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Revision as of 15:14, 3 August 2026
Overview
RP2040-Zero is a tiny, low-cost Pico-compatible microcontroller module based on Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core chip. Its castellated edge pads allow direct SMD surface mounting for mass production integration.
Two variants available: bare castellated module or pre-soldered pin header model for rapid breadboard prototyping
Technical Specification
| Main Controller | RP2040 dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+, max 133MHz clock |
| Memory | 264KB SRAM, 2MB onboard NOR Flash (W25Q16JVUXIQ) |
| Power Supply | ME621 LDO regulator, max 800mA output; support 5V USB-C power input.
Independent power pins are reserved on board: 5V power input, GND ground, 3.3V power output for external sensor power supply. |
| IO Resources | 29 multi-function GPIO pins, integrated 3-channel ADC, hardware I2C/SPI/UART/PIO peripherals.
All GPIO pads are gold-plated, compatible with both manual soldering and SMT mass production. |
| Onboard Peripherals | USB-C port, BOOT download button, RESET button, WS2812 programmable RGB LED |
| Dimension | 18.00mm × 23.50mm |
Supported Development Environment
| Programming Language | C/C++ SDK, MicroPython |
| Compatible IDE | VS Code, Arduino IDE, Thonny Python Editor |
| Compatible IDE | VS Code, Arduino IDE, Thonny Python Editor |
Pin Definition
Equipped with 29 independently configurable multiplexed GPIO pins. Each single pin can be assigned as digital GPIO, PWM output, ADC analog input, or hardware communication interface (SPI/I2C/UART). Complete pin function allocation details are available in the official pinout diagram.
Use Manual
Pico Getting Started（Main link: Official resource page）
- Firmware_Download
- Basic Introduction
- MicroPython Series
- C/C++ Series
- Arduino IDE Series
- Open Source Demos
Resources（Main link: Official resource page）
Dimensions
FAQ
Q1: Why do I put a file on a disk and the disk disappears and I don't see the previous file when I re-enter the disk?
A:
1. The Bootrom of RP2040 provides a standard USB boot loader, which can be recognized as a writable drive for using UF2 files to copy code to the RP2040. The UF2 file copied to the drive is downloaded and written to Flash or RAM, and the device is automatically restarted, allowing code to be downloaded and run on the RP2040 solely via USB connection.
2. Any type of file can be written from the host to a USB drive, but these files are typically not stored; it appears so only due to the host's cache. Only when a UF2 file is written to the device, special content is recognized, and data is written to a designated position in RAM or Flash. After downloading the complete and valid UF2 file, the RP2040 will automatically reboot to run the newly downloaded code.
3. UF2 files will not be stored, but instead, the firmware is flashed to the specified location according to the corresponding file format, the specific file format can refer to Microsoft's open source project at https://github.com/microsoft/uf2
Q2: How to flash the firmware?
A: Press RESET first, then press BOOT. Release RESET first, then release BOOT to enter the flashing mode. Just drag and drop or copy the firmware into it
Q3: How do I debug this design when the debugger pins are not brought out?
A: Debugging is not possible. You can program on a board that can be debugged and then directly burn the firmware into the RP2040 Zero.
Q4: Is there any way to connect a battery pack to the WS RP2040-Zero using GPIO pins or anything else?
A: The VSYS pin of the RP2040 is connected to the VUSB pin directly in RP2040-zero (named Pin23 ), If you want to connect the battery directly to the VSYS pin, you need to add a diode to avoid backflow. You can also directly connect the battery to Pin 21 (the 3V3) of the RP2040-zero if the voltage of the battery is 3.3V. RP2040 zero itself has no battery protection function, you need to ensure that your battery will not be overcharged or over-discharged, causing safety accidents.
Q5: Is that none of the debugging pins are exposed for SWD debugging?
A: This board doesn't pin out the SWD pins.
Q6: Any advice on using the RP2040-Zero in USB host mode? For the pico, it recommends an OTG cable but since the RP2040-Zero has a USB-C connector there is no sense of pin?
A: Just use an OTG adapter like this or use a C2C cable:
Q7: What is the spacing on the 10 pads underneath the RP2040-Zero?
A: Please check this:
Q8: In P2040-Zero to which pin must the 5V input voltage must be given to power up the board?
A: If you do not use USB for power supply, you can use the 5V pin for power supply:
Q9: I want to power RP2040-Zero using 1s lipo battery.. can I connect the battery directly to the 5v pin mentioned in the pinout document?
A: Due to the limited space, the power management part is omitted, resulting in zero can only be powered by 5V/3.3V. But zero itself has no battery protection function, you need to ensure that your battery will not be overcharged or over-discharged, which will cause safety accidents.
Q10: How can I power it using a battery power source such as a lipo3.7v?
A: The VSYS pin of the RP2040 is connected to the VUSB pin directly in RP2040-zero (named Pin23 ), If you want to connect the battery directly to the VSYS pin, you need to add a diode to avoid backflow. You can also directly connect the battery to Pin 21 (the 3V3) of the RP2040-zero if the voltage of the battery is 3.3V.
Q11: Could it be powered via a regulated 3.3V supply but not the NOT USBC - 5V?
A: The VSYS pin of the RP2040 is connected to the VUSB pin directly in RP2040-zero (named Pin23 ), if you do not need to use the USB port, you can connect a 3.3V power to the VSYS pin, we still recommend you to add a diode to it to avoid backflow.
Q12: What is the lowest sleep current that can be achieved and how do I achieve this?
A: The RP2040 microcontroller, which is used in the RP2040 Zero, has the potential to achieve very low sleep currents, making it ideal for low-power applications. The power consumption is 2mA.
Implementation example:[ https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-playground/tree/master?tab=readme-ov-file#sleep]