Topics - Integrated Circuits & Components

RP2040 – Raspberry Pi’s Microcontroller Breakdown

June 5, 2025
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If you’ve been dipping your toes into the world of embedded systems or DIY electronics, you’ve likely heard whispers about the RP2040. But what exactly makes this tiny chip from Raspberry Pi stand out in a sea of microcontrollers? Released in 2021 as the brain behind the iconic Raspberry Pi Pico, the RP2040 has quietly become a favorite among hobbyists, educators, and even professional engineers. In this deep dive, we’ll explore why this dual-core marvel is redefining what a budget-friendly microcontroller can achieve — and how you can start tinkering with it today.

What is RP2040?

The RP2040 is a Microcontroller Unit (MCU) introduced by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It serves as the core component for the Raspberry Pi Pico and other development boards. It’s sold at $10 on official site now.

RP2040 Specification

The RP2040 chip comes in a 7×7mm QFN – 56 package, with the following specific specifications:

Dual – core Arm Cortex – M0+ running at 133MHz
264KB of on – chip SRAM and 2MB of onboard flash memory
Supports up to 16MB of off – chip flash memory via a dedicated QSPI bus
Equipped with a DMA controller
Features 30 GPIO pins, 4 of which can be used as analog inputs
Has 2 UARTs, 2 SPI controllers, and 2 I2C controllers
Offers 16 PWM channels
Provides USB 1.1 host and device support
Incorporates 8 Raspberry Pi Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
Supports the UF2 – enabled USB mass storage boot mode for drag – and – drop programming

RP2040 Naming Explanation

The RP2040’s name reflects its core specifications:

RP: Stands for Raspberry Pi, the developer.
2: Indicates dual – core Arm Cortex – M0+ processors.
0: Represents the core type (M0+ in this case).
4: Calculated as floor(log2(SRAM/16k)), where 264KB SRAM → ~4.
0: Derived from floor(log2(non - volatile/16k)), with 2MB flash → ~7, but simplified to 0 in naming.

RP2040 Pinout

The RP2040 comes with 30 GPIO pins, highly versatile for various uses. They can read digital inputs from devices like buttons and sensors, and provide digital outputs to control LEDs and relays.

Notably, its Programmable Input/Output (PIO) subsystem has two state machines. This allows creating custom communication protocols, such as easily controlling WS2812 LED strips or building a custom VGA interface, reducing CPU workload.

RP2040 Block Diagram

The RP2040 chip features:

2 UARTs: Serial comms for devices/modules/computers.
2 SPIs: High – speed master – slave data transfer (e.g., flash/SD cards).
2 I2Cs: Multi – device bus for sensors/EEPROMs via SDA/SCL lines.
16 PWMs: Motor speed/LED brightness control via duty cycle modulation.

Development Support for RP2040

Official Development Board - Raspberry Pi Pico

The Raspberry Pi Pico serves as the official development board for the RP2040, and it’s a fantastic entry point for developers. Measuring just 65mm x 17mm, this compact board is incredibly affordable, priced at only $4, making it accessible to a wide range of users, from hobbyists on a budget to students exploring the world of microcontrollers.

One of the great advantages of the Raspberry Pi Pico is its ease of use. It has a simple form factor with a row of GPIO pins on either side, clearly labeled for easy identification. This layout makes it straightforward to connect external components such as sensors, actuators, or displays. For example, connecting a temperature sensor like the DHT11 to the Pico is as simple as connecting the sensor’s data pin to one of the GPIO pins on the Pico, along with the power and ground connections.

The Pico also has a built – in USB connector, which is used for both powering the board and programming it. When connected to a computer, it appears as a mass storage device, allowing for easy “drag – and – drop” programming. For instance, if you’ve written a MicroPython script or a compiled C/C++ binary, you can simply copy the file onto the Pico’s virtual drive, and it will start executing the program.

In addition to the basic hardware features, the Raspberry Pi Pico comes with a wealth of official documentation and example code. The official Raspberry Pi website provides detailed guides on everything from getting started with the board to advanced usage of its features. These resources are extremely helpful for beginners who are just starting to learn about microcontroller programming and for experienced developers who want to quickly get up to speed with the RP2040’s capabilities.

