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Does the Raspberry Pi Pico Have Wifi? Pico W Explained

Introduction If you have been exploring the world of microcontrollers, chances are you have come across the Raspberry Pi Pico. It is small, affordable, and surprisingly powerful. But one question keeps popping up among makers, hobbyists, and developers: Does t

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Introduction

If you have been exploring the world of microcontrollers, chances are you have come across the Raspberry Pi Pico. It is small, affordable, and surprisingly powerful. But one question keeps popping up among makers, hobbyists, and developers: Does the Raspberry Pi Pico Have Wifi? The short answer is that the original Raspberry Pi Pico does not have built-in wireless connectivity, but the Raspberry Pi Pico W does. In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the Pico, the Pico W, and how wireless connectivity changes what you can build.

Whether you are a beginner trying to decide which board to buy or an experienced developer looking to add wireless features to your next project, this guide will walk you through the differences, the hardware, and the practical steps to get connected. Let us dive in.

Table of Contents

Does the Raspberry Pi Pico Have Wifi?

Let us answer the headline question directly. Does the Raspberry Pi Pico Have Wifi? The original Raspberry Pi Pico, released in January 2021, does not have any built-in wireless capability. It has no Wifi radio and no Bluetooth. If you need wireless connectivity with the original Pico, you must add an external module such as an ESP8266 or ESP32 over SPI or UART.

However, Raspberry Pi released the Raspberry Pi Pico W in June 2022, which is essentially the same board with an added wireless chip. The Pico W includes both 2.4 GHz Wifi (802.11n) and Bluetooth 5.2, making it a much more capable board for Internet of Things projects. So when someone asks “Does the Raspberry Pi Pico Have Wifi?”, the accurate answer depends on which version of the board they are talking about.

This distinction is important because the two boards look almost identical. If you are shopping online or sorting through a parts bin, it is easy to confuse them. Always check the silkscreen on the board or the product listing to confirm which model you have.

The Original Raspberry Pi Pico: No Wifi

The original Raspberry Pi Pico was Raspberry Pi’s first microcontroller board. Unlike the Raspberry Pi single-board computers, which run a full Linux operating system, the Pico is a microcontroller. It runs code you flash to it directly, with no operating system in between. This makes it fast, deterministic, and ideal for real-time tasks.

The original Pico is built around the RP2040, a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller designed in-house by Raspberry Pi. It runs at 133 MHz, has 264 KB of SRAM, and supports up to 16 MB of external flash memory (the board ships with 2 MB). It also offers 26 GPIO pins, three analog inputs, and a range of peripherals including I2C, SPI, UART, and PWM.

What it does not offer is any form of wireless connectivity. There is no Wifi chip, no Bluetooth, and no radio of any kind. For many projects this is perfectly fine. If you are building a temperature sensor that logs data over USB, a motor controller, or a simple LED matrix display, you do not need Wifi at all.

But for IoT projects, smart home devices, web servers, or anything that needs to talk to the internet, the lack of Wifi is a significant limitation. That is exactly the gap the Pico W was designed to fill.

Enter the Raspberry Pi Pico W

The Raspberry Pi Pico W takes the original Pico design and adds a wireless module. Specifically, it incorporates the Infineon CYW43439 chip, which provides 2.4 GHz 802.11n Wifi and Bluetooth 5.2. The RP2040 microcontroller remains the brain of the board, so all your existing code, libraries, and knowledge transfer over.

From a software perspective, the Pico W is remarkably similar to the original Pico. You still program it in C/C++ or MicroPython. You still use the same Pico SDK. The main difference is that you now have access to networking APIs that let you connect to Wifi networks, make HTTP requests, run a web server, or use Bluetooth.

Physically, the Pico W looks almost identical to the original Pico. The most visible difference is a small antenna etched into the PCB near the top of the board, and the wireless module itself is housed under a small metal can. The pinout is the same, which means most accessories, breadboards, and HATs designed for the original Pico work with the Pico W as well.

