 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Are the New 16mb PICO clones and good for the PICO projects here
| Author | Message | ||||
mclout999 Guru  Joined: 05/07/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 492 |
Here is a video about them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EChO4o4Z9v8&ab_channel=GaryExplains Here is a link to one. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803610338545.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.67a438da42dWoV&mp=1 With 8 times the flash it would be a nice option of about 5$. They call me Shai-Hulud (The maker) |
||||
| gadgetjack Senior Member  Joined: 15/07/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 173 |
I read your post and then ordered 2 of them myself. If Peter can support them great , but still a neat board to play with if not. Thanks for the tip. Jack |
||||
Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8304 |
AFAIK MMBasic will run on just about all RP2040-based Pico clones to date but any flash over 2MB is ignored. Also, a lot of the clones are not pin-compatible with the Pico and can't be used with anything that they plug in to - which is virtually everything. The main problem with the Pico isn't shortage of flash, it's shortage of RAM and none of the clones can fix that as it's all on the RP2040. Adding more flash doesn't really gain you anything. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
I would take a clone over the Pico every time, just to avoid the godawful micro USB. I have the Lilygo with the ESP32 and display but my favourite is the unadulterated Pimoroni PGA-2040. Here, my USB connector is a 4-pin Phoenix-style (5.08mm) which actually looks/feels right for the factory environment. |
||||
Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9757 |
I note that in addition to the higher flash, the black PCB versions also route out two more pins that the standard Pico does not - GP29 and GP23, giving you two more I/O pins, USB-C connector, WS2812 RGB LED onboard, and is only US$2.80 at the moment! (17% off, normally US$3.37, which is still a good deal IMHO) Might get a couple of these to play with. The extra I/O pins(GP29 and GP23) are routed out to where ADC_VREF and 3v3EN pins are/were on the RP Pico module. So long as you have not assigned them to anything on your PM designs(I didn't), these will be a drop-in replacement. Nice find!  On the extra flash, I could see it being useful for extra FLASH SAVE/LOAD slots, but that is about all. And that is probably a moot point anyway, as with full SD card support, you can save and load anything you want directly from the card, not requiring extra FLASH SAVE/LOAD ability anyway.  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8304 |
Type C Black Version 2 and Type C Purple 16MB versions have completely different pinouts to the Pico. I'm not sure about Type C Green. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9757 |
Why all the micro-USB socket hate?  I do have to give full thumbs-up to Pimoroni for their cute, tiny 20mm square module and matching socket/pin-header arrangement. I do think it is a lovely design, especially when you pair it up with a sexy pin-header and socket that they have available. I might have to SERIOUSLY start looking at these more and more, as the silicon chip shortage continues to loom, and now China is having water issues, the chip shortages are only going to get worse, so it might be a good time to at least consider porting some mission-critical designs over to the RP2040 chip, as there seems to be millions of them available, whereas just about all other MCU's feel like they have gone out of style! Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
||||
| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9757 |
Yes, they do. So don't buy the type C versions then.  No, they don't give or show a pinout for the type C green, but I am ASSUMING it is the same as the standard. I could get one of those to find out I suppose. The "Not C" black version is pin-for-pin compatible with the standard Pico, with the exception of the aforementioned GP29 and GP23. Other then that, and PROVIDED that the MM firmware does not care about a flash chip bigger then 2MB, it is a drop-in replacement for the standard Pico - but half the price, and with more features. I might get a couple to play with. Have not made up my mind yet. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
||||
| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
@Grogster I'm kinda committed... Edited 2022-08-21 22:11 by Tinine |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8304 |
Pico low numbers side: 0 1 gnd 2 3 4 5 gnd 6 7 8 9 gnd 10 11 12 13 gnd 14 15 high numbers side: 16 17 gnd 18 19 20 21 gnd 22 run 26 27 gnd c8 vref 3v3 3v3en gnd vsys vbus ------- Type C Black V2, Type C purple etc. low numbers side: 0 1 2 3 4 gnd 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 gnd 13 14 15 16 17 high numbers side: 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 gnd 26 27 28 29 run gnd 3v3 3v3en gnd vin vout ------- Not what I'd call pin compatible. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3481 |
He did say: The "Not C" black version PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8304 |
... erm... but the only not-C ones are green clones of the original Pico. :) Of course, the thread was regarding the Type C 16MB version. The basic Type C Black is the one that's almost compatible, isn't it? Pity they won't surface mount. I'm just getting the hang of laying those out. :) I'm guessing they are 2MB flash, but they don't say. These may not be any good for low noise stuff if you can't disable the SMPS. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| mclout999 Guru Joined: 05/07/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 492 |
Thank all very helpful. They call me Shai-Hulud (The maker) |
||||
| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3481 |
Oops, right--should have been the "not Ver 2" black ones. I like that there's an additional 3V3 as a 4th pin at the bottom. ~ Edited 2022-08-22 00:57 by lizby PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
||||
| pwillard Guru Joined: 07/06/2022 Location: United StatesPosts: 324 |
I really like the PICO LIPO from Pimoroni. It won't surface mount without cutouts on the board but works quite nicely with the WAVESHARE PICO Res Touch LCD 3.5, for example. I'm curious to hear about the new Aliexpress clone... (once they finally arrive... zzz) |
||||
stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2681 |
this was the info link In read. |
||||
| pwillard Guru Joined: 07/06/2022 Location: United StatesPosts: 324 |
Honest... that comment should be checked... I'm not sure we know the full extent of the latest "FIX" in the beta release related to >2MB devices. |
||||
| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8304 |
Is there any mechanism in MMBasic that would let you use the extra flash area? You can't write files to it. You have no more flash slots - and what they each can hold is the maximum tokenized program that will fit into user memory. I don't think there is. My own suspicion is that Peter has tweaked the flash timing to suit the bigger, faster flash chips better. It's only a suspicion though. If a board has 2MB or more of flash and the I/O pins don't conflict with MMBasic then that board stands a good chance of working with MMBasic. Obviously, you couldn't use PicoMite VGA on something that ties up any of the video GP pins with, say, an ESP32. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