Programming Languages and Frameworks

The RP2040 supports several programming languages and frameworks, providing developers with flexibility in choosing the most suitable option for their projects.

MicroPython: MicroPython is an excellent choice, especially for beginners or those who want to quickly prototype their ideas. It’s a lean and efficient implementation of the Python 3 programming language, designed specifically for microcontrollers. With MicroPython, you can write code in a high – level, easy – to – understand syntax. For example, controlling an LED connected to a GPIO pin on the RP2040 can be achieved with just a few lines of code:

				
					from machine import Pin
import time

led = Pin(25, Pin.OUT)
while True:
    led.value(1)
    time.sleep(1)
    led.value(0)
    time.sleep(1)

This simplicity allows developers to focus on the functionality of their project rather than getting bogged down in low – level programming details. MicroPython also has a rich set of libraries that can be used to interface with various hardware components, such as sensors, communication modules, and displays.

C/C++: For those who require more control over the hardware and better performance, C/C++ is a great option. The RP2040 has an official C/C++ SDK (Software Development Kit) that provides a comprehensive set of libraries and tools for developing applications. The SDK includes drivers for all the hardware peripherals of the RP2040, such as the GPIO, PIO, UART, SPI, and I2C interfaces. With C/C++, developers can write highly optimized code that can take full advantage of the RP2040’s dual – core architecture. For example, when implementing a high – speed data acquisition system, C/C++ can be used to write code that efficiently reads data from multiple sensors connected to the RP2040’s GPIO pins and processes it in real – time.

Tools and IDEs

There are several tools and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) available for developing applications for the RP2040.

Thonny

Thonny is a popular choice, especially for MicroPython development. It has a user – friendly interface that is easy to navigate, even for beginners. Thonny provides a built – in Python shell, which allows developers to interactively test their code. You can type in Python commands and see the results immediately, making it a great tool for debugging and exploring the capabilities of the RP2040. To use Thonny with the RP2040, you first need to connect the Pico to your computer via USB. Then, in Thonny, you can select the appropriate Python interpreter (MicroPython for RP2040). Once configured, you can write, run, and debug your MicroPython code directly in Thonny.

VS Code

Visual Studio Code is a powerful, cross – platform code editor that has gained significant popularity among developers. It has a wide range of extensions available, making it suitable for RP2040 development. For C/C++ development, the “C/C++” extension by Microsoft provides features such as code highlighting, intellisense (code autocompletion), and debugging support. For MicroPython, the “MicroPython” extension offers similar functionality. To set up VS Code for RP2040 development, you need to install the relevant extensions and configure the build and debug settings according to your project requirements. For example, if you’re working on a C/C++ project, you’ll need to set up the Pico SDK path and configure the debugger to work with the RP2040.

RP2040 Vs. RP2350 Chips

The RP2040 and RP2350 are microcontrollers developed by Raspberry Pi. The RP2040 was an early offering, while the RP2350 is a more advanced successor with enhanced features. Here’s a comparison between the two:

Feature	RP2040	RP2350
Core Architecture	Dual Arm Cortex-M0+	Dual Arm Cortex-M33 or Dual RISC-V Hazard3
Clock Speed	133MHz	150MHz
On-chip SRAM	264KB	520KB
Security Features	Basic security features	Arm TrustZone, Signed Boot, SHA-256, TRNG, Fault Detectors
Peripheral Interfaces	2×UART, 2×SPI, 2×I2C, ADC, PWM, USB 1.1	Enhanced peripherals, additional PIO state machines, more GPIO pins, higher power efficiency
Packaging	Single 7×7mm QFN56 option	7×7mm QFN60 (RP2350A) with 30 GPIOs or 10×10mm QFN80 (RP2350B) with 48 GPIOs; both with 2MB stacked QSPI flash (RP2354A and RP2354B)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the RP2040 is a remarkable microcontroller that has made a significant impact in the world of embedded systems and electronics development. Wellcome to share your opnions or experience!

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About Author

Aidan Taylor

I am Aidan Taylor and I have over 10 years of experience in the field of PCB Reverse Engineering, PCB design and IC Unlock.

RP2040 – Raspberry Pi’s Microcontroller Breakdown

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