Pico vs Pico W: Side-by-Side Comparison

Here is a clear comparison to help you decide which board fits your project.

Feature Raspberry Pi Pico Raspberry Pi Pico W
Microcontroller RP2040 (dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+) RP2040 (dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+)
Clock Speed 133 MHz (overclockable) 133 MHz (overclockable)
SRAM 264 KB 264 KB
Flash Memory 2 MB 2 MB
GPIO Pins 26 26
Analog Inputs 3 3
Wifi None 2.4 GHz 802.11n
Bluetooth None Bluetooth 5.2
USB Micro-USB Micro-USB
Price (approx) $4 $6
Antenna N/A Onboard PCB antenna

As you can see, the core specifications are identical. The only meaningful differences are the addition of wireless connectivity and a slightly higher price. For most projects, the extra two dollars for the Pico W is well worth it, even if you do not need Wifi right away. Having the option available future-proofs your build.

How the Pico W Adds Wifi

The Pico W does not use the RP2040’s processor to handle Wifi directly. Instead, it uses a dedicated wireless chip, the Infineon CYW43439. This chip handles all the radio communication, including the Wifi protocol stack and Bluetooth. The RP2040 communicates with the wireless chip over an internal SPI bus, so from a software standpoint you interact with a driver layer rather than raw radio hardware.

This design has several advantages. First, it offloads the heavy lifting of wireless communication from the main processor, leaving the RP2040 free to handle your application logic. Second, it means the wireless firmware can be updated independently. Third, it keeps power consumption reasonable because the radio can be put to sleep when not in use.

The onboard antenna is a PCB trace antenna, which is compact but not as powerful as an external antenna. For most indoor projects within a reasonable distance of your router, it works fine. If you need longer range, you can use an external antenna with some modifications, though this requires soldering and is not officially supported.

Technical Specifications of the Pico W

Here are the full technical specifications for the Raspberry Pi Pico W.

  • Microcontroller: RP2040 (dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ at 133 MHz)
  • SRAM: 264 KB on-chip
  • Flash: 2 MB QSPI flash
  • Wireless: Infineon CYW43439, 2.4 GHz 802.11n, Bluetooth 5.2
  • GPIO: 26 multi-function pins
  • Analog: 3 channels, 12-bit ADC
  • Interfaces: 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 2x UART, 16x PWM channels
  • USB: Micro-USB 1.1 (device and host)
  • Power: 1.8V to 5.5V input, onboard 3.3V regulator
  • Temperature range: -20°C to +85°C
  • Dimensions: 51 mm x 21 mm

The Pico W supports both 2.4 GHz Wifi bands and Bluetooth Low Energy. It does not support 5 GHz Wifi, which is worth noting if your network is 5 GHz only. Most routers broadcast both bands, but if yours only supports 5 GHz, you will need to enable a 2.4 GHz network.

Getting Started With the Pico W

Getting started with the Pico W is straightforward, especially if you have used the original Pico before. Here is how to set up your development environment.

Step 1: Install MicroPython

For beginners, MicroPython is the easiest way to program the Pico W. Visit the official Raspberry Pi documentation page and download the latest MicroPython firmware for the Pico W. It will be a .uf2 file.

  1. Hold down the BOOTSEL button on the Pico W.
  2. Plug the board into your computer via USB while holding BOOTSEL.
  3. The Pico W will appear as a USB mass storage device called RPI-RP2.
  4. Drag and drop the .uf2 firmware file onto the drive.
  5. The board will reboot automatically with MicroPython installed.

Step 2: Choose an IDE

Thonny is the recommended IDE for MicroPython on the Pico. It is free, lightweight, and has built-in support for the Pico. Download Thonny from thonny.org, then select MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico) as your interpreter in the bottom-right corner of the window.

Step 3: Test the Connection

Once connected, you can run a simple test to confirm everything works.

from machine import Pin
led = Pin("LED", Pin.OUT)
led.on()
print("Hello from Pico W!")

