Pimoroni
Espruino Pico
A tiny USB stick that runs JavaScript - control things in the real world in just seconds! The Espruino Pico is a tiny USB stick that runs JavaScript code ...
A tiny USB stick that runs JavaScript - control things in the real world in just seconds!
The Espruino Pico is a tiny USB stick that runs JavaScript code (it doesn't need to be plugged into a computer). You can program it with nothing but a serial terminal program, but there's also an IDE that runs in the Chrome Web browser. It's got a syntax highlighted editor as well as a graphical programming language.
The IDE is so quick and easy to install that the Pico has possibly the shortest time-to-blink that we've ever seen.
Once you've uploaded code, you can inspect and change variables (including functions!) while your program is running.
There's loads of documentation, tutorials and support for a huge range of different hardware too.
See how to get started here, or if you have any questions ask away on our forums!
Not only that, but your source code is on the board itself. If you make something with an Espruino board and need to change it a year later, your original code is still there waiting for you!
Specifications
- 33mm x 15mm (1.3 x 0.6 inch)
- 22 GPIO pins : 9 Analogs inputs, 21 PWM, 2 Serial, 3 SPI, 3 I2C
- All GPIO is 5 volt tolerant (Arduino compatible)
- 2 rows of 9 0.1" pins, with a third 0.05" row of 8 pins on the end
- On-board USB Type A connector
- Two on-board LEDs and one button.
- STM32F401CDU6 CPU - ARM Cortex M4, 384kb flash, 96kb RAM
- On-board 3.3v 250mA voltage regulator, accepts voltages from 3.5v to 16v
- Current draw in sleep: < 0.05mA - over 2.5 years on a 2500mAh battery
- On-board FET can be used to drive high-current outputs
Pinned or Unpinned?
This is the pinned version of the board, which fits perfectly into breadboard
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- GPIO
- General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- IDE
- Short for Integrated Development Environment, a program used to write, run and manage code. It matters because some learners prefer a traditional coding workspace instead of a guided notebook-style lesson.
- PWM
- Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.
- RAM
- RAM is temporary memory used while a device is running, and its contents are lost when power is removed. A “Run in RAM” mode is useful for testing settings without permanently programming the module, but it may not support every feature.
- SPI
- A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.
Find this product in
