At the end of November, we shared updates about the Raspberry Pi RP2350 and the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W. As expected, the first alternatives have started to emerge. The new Pico W5 is an alternative built on the Raspberry Pi RP2350. While this computing chip features two Cortex-M33 cores, boards utilizing the RP2350 chip are relatively weak overall and aren't fit for everyday desktop tasks like the Raspberry Pi 5. In contrast, the Pico W5 is created for connecting sensors and actuators, making it more appropriate for projects that require close interaction with hardware and where, for example, sensor data usage or network data sharing is crucial.
Specifications and Design
The Pico W5 is compact, measuring 51 x 21 millimeters and weighing only 3 grams. It comes with a USB-C port, which serves for power supply. The device includes 520 KB of SRAM and has 8 MB of QSPI flash storage. For wireless communication, it supports WiFi in the 5 GHz frequency range, and it can also connect to other devices through Bluetooth 5.0 LE. Additionally, the 26-pin GPIO header supports various protocols, including UART, SPI, and I2C.
Pricing and Availability
You can purchase the Pico W5 from Elecrow for just under $7. Meanwhile, the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is available on Amazon for $10.89.
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