Raspberry Pi Pico guides
Task guides for the Pico family: first steps (MicroPython or C/C++), and which generation you have or should get.
Guides for the Raspberry Pi Pico, Pico 2, Pico W and Pico 2 W. Facts here come from the pinned Raspberry Pi documentation and datasheet snapshots — the same sources every published field on the board pages cites.
- Getting started with the Raspberry Pi Pico — pick MicroPython or C/C++, flash over BOOTSEL, and what to expect at each step.
- Getting started with the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 — the same flow one generation up: the RP2350 volume, the RPI_PICO2 firmware and
PICO_BOARD=pico2. - Pico vs Pico 2 — same pinout, two generations; the official compatibility claim and the naming traps.
- Pico W / Pico 2 W vs the non-W boards — three checks that always separate them, and why firmware cares.
- Pico W / Pico 2 W: the right UF2, BOOTSEL and the on-board LED — firmware targets differ; the LED is on the radio chip, not GP25.
- Pico, Pico H, Pico W, Pico WH and Pico 2 — the family in one page — what each variant adds, the SWD differences, and how firmware choice follows the board model.
Board not showing up as RPI-RP2? The USB board-not-detected checklist covers the Pico's no-bridge path.
Sections
- Raspberry Pi Pico guides
Task guides for the Pico family: first steps (MicroPython or C/C++), and which generation you have or should get.
Guides
- Getting started with the Raspberry Pi Pico
First steps for the plain Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040): pick MicroPython or C/C++, flash over BOOTSEL, and what to expect at each step — with the failure exits when the board does not show up.
- Getting started with the Raspberry Pi Pico 2
First steps for the plain Raspberry Pi Pico 2 (RP2350): pick MicroPython or C/C++, flash over BOOTSEL with the RP2350 volume and RPI_PICO2 firmware, and what to expect at each step.
- Pico vs Pico 2 — which one do you have, and which should you get?
Same 40-pin pinout, same layout, two generations: RP2040 vs RP2350. The official compatibility claim, the concrete spec deltas, and the naming traps (W, H, with headers).
- Pico W / Pico 2 W vs the non-W boards — how to tell them apart
The wireless and non-wireless Pico boards look alike; three official differences separate them every time: where the LED lives, where the SWD pads sit, and the radio shield. Plus the volume-name trap.
- Pico W / Pico 2 W — the right UF2, BOOTSEL, and the on-board LED
Firmware targets differ three ways (pico_w / pico2_w / pico2), BOOTSEL works like every Pico, and the on-board LED is on the radio chip — code written for GP25 will not light it. Official sources for each fact.
- Raspberry Pi Pico family — what H, W, WH and Pico 2 actually mean
Each Pico generation ships in four variants: W adds Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, H (generation 1) or with headers (generation 2) adds presoldered pins — and Pico 2 with headers deliberately drops the H. The official variant table, the SWD-connector rules and why firmware must match board AND variant. Fixed sources.
- DFRobot Beetle RP2350 vs Raspberry Pi Pico 2 — same RP2350 chip, opposite interface and flashing trade-offs
Both run the RP2350A, but the Pico 2 is a 40-pin 2.54 mm through-hole board with micro-USB and drag-and-drop UF2 via BOOTSEL, while the Beetle is a 25 x 20.5 mm castellated board with two 8-pad columns (J3/J4, 11 GPIO), SWD test pads TP3-TP5, Serial1/Serial2 = chip UART0/UART1, and Li-po charging. Interface and flashing comparison with sources.