Getting Started

This is a companion guide to the class experiments kit shown below. You will use this guide along with the kit to learn to build simple electronic circuits with a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. This is a fun hands-on way to get introduced to electronics, programming and engineering.

Check your class experiments kit. It includes 5 identical invention kits and one additional sensors kit. Before we can start the experiments, we need a way to write and deploy the code to Pico. To do this, we will install the Thonny app, preferably on all computers, so every student can learn to use it. If that is not feasible, we