Waveshare RP2040-PiZero Development Board, Based On The Raspberry Pi RP2040 Dual-core Processor, 264KB SRAM And 16MB Onboard Flash Memory

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

ADC

An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.

Flash memory

Non-volatile memory that keeps stored data even when power is removed. In this sensor, it matters because enrolled fingerprint templates can remain saved after the project is turned off.

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.

HDMI

HDMI is a common digital video and audio connection used by computers, media players, and many displays. If a display kit has HDMI input, it is usually much easier to test with a single-board computer because it can act like a normal monitor.

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.

LCD

LCD stands for liquid crystal display, a screen technology that uses a backlight and liquid crystals to show images or text. It matters because LCD modules usually need a display driver and enough controller pins or a bus interface to send image data.

microcontroller

A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.

MicroPython

A version of the Python programming language made to run on microcontrollers. It matters because it lets beginners write readable code to control LEDs, sensors, motors and displays without needing to start with lower-level languages.

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.

RP2040

A microcontroller chip used on many maker boards, with enough speed and flexible I/O for some camera and display projects. Compatibility with RP2040 matters because camera modules often need many pins and careful timing to read image data successfully.

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.

SRAM

Fast temporary memory used by a processor while a program is running. More SRAM helps with projects that handle larger data buffers, networking, displays, or more complex code.

UART

UART is a simple serial connection that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, often labelled TX and RX. It matters because this module is designed to replace a wired UART cable with a wireless link while keeping the same serial data format.

USB host

A USB host is the side of a USB connection that controls attached devices, like a computer talking to a keyboard or flash drive. This matters because most microcontroller boards are normally USB devices, so adding USB host support lets them use common USB peripherals.

USB Type-C

A reversible USB connector used for power and data on many modern devices. On this kit it indicates an alternate 5V power input, which may be useful for setup or charging without the solar panel.