If the onboard LED lights up and you see the message in the shell, your setup is working correctly.

Connecting the Pico W to Wifi

Here is the step-by-step process to connect your Pico W to a Wifi network using MicroPython.

Step 1: Import the Network Module

MicroPython includes a network module that handles Wifi connections on the Pico W.

import network
import time

Step 2: Set Your Credentials

Define your Wifi network name and password as variables.

SSID = "YourNetworkName"
PASSWORD = "YourPassword"

Step 3: Activate the Wireless Interface

Create a WLAN object and activate it in station mode, which means the Pico W connects to an existing network rather than creating its own.

wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
wlan.active(True)

Step 4: Connect to the Network

Call the connect method with your credentials and wait for the connection to establish.

wlan.connect(SSID, PASSWORD)

while not wlan.isconnected():
    print("Connecting...")
    time.sleep(1)

print("Connected!")
print("IP address:", wlan.ifconfig()[0])

When successful, the Pico W will print its assigned IP address. You can now use this IP to make HTTP requests, serve web pages, or communicate with other devices on your network.

Step 5: Make the Connection Persistent

For projects that need to reconnect after power cycles, save your connection code in a file named main.py on the Pico W. MicroPython runs main.py automatically on boot, so your Wifi connection will be established every time the board powers on.

Practical Projects With Pico W Wifi

Once you have Wifi working, the possibilities expand dramatically. Here are some popular project ideas.

  • Web server: Serve a simple HTML page from the Pico W to control GPIO pins, read sensors, or display data in a browser.
  • Weather station: Read temperature and humidity sensors and push the data to a cloud service like ThingSpeak or Adafruit IO.
  • Smart home device: Control relays, lights, or fans over your local network or through a service like Home Assistant.
  • MQTT client: Publish and subscribe to topics for low-latency communication between IoT devices.
  • Bluetooth beacon: Use the Bluetooth radio to broadcast data to nearby phones or other devices.
  • Remote monitoring: Send alerts via email or push notification when a sensor threshold is crossed.

These projects are all achievable with basic Python knowledge and the Pico W’s built-in wireless capabilities. The MicroPython urequests library makes HTTP calls easy, and libraries like umqtt simplify MQTT communication.

Pico W vs Other Wifi Microcontrollers

The Pico W is not the only microcontroller with built-in Wifi. Here is how it compares to some popular alternatives.

Board Processor Wifi Bluetooth Price (approx) Ease of Use
Raspberry Pi Pico W RP2040 (dual-core) 2.4 GHz 802.11n 5.2 $6 Easy (MicroPython)
ESP32 Xtensa dual-core 2.4 GHz 802.11n 4.2 / 5.0 $5 – $10 Moderate (Arduino/ESP-IDF)
ESP8266 (NodeMCU) Xtensa single-core 2.4 GHz 802.11n None $3 – $5 Easy (Arduino)
Arduino Nano 33 IoT SAMD21 2.4 GHz 802.11n BLE $25 Easy (Arduino IDE)
Particle Photon 2 RTL8721DM 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz 5.0 $15 Easy (Particle Cloud)

The Pico W stands out for its price, its excellent MicroPython support, and the familiar RP2040 ecosystem. The ESP32 offers more processing power and more GPIO options but has a steeper learning curve. The ESP8266 is cheaper but older and lacks Bluetooth. For most hobbyists and educators, the Pico W hits the sweet spot of affordability, capability, and ease of use.

Tips and Best Practices

Here are some tips to get the most out of your Pico W’s wireless capabilities.

