What’s New in the Raspberry Pi Pico 2? A Showdown with the Original Raspberry Pi Pico

This article will explore the key differences between the original Raspberry Pi Pico and the new Raspberry Pi Pico 2, focusing on the most significant enhancements and what remains unchanged.

What are the new features of the Raspberry Pi Pico 2?

The Raspberry Pi Pico 2 introduces several new features that set it apart from its predecessor, making it a more powerful and versatile microcontroller:

Enhanced Processing Power

• RP2350 SoC: The Pico 2 is powered by the RP2350, which offers a dual-core configuration with either Arm Cortex-M33 cores or the new RISC-V Hazard3 cores. This is a significant upgrade from the RP2040's dual Cortex-M0+ cores, providing more processing power and flexibility. The clock speed has also been increased to 150 MHz from the original 133 MHz.

Increased Memory and Storage

• 520KB SRAM: The Pico 2 doubles the SRAM from 264KB to 520KB, allowing for more complex applications and larger datasets.
• 4MB Flash Storage: The onboard QSPI flash storage has also been doubled from 2MB to 4MB, providing more space for program storage and data handling.

Advanced Security Features

• Arm TrustZone and Secure Boot: The RP2350 includes Arm TrustZone technology, which provides a secure execution environment for critical tasks. It also features secure boot capabilities, ensuring that only trusted software can run on the device.
• 8KB OTP Memory: An 8KB OTP (One-Time Programmable) memory is available for secure key storage, enhancing the security of the Pico 2 for sensitive applications.

Improved Analog and Digital I/O

• 4 x 12-bit ADC: The number of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) has increased from 3 to 4, with each ADC offering 12-bit resolution for more precise analog signal processing.
• More PWM Channels: The number of PWM channels has been expanded from 16 to 24, providing greater control over devices like motors and LEDs.
• More Programmable IO (PIO) State Machines: The number of PIO state machines has increased from 8 to 12, allowing for more custom hardware interfaces and complex I/O operations.

Lower Power Consumption

• Improved Sleep Mode Efficiency: The Pico 2 has dramatically reduced power consumption in sleep mode, drawing less than 10uA compared to the original Pico’s 100uA. This improvement makes the Pico 2 ideal for battery-powered and energy-sensitive projects.

Support for RISC-V Architecture

• Dual-Core RISC-V Hazard3: The RP2350 is the first Raspberry Pi product to offer a RISC-V-based CPU, specifically the Hazard3 cores. This inclusion is a significant milestone for Raspberry Pi, potentially signaling a broader adoption of RISC-V in future products.

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What are the key differences between Raspberry Pi Pico and Raspberry Pi Pico 2?

Discover how the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 outshines its predecessor, Raspberry Pi Pico.

Microcontroller Specifications Comparison

Microcontroller (MCU)

• Raspberry Pi Pico: The original Pico is powered by the RP2040 microcontroller, featuring a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor running at up to 133 MHz.
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: The Pico 2 introduces the RP2350 microcontroller, which comes with a choice between two CPU configurations: a dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 or a dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 CPU, running at up to 150 MHz. This is the first time a Raspberry Pi product has been powered by a RISC-V CPU, signaling a potential future direction for the platform. The addition of RISC-V cores provides an open-source architecture, offering developers more flexibility and customization options.

Memory and Storage

• Raspberry Pi Pico: Equipped with 264KB of SRAM and 2MB of QSPI flash storage.
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: The Pico 2 significantly upgrades its memory and storage, doubling the SRAM to 520KB and the QSPI flash storage to 4MB. This increase allows for more complex and resource-intensive applications, making the Pico 2 a more powerful microcontroller for various projects.

Security Features

• Raspberry Pi Pico: The RP2040 microcontroller does not feature any dedicated security capabilities.
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: The RP2350 introduces advanced security features such as Arm TrustZone, 8KB of OTP (One-Time Programmable) memory for secure key storage, secure boot, SHA-256 acceleration, a hardware True Random Number Generator (TRNG), and fast glitch detectors. These features provide a robust security architecture, making the Pico 2 an excellent choice for secure applications.

I/O and Connectivity Comparison

Analog and Digital I/O

• Raspberry Pi Pico: The original Pico offers 3 x 12-bit ADCs, 26 digital I/O pins, 2 x UART, 2 x I2C, 2 x SPI, 16 PWM channels, and 8 Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines.
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: The Pico 2 enhances the I/O capabilities by providing 4 x 12-bit ADCs, expanding PWM channels to 24, and increasing the number of PIO state machines to 12. These enhancements offer more precision and flexibility in handling analog signals and controlling peripherals.

Connectivity

• Raspberry Pi Pico: The original Pico does not include built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, although the Pico W variant does for $6.
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: Like its predecessor, the Pico 2 lacks built-in wireless connectivity. However, Raspberry Pi has confirmed that a Raspberry Pi Pico W 2, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, will be released later this year, aiming to stay under the $10 price point.

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Power and Physical Specifications

Power Consumption

• Raspberry Pi Pico: Known for its low power consumption, the RP2040 consumes around 100uA in sleep mode.
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: The Pico 2 improves power efficiency further, reducing sleep mode consumption to less than 10uA, making it ten times more power-efficient than its predecessor. This improvement is particularly advantageous for battery-powered and energy-sensitive applications.

Compatibility and Form Factor

• Raspberry Pi Pico: Features a 21 x 51mm form factor with 40 GPIO pins, including castellations for surface mounting.
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: The Pico 2 retains the same footprint and GPIO pinout, ensuring compatibility with existing accessories and boards. The continued use of a micro USB connector, rather than USB-C, ensures backward compatibility but might be seen as a drawback by some users.

Additional Feature Comparison

• Raspberry Pi Pico: Includes a precise on-chip clock and timer, a temperature sensor, and optimized floating-point libraries.‍
• Raspberry Pi Pico 2: Introduces enhanced low-power sleep and dormant modes, flexible high-speed user-programmable I/O, and the capability to emulate interfaces like SD Card and VGA.

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The Raspberry Pi Pico 2 builds on the foundation laid by the original Pico, offering enhanced processing power, more memory, and advanced security features, all while maintaining the same form factor and price point. The introduction of RISC-V cores in the RP2350 is particularly exciting, signaling a new direction for the Raspberry Pi platform. Whether you're working on a new project or considering an upgrade, the Pico 2 provides a seamless transition with backward compatibility and forward-looking features.

As software support catches up with the new hardware capabilities, especially for the RISC-V cores, the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is set to become an even more powerful tool in the maker community.

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