Jumpstart the Raspberry Pi Pico

Get Started with the Raspberry Pi Pico: A Hands-On Guide

This course is your fast track to mastering the Raspberry Pi Pico, the latest addition to the popular Raspberry Pi family. We'll quickly cover the necessary soldering and software installation (for both Windows and Linux) so you can immediately dive into practical applications.

You'll learn essential embedded systems concepts and techniques, including:

• Timers and Counters: Understand and utilize timers for precise timing and control.
• Pulse Width Modulation (PWM): Control the power delivered to devices like LEDs and motors.
• Interrupts: Handle events efficiently and create responsive systems.
• Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC): Read and interpret analog signals from sensors.
• Communication Protocols: Master SPI, I2C/TWI, and UART for seamless communication with other devices.
• Peripherals & Actuators: Connect the Raspberry Pi Pico to a wide range of sensors, actuators, and other peripherals – including examples using Arduino.

Each topic combines clear explanations of functionality and operation with practical examples, tips, and exercises. To maximize your learning, exercises include helpful hints and tips to guide you, and well-documented source code solutions are provided for experiments and modifications.

We go beyond the basics, showing you how to:

• Connect peripherals securely to the Raspberry Pi Pico.
• Protect your Pico from over-voltage damage.
• Work with larger electrical components like motors.

This course embraces a "Learning by Doing" approach. A list of required hardware components (available for free in the first lecture) is provided to ensure a successful learning experience.

Python programming experience is beneficial, with familiarity with functions, loops, and module imports being helpful. If you have experience with other programming languages, you'll quickly adapt to Python.

This course is specifically designed to be a comprehensive resource for the Raspberry Pi Pico. Upon completion, you'll have the skills and experience to confidently plan and execute your own Raspberry Pi Pico projects and understand the fundamental building blocks of embedded systems.