Seeed Studio Unveils the Wio RP2040 Mini Development Board
This RP2040-based board is designed for users working on wireless controller smart home applications.
Following the release of the $4 Raspberry Pi Pico, built around the company’s first in-house chip, we have seen several RP2040-based development boards enter the market. Continuing the growth of RP2040, Seeed Studio has unveiled the Wio RP2040 mini development board designed for those working on wireless controller smart home applications.
This RP2040 mini development board is suited for all classes of users across the spectrum, from beginner to professional. For those just starting out, Seeed has provided an easy-to-program option with the board. You can now use the Thonny code editor that was also supported by the Raspberry Pi Pico, making t easy to create RP2040-powered IoT projects.
The powerful onboard RP2040 is a dual-core Cortex-M0+ processor clocked up to 133MHz featuring 264 KB SRAM and 2MB flash storage. The Wio RP40 board is also equipped with an integrated Wi-Fi module that supports IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4-2.4835 GHz frequency, and Ap&Station mode.
If you aim to wirelessly transmit video files that require a higher data rate, then the Raspberry Pi 4B or BeagleV SBCs are expensive yet better options provided with rich interfaces. However, as mentioned earlier, Seeed's board is specially geared towards IoT applications. Speaking of interfaces, the board comes with 28 GPIO pins (19 pins support PIO and PWM), two UART, four ADC, two SPI, and two I2C. If you feel that the board has fewer GPIO pins, Seeed explains by saying, “Some pins can be multiplexed, such as GP12 and GP13 with I2C, SPI, UART functions. That’s why 28 GPIO PINs can achieve more I/O PINs and interfaces.”
In terms of software, the Wio RP2040 can be programmed in MicroPython and C/C++ via the Wio RP2040's onboard USB-C connector. Though, Seeed recommends Wio RP2040 Module MicroPython UF2 as it is claimed to be the easiest method to get started with the board.
If you are interested in purchasing the Wio RP2040 mini development board, it's now available for pre-order at only $12.95 with an estimated availability date of October 15th, 2021.
Abhishek Jadhav is an engineering student, freelance tech writer, RISC-V Ambassador, and leader of the Open Hardware Developer Community.