This week, the official Raspberry Pi development team announced a new update for the Pico Raspberry Pi mini computer. If you’re using a Raspberry Pi Pico W, you’ll be happy to know that it now supports Bluetooth. This is a noteworthy development for those who were looking forward to the device’s wireless capabilities.
The Raspberry Pi Pico W, an affordable wireless variant of the Pico platform, initially launched without Bluetooth support. Despite its small size and low cost, this microcontroller has found a place in a wide variety of projects, from interactive houseplants to small web servers. Now, a year after its launch, the Raspberry Pi has integrated Bluetooth capabilities into the Pico W, improving its versatility without requiring users to purchase a new device.
Bluetooth support
The Infineon CYW43439 is the driving force behind the wireless functionality of the Pico W. It is equipped with a 2.4GHz radio, which makes it capable of supporting 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2, including Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) functions. However, when the Pico W was initially launched, Wi-Fi capability was only enabled in the firmware and host-side software.
With the introduction of the C SDK version 1.5.1 and the latest MicroPython architecture, existing Pico W devices are now able to communicate with Bluetooth and Bluetooth LE devices. Support for Bluetooth Classic is quite comprehensive, although ACL/SCO is currently an exception. BLE central and peripheral roles are also supported, providing flexibility for different project requirements. Users can choose to enable Bluetooth Classic and BLE separately or both at once.
Start building Pico W bluetooth projects
If you are interested in exploring the new Bluetooth capabilities of the Raspberry Pi Pico W, there are some great resources available. The official Raspberry Pi documentation website and the book “Getting online with a Raspberry Pi Pico W” are excellent starting points, providing instructions on using Bluetooth LE with both the C SDK and MicroPython.
Source: RPi
Filed under: Devices, Top News
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