  • Use 2.4 GHz networks: The Pico W only supports 2.4 GHz Wifi. Make sure your router has a 2.4 GHz band enabled.
  • Keep firmware updated: Raspberry Pi regularly releases updated MicroPython firmware with bug fixes and performance improvements for the wireless chip. Check for updates periodically.
  • Handle disconnections gracefully: Wifi connections can drop. Write your code to detect disconnections and attempt reconnection automatically.
  • Use deep sleep for battery projects: The Pico W supports low-power modes. Put the board to sleep between readings to extend battery life in remote sensor projects.
  • Secure your credentials: Never hardcode passwords in code you share publicly. Use a separate config file and keep it out of version control.
  • Test signal strength: Use wlan.status('rssi') in MicroPython to check signal strength and position your project for reliable connectivity.
  • Antenna orientation matters: The onboard PCB antenna performs best when the board is oriented with the antenna end pointing toward the router. Avoid placing metal objects near the antenna.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are pitfalls that trip up many Pico W beginners.

  • Using original Pico firmware: The Pico W requires Pico W-specific MicroPython firmware. Using the original Pico firmware will not enable the wireless module.
  • Expecting 5 GHz support: The Pico W does not support 5 GHz networks. If your device only sees 5 GHz, you need to enable 2.4 GHz on your router.
  • Blocking the antenna: Placing the board inside a metal enclosure or too close to other electronics can severely reduce Wifi range.
  • Not handling errors: Network operations can fail. Always wrap connection code in try-except blocks and implement retry logic.
  • Forgetting power requirements: The wireless chip draws additional current. If you are powering the Pico W from a weak USB port or a small battery, you may experience brownouts or connection drops.
  • Confusing Pico and Pico W: Always verify which board you have before ordering accessories or downloading firmware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Raspberry Pi Pico Have Wifi?

The original Raspberry Pi Pico does not have Wifi. The Raspberry Pi Pico W, released in June 2022, does have built-in 2.4 GHz Wifi and Bluetooth 5.2. If you need wireless connectivity, make sure you purchase the Pico W model.

Can I add Wifi to the original Raspberry Pi Pico?

Yes. You can connect an external wireless module such as an ESP8266 or ESP32 to the original Pico over SPI or UART. However, this adds complexity, cost, and wiring. For most users, buying a Pico W is the simpler and more cost-effective solution.

Does the Pico W support Bluetooth?

Yes. The Pico W includes Bluetooth 5.2 via the Infineon CYW43439 chip. Bluetooth support in MicroPython has been improving, and you can use it for BLE applications such as beacons, sensors, and device-to-device communication.

Can the Pico W run as a web server?

Absolutely. You can run a simple HTTP web server on the Pico W using MicroPython. This lets you control GPIO pins, read sensor data, and interact with the board through a web browser on your local network.

Is the Pico W compatible with original Pico accessories?

In most cases, yes. The pinout is identical, so HATs, shields, and breadboard adapters designed for the original Pico generally work with the Pico W. However, because the wireless module sits under a metal can near the top of the board, some accessories that cover that area may interfere with the antenna.

What programming languages can I use with the Pico W?

You can program the Pico W in C/C++ using the Pico SDK, in MicroPython, or in CircuitPython. MicroPython is the most popular choice for beginners because of its simplicity and excellent wireless library support.

How much power does the Pico W use?

The Pico W draws roughly 20-30 mA in active mode without Wifi and around 90-120 mA when the Wifi radio is active and transmitting. In deep sleep, consumption drops to just a few microamps, making it suitable for battery-powered projects with careful power management.

Conclusion

So, Does the Raspberry Pi Pico Have Wifi? The answer is nuanced. The original Raspberry Pi Pico does not have any wireless capability, but the Raspberry Pi Pico W adds 2.4 GHz Wifi and Bluetooth 5.2 for just a couple of dollars more. For the vast majority of projects, especially those involving IoT, networking, or remote control, the Pico W is the clear choice.

With its familiar RP2040 core, extensive MicroPython support, and affordable price, the Pico W makes wireless microcontroller projects accessible to everyone from beginners to professionals. Whether you are building a web server, a smart home device, or a remote sensor network, the Pico W gives you the tools to bring your ideas to life.

If you have not yet tried the Pico W, grab one and start experimenting. The combination of ease of use and wireless capability makes it one of the best microcontroller boards available today. Happy making!