's a little technological marvel that fits in the palm of your hand and that just asks to unleash your creativity. For my part, I can't wait to receive it. But as usual you will have to be a little patient to have stock…
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