Pi: Linux for Pico e.g. Fuzix (178.html)
by David KC COLE
Keywords:
ICH180R2 "Raspberry Pi" Raspberry Pi Pico Python Thonny RP2040 "Maker Pi Pico" Fuzix minicom microSDRAM
Oscilloscope "Andoid phone" Scooby "no programming" pyRTOS FreeRTOS
"capacitive coupling" "Premium: 2 probes"
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Screenshot of Fuzix
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Maker Nano RP2040 by Cytron
Introduction
To date, I have been using Thonny to program the Raspberry Pi RP2040 pico. I miss the use of an operating system. Today I discovered Fuzix (Source 01). I have not yet installed Fuzix, but I believe that it will permit me to use the Maker Pi Pico board with the RP2040 on the Raspberry Pico. Of course, it is important to have a usable microSDRAM for RP2040 pico programming. Hopefully this will be supported by Fuzix.
I believe that minicom can be used as the serial interface (VT100 emulator) to communicate with Fuzix. For instructions on how to install minicom, refer to my ePC Article 166. An early binary of Fuzix by David Given is available in Source 02. Source 03 is an article from Raspberry Pi on how to install Fuzix on a Raspberry Pi Pico. This article first describes how to use Fuzix with a Raspberry Pi; later it describes how to use minicom when Fuzix is driven by a Wiindows laptop. This initial version of Fuzix makes use of an external SDcard. It is unknown whether the SDcard on the Maker Pi Pico board will work with Fuzix. Source 04 was written by a person who has had difficulty getting Fuzix to work.
More on Fuzix to come.
Another approach is to use the pyRTOS (described in Source 05 using the Maker Pi Pico board by Cytron).
Maker Nano RP2040by Cytron
The lower image shown above is the Cytron Maker Nano RP2040(Source 09). It is larger than the RPi Pico but incorporates a piezo buzzer (with a MUTE switch), 2 Tri-Color RGB LEDs, 2 Qwiic connectors, 4 ADC pins and 3 push buttons (BOOT, RESET and user). Note that each Qwiic connector can interface to a Grove connector using a special cable (that is provided with the Maker Nano RP2040). The short video (Video Source 03 by Cytron) shows how to connect the LCD graphic screen to the Maker Nano RP2040. This LCD graphic screen can also be driven by the Maker Pi Pico.
Tiny $2 microcomputer from China
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HLK-W08 board with a W806 microcontroller
For more information see Video Source V178:04 and Web Source S178:10 both below.
Learn Embedded Systems
13.2K subscribers
The HLK-W08 Microcontroller from WinnerMicro is a W806 based microcontroller board coming in at a seriously budget price of 2$. This is a fairly minimal board due to the low cost. The W803 chip is based on XuanTie's E804 microcontroller and has 1MB of on-board flash storage and plenty of connectivity through SPI, I2C and UART. It is fairly a compact board which measures in at 65mm x 25mm, approximately the same size as the Raspberry Pi Zero.
You can program this board by using a custom SDK and toolchain setup that we describe in this video. The WinnerMicro W806 chip powers this board. This is a 32-bit C-SKY single core processor which runs at 240MHz. It has 288KB of RAM. There is also 1MB of flash memory. In terms of interfaces this chip supports 1 SPI, 6 UART, 1 I2c and 1 I2S controllers. There are 4 analogue to digital converter channels. There is also some hardware encryption features aiming this to the "IoT" markets.
You can purchase the HLK-W08 at the following links:
AliExpress (affiliate): https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_9wkeTf
Our SDK and toolchain setup notes are available here: https://learnembeddedsystems.co.uk/hl...
SDK is available here: https://github.com/IOsetting/wm-sdk-w806
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Pricing
01:35 Dimensions
01:48 Features
04:26 Pin-out
04:55 SDK Setup
09:03 Documentation
09:40 Thoughts and Conclusions
Leam does not recommend using this cheap board due to bugs and lack of instructions (written in English not Chinese). It is a one-side board and is not compatible with any microcontrollers now available in the Western World.
Take a look at some "other" RP2040 boards covered here:
Other RP2040 boards
You can find more embedded systems tutorials and projects on Leam's website https://learnembeddedsystems.co.uk
RP2040 board from Sweden with wifi and a LiPo battery charger but no buck-boost.
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Challenger microcontroller from Sweden
The Challenger single-sided microcontroller from I-Labs (Invector Labs Sweden) is available from Pi Hut for US$14.95 plus US$3.50. It has a USB-C connector.Its features are:
-RP2040
-264KB SDRAM
-2 I2C
-4 ADC
-8 PIO state machine
-16 PWM channels
-8 MB flash
-wifi connectivity
-2 antenna options
-BOOT and RESET buttons
-same pinouts as other feather boards
-Micro-Python & Circuits Python and C
Sources
Video Sources
Video Source V178:01: 10 Things You Might Not Know ABout the RP2040 [spoken English] (4:50 min) 
by Ryan Gaudion c2021AJan21
Video Source V178:02 Raspberry Pi Pico Oscilloscope (On an Android Phone using Scooby) (21:55 min)
by Altium at PICockpit as of 2022CMar16
Video Source V178:03 Display an Image on the external graphic LCD (0:59 min)
by Cytron copied on 2022FJun03
Video Source V178:04 HLK-W08 PC with a W806 Microcontroller from WinnerMicro at AliExpress (10:38 min)
by Leam Embedded Systems as of 2022FJun05
Video Source V178:05 RP2040 Microcontroller with Wifi (but no buck-boost from Sweden(8:33 min)
by Leam Embedded Systems as of 2022FJun05
Web Sources
Web Source S178:01: Fuzix 
by David Given as of 2021BFeb16
Web Source S178:02: Fuzix Binary to Flash
by David Given as of 2021BFeb16
Web Source S178:03: How to get started with Fuzix on Raspberry Pi Pico
by Alasdair Allan of Raspberry Pi .org as of 2021BFeb21
Web Source S178:04: Raspberry Pi Forum: Fuzix on a PICO
by prichardson as of 2022EMay05
Web Source S178:05: pyRTOS for the Raspberry Pi Pico and the Maker Pi Pico board
by Luqman as of 2021JOct18
Web Source S178:06: FreeRTOS - RTOS for the pico (using C)
at PICockpit as of 2021JOct18
Web Source S178:07: Raspberry Pi Pico Turns 1 year old today
by Adafruit as of 2022AJan28
Web Source S178:08: DIY Smartphone Oscilloscope . . . Pico (with an Android phone)
by Raspberry Pi as of 2022BFeb09
Web Source S178:09: DIY Maker Nano RP2040
by Cytron (OOS as of 2022FJun03)
Web Source S178:10: HLK-W08 PC with a W806 Microcontroller
by Learn Embedded Systems as of 2022FJun05
WebMaster: Ye Old King Cole
Date Written: 2022 F Jun 02
Last Updated: 2023 J Oct 11
Font: Courier New 10
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