Embedded developer Mark Stevens has put collectively a useful accent for anybody working with the PicoProbe firmware for the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller boards: a service board to simplify connectivity between the debugger and the machine on take a look at.
“I’m at the moment doing loads of work with the Raspberry Pi Pico and NuttX,” Stevens presents by means of background to the venture. “The present work has been all about setting the stage for a venture that can finally join the [Raspberry Pi] Pico W to some exterior {hardware}. Working in a small house it is very important attempt to maintain {hardware} below management. {Hardware} debug environments could be messy with debug probes, the primary improvement board plus further linked {hardware}.”
This compact service board goals to make it simple to debug one Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico W with one other. (📷: Mark Stevens)
That is the place Stevens’ PicoDebugger service board is available in. Throughout his improvement, Stevens has been utilizing one Raspberry Pi Pico working the PicoProbe firmware to behave as a debugger for a second Raspberry Pi Pico W on take a look at. Providing surface-mount pads for the debugger-board and reusable feminine headers for the machine on take a look at, the compact service even breaks out the whole general-purpose enter/output (GPIO) pin array — permitting using exterior {hardware} with out elimination from the debug rig.
“The PicoDebugger goals to supply the next options,” Stevens explains. “Mount a Pico to behave as a Picoprobe. Mount a goal Pico. Optionally join UART from the goal to the Picoprobe. Reset the goal board to permit programming by dragging a UF2 file to the goal board. Deployment and debugging utilizing SWD [Serial Wire Debug]. Connection to exterior venture {hardware}.”
The venture started as a proof-of-concept trial on prototyping board. (📷: Mark Stevens)
To complete the venture off, Stevens designed a 3D-printed stand for the PCB. “This base retains the by way of gap elements from scratching [any] work surfaces,” he explains, “and helps to cut back the potential for unintended shorts on the uncovered pins on the underside of the board.”
Design information for each the PicoDebugger service board and the 3D-printable base can be found in Stevens’ GitHub repository, below the permissive MIT license.