Buttons and if
Read a button with a pull-up, make a choice with if and else, and print only when something changes.
Open it in the simulatorAll paths
MicroPython on the Pico
Real Python on a Raspberry Pi Pico: blink and the REPL, buttons and if, loops and PWM, a knob on the ADC, lists and functions on an LED bar, an OLED on I2C, and a reaction game boss.
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What you will build
3 projects, built step by step
7 lessons in 4 chapters, about 3 hours on a simulated Raspberry Pi Pico. Free, in your browser, every step checked by the simulator.
Read a sensor with the ADC
A knob on GP26 turns into a number with ADC, and that number sets the LED brightness. Then a little math turns it into a percent.
Open it in the simulatorI2C to an OLED screen
Two wires carry a whole conversation: find the OLED and a weather sensor on I2C, then draw text on the screen.
Open it in the simulatorThe map
Chapter by chapter
Each lesson opens when the one before it is done, and each chapter ends in a project.
Chapter 1
First Python
Blink two LEDs, type Python live into the board, and make choices with if.
- Open156 XP
Blink, and talk to the board
Your first MicroPython program blinks two LEDs, then you type Python straight into the board with the REPL.
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- ProjectLocked312 XP
Buttons and if
Read a button with a pull-up, make a choice with if and else, and print only when something changes.
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Chapter 2
Loops and sensors
Fade with a for loop and PWM, and read a knob with the ADC.
- Locked156 XP
Loops and a PWM fade
A for loop with range() steps an LED from dark to bright and back, using PWM to fake the levels in between.
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- ProjectLocked312 XP
Read a sensor with the ADC
A knob on GP26 turns into a number with ADC, and that number sets the LED brightness. Then a little math turns it into a percent.
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Chapter 3
Bigger programs
Lists and functions on an LED bar, and text on an OLED over I2C.
- Locked156 XP
Lists and functions on an LED bar
Six LEDs in one list, and two small functions that turn a number into a moving dot or a growing bar.
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- ProjectLocked312 XP
I2C to an OLED screen
Two wires carry a whole conversation: find the OLED and a weather sensor on I2C, then draw text on the screen.
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Chapter 4
Boss game
A reaction timer with a random wait, a cheat catcher and a best score.
- Locked156 XP
Boss game: reaction timer
Wait for the light, then hit the button. Functions, if, loops, random and the board clock come together in one game that keeps your best score.
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Syllabus
Every lesson in the course
All 7 lessons, in order, each with what it covers. Any of them opens in the editor right away.
First Python
- Blink, and talk to the boardYour first MicroPython program blinks two LEDs, then you type Python straight into the board with the REPL.
- Buttons and ifRead a button with a pull-up, make a choice with if and else, and print only when something changes.
Loops and sensors
- Loops and a PWM fadeA for loop with range() steps an LED from dark to bright and back, using PWM to fake the levels in between.
- Read a sensor with the ADCA knob on GP26 turns into a number with ADC, and that number sets the LED brightness. Then a little math turns it into a percent.
Bigger programs
- Lists and functions on an LED barSix LEDs in one list, and two small functions that turn a number into a moving dot or a growing bar.
- I2C to an OLED screenTwo wires carry a whole conversation: find the OLED and a weather sensor on I2C, then draw text on the screen.
Boss game
- Boss game: reaction timerWait for the light, then hit the button. Functions, if, loops, random and the board clock come together in one game that keeps your best score.
Keep going
The next course on your track
MicroPython on the Pico is part of the embedded track, a ladder of courses from zero to expert.
Connected devices
WiFi, APIs, a web server, MQTT, ESP-NOW and BLE on the ESP32, and a device that keeps going when the network does not.
Open the next courseEmbedded track
Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi Pico and STM32: pins, timing, buses, motors, WiFi, registers and debugging, every lesson checked on a simulated board.
See every course on the trackKits
Build it on your bench too
Every lesson runs in the simulator with nothing to buy. When you want the real thing, these kits have the parts.
Find your kit
Pick the starter kit you own and run every lesson in its manual with the same parts on the same pins.
See every kitQuestions
About MicroPython on the Pico
Is MicroPython on the Pico free?
Yes. All 7 lessons of MicroPython on the Pico are free and run in your browser, with nothing to install and no parts to buy before you start.
Do I need a real Raspberry Pi Pico?
No. Every lesson runs on a simulated Raspberry Pi Pico with its parts on the canvas, and the simulator checks each step as you go. When you want to build it for real, the same wiring and code work on a real board.
How long does MicroPython on the Pico take?
About 3 hours: 7 lessons in 4 chapters, each one a few short steps. Your progress is kept, so you can stop after any lesson and pick up where you left off.
What will I build?
Each chapter ends in a project that puts it together: Buttons and if, Read a sensor with the ADC and I2C to an OLED screen.
Where do I start?
With "Blink, and talk to the board", and each lesson builds on the one before it. New to circuits? Electronics basics is the course that starts from zero.