The Raspberry Pi’s RP2040 processor is receiving a lot of attention in recent times and it’s not without reason. Its Dual ARM M0+ cores together with DMA and programmable I/O massive amounts of RAM, and many more features makes it an ideal option for projects that require lots of power for a small cost. The only downside to the power is the fact that you have to implement the PCB layout that requires an external SPI flash regulators, regulators, as well as an exact layout and decoupling in order to achieve the best performance. The postage stamp-sized breakout board is an excellent method to incorporate the RP2040 to build your own projects without the hassle of all the surface-mount soldering or PCB layout requirements!
Its RP2040 Stamp breaks out all the GPIO and USB pins, in addition to those for the USB as well as SWD pins. Since it’s on-board, the SPI flash is built-in it doesn’t require breaking out this reduces the size, but still allows 2mm headers to be connected onto the catellated pad. It is also possible to solder directly to the surface of the component like the stamp Carrier Board.
The most appealing aspect of it all is that the fact that it’s licensed as Open Source Hardware! This means that the PCB layout files, schematics and documents are freely accessible for modification or reuse as per the CERN hardware license, MIT software license, and Creative Commons documentation license. In terms of documentation, it’s amazing. Arturo182, the creator of the program has also created the CAD footprints for all your favorite EDA program, like KiCAD 5/6 Eagle in addition to EasyEDA.
