iLabs CPico RP2350: A Feature-Rich Raspberry Pi Pico 2 Alternative

The iLabs CPico RP2350 serves as an alternative to the Raspberry Pi Pico 2, offering the same form factor while integrating additional features. This development board is built around the Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller and includes a USB-C port, 8MB of onboard flash storage, 2MB of PSRAM, a Reset button, and BConnect I2C and debug ports.

Despite these enhancements, the CPico RP2350 retains core elements of the Raspberry Pi Pico 2, such as dual 20-pin GPIO headers and a BOOT button. It stands alongside alternatives like the Waveshare RP2350-Plus, which extends functionality by incorporating battery support.

CPico RP2350 Specifications

Processor

• Raspberry Pi RP2350 SoC
• Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 running at 150 MHz with Arm TrustZone and Secure Boot
• Dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 also operating at 150 MHz
• A maximum of two cores can function simultaneously

Memory & Storage

• 520 KB on-chip SRAM
• 2MB PSRAM
• 8MB onboard QSPI flash storage

Security Features

• 8KB anti-fuse OTP for secure key storage
• Secure boot (Arm-based)
• SHA-256 hardware acceleration
• True Random Number Generator (TRNG)
• Fast glitch detection

Connectivity & Expansion

• USB Type-C 1.1 host/device connector for power and programming
• Two 20-pin headers featuring:
• 26 GPIO pins
• 2 UART interfaces
• 2 SPI controllers
• 2 I2C controllers
• 16 PWM channels
• 4 ADC channels
• 3 PIO blocks with a total of 12 PIO state machines
• BConnect I2C connector
• Debugging support via BConnect CMSIS/DAP/UART

Power & Dimensions

• Power input: 1.8V to 5.5V / 3A DC via USB-C
• Board size: 51mm x 21mm

Software Compatibility

The CPico RP2350 supports multiple development environments, including MicroPython, CircuitPython, the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK, and Arduino IDE. These options ensure flexibility in firmware development while maintaining compatibility with existing Raspberry Pi Pico 2 projects.

Debugging Capabilities

To leverage advanced debugging features, the BSWD iProbe, compatible with CMSIS/DAP, is required. This tool enables seamless integration with OpenOCD, GDB, and other widely used IDEs, offering enhanced debugging capabilities for developers.

The iLabs CPico RP2350 is available for $9.18through the official iLabs online store. Additionally, the BSWD iProbe can be obtained separately for $13.30.

With its extended memory, debugging options, and USB-C connectivity, the CPico RP2350 is a practical alternative for developers seeking an upgraded Raspberry Pi Pico 2 experience.