Micro Pico

Abstract

1. Introduction

MicroPico (aka Pico-W-Go) is a Visual Studio Code extension designed to simplify and speed up the development of MicroPython projects for the Raspberry Pi Pico (2) and Pico (2) W boards.

2. Objective

MicroPico (aka Pico-W-Go) is a Visual Studio Code extension designed to simplify and speed up the development of MicroPython projects for the Raspberry Pi Pico (2) and Pico (2) W boards.

This project demonstrates how TypeScript, ESP32 can be applied to a real-world Internet of Things (IoT) problem.

3. Key Features / Modules

• Auto-completion with docs
• Pseudo terminal integration for communication with MicroPython REPL on a Pico board (with support for tab-completion)
• Running / Transferring files to / from your board
• Built-in virtual-workspace provider for Raspberry Pi Pico boards (does disable Pylance auto-completion)
• Switch between auto-completion and IntelliSense for MicroPython ports RPi Pico, RPi Pico (W) and ESP32 (requires pip installed an in PATH)
• Device Manager UI for managing wifi connection and installing mip packages (only on Pico W; experimental)
• ESP32-WROOM-32, ESP32-C3, ESP32-S3, ESP32-S3-Pico and Teensy 4.0 support (experimental)
• Works with any MicroPython board: pick its serial port with MicroPico: Switch Board if it isn't detected automatically
• Available in English, German, Spanish and Italian (follows the VS Code display language)

4. Technology Stack

5. System Requirements

General requirements for this technology stack — check the README for exact versions.

• Node.js (LTS) and npm / yarn / pnpm
• VS Code or any code editor
• Git (to clone the repository)

6. Installation & Setup

git clone https://github.com/paulober/MicroPico.git
cd MicroPico

1. Blink the onboard LED in under 5 minutes:
2. To run the open file, use > MicroPico > Run Current File on Board or the "Run" button in the status bar.
3. To stop the execution of the currently running program or other operation, run > MicroPico > Stop Execution. The "Stop" button at the status bar does the same.
4. To plot values, run > MicroPico > Open Plotter and print comma-separated numbers, e.g. print("%.2f, %.2f" % (temp, humidity)). An optional first line like print("temp, humidity") names the series.

from machine import Pin
from time import sleep

led = Pin("LED", Pin.OUT)

print("Blinking the LED 10 times...")
for i in range(20):
    led.value(i % 2 == 0)
    sleep(0.5)

led.off()
print("Done.")

Full setup instructions are in the project README.

7. Future Enhancements

Suggested extensions you can add to make this your own project.

• Add a mobile dashboard using Blynk or Firebase
• Store readings in a cloud database for history charts
• Add alerts via SMS / Telegram when thresholds are crossed

8. Viva / Review Questions

Common questions examiners ask for projects in this domain.

1. Which microcontroller / board and sensors are used and why?
2. How does the device send data (Wi-Fi, MQTT, HTTP, Bluetooth)?
3. Where is the sensor data stored and visualised?
4. How is power consumption managed?
5. How would you secure the device and its communication?

9. Source Code & License

This project is developed by paulober and published on GitHub under the Apache License 2.0. Please follow the license terms and credit the original author when you use or modify this code.