This week the official Raspberry Pi development team has announced the roll-out of a new update to its Pico Raspberry Pi mini PC. If you’ve been using the Raspberry Pi Pico W, you will be pleased to know that it now supports Bluetooth. This is a noteworthy development for those who’ve been eyeing the device’s wireless capabilities.
The Raspberry Pi Pico W, an affordable wireless-enabled variant of the Pico platform, was initially launched without Bluetooth support. Despite its small size and low cost, this microcontroller found a place in a wide range of projects, from interactive houseplants to micro web servers. Now, a year after its release, Raspberry Pi has incorporated Bluetooth capabilities into the Pico W, improving its versatility without requiring users to purchase a new device.
Bluetooth support
The Infineon CYW43439 device is the powerhouse behind the wireless functionality of the Pico W. It is equipped with a 2.4 GHz radio, making it capable of supporting 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2, including both Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) functionality. However, when the Pico W was initially launched, only the Wi-Fi capability was enabled in the firmware and the host-side software.
With the introduction of version 1.5.1 of the C SDK and the most recent MicroPython build, existing Pico W devices are now capable of communicating with Bluetooth and Bluetooth LE devices. The support for Bluetooth Classic is quite comprehensive, although ACL/SCO is currently an exception. The BLE Central and Peripheral roles are also supported, providing flexibility for various project requirements. Users can choose to enable Bluetooth Classic and BLE separately, or both simultaneously.
Start building Pico W Bluetooth projects
If you’re interested in exploring the new Bluetooth capabilities of your Raspberry Pi Pico W, there are some great resources available. The website and the ‘Connecting to the Internet with Raspberry Pi Pico W‘ book are excellent starting points, providing guidance on using Bluetooth LE with both the C SDK and MicroPython.
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