Waveshare RP2040-Plus: A Pico-Like MCU Board for Low-Cost, High-Performance Applications

The RP2040-Plus is a low-cost, high-performance Pico-like microcontroller (MCU) board based on the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller. Designed to address the limitations of the Raspberry Pi Pico, the RP2040-Plus offers several key improvements:

Firstly, it features 4MB of onboard flash memory, providing more storage than the Pico's 2MB. This extra flash capacity can be beneficial for projects requiring more program code or data storage.

Secondly, the RP2040-Plus abandons the outdated Micro USB connector in favor of a modern USB-C port, making it easier to connect and use with today's devices.

In terms of power management, the RP2040-Plus is equipped with a lithium battery recharge/discharge header, making it suitable for mobile applications that require battery power. Additionally, it utilizes a high-efficiency DC-DC buck-boost chip, the TPS63000, which can handle up to 1.8A of current, providing more power capability compared to the Pico.

Underneath the hood, the RP2040-Plus shares the same core features as the Raspberry Pi Pico. It incorporates the RP2040 microcontroller, designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom, with a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor running at up to 133 MHz. It also includes 264KB of SRAM and the aforementioned 4MB of onboard flash memory.

The board's versatile connectivity options include 26 multi-function GPIO pins, 2 SPI, 2 I2C, and 2 UART interfaces, as well as 3 12-bit ADCs and 16 controllable PWM channels. It also supports USB 1.1 with both device and host capabilities, and offers low-power sleep and dormant modes.

Additionally, the RP2040-Plus features an onboard temperature sensor, accelerated floating-point libraries, and 8 programmable I/O (PIO) state machines, enabling custom peripheral support.

The board's physical design includes a castellated module, allowing it to be easily soldered directly onto a carrier board. It also includes a user LED, a BOOT button for entering download mode, and a RESET button.

In summary, the RP2040-Plus is a feature-rich and versatile Pico-like MCU board that builds upon the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi Pico, offering increased flash memory, a modern USB-C connector, and enhanced power management capabilities, all while retaining the core functionality of the RP2040 microcontroller.

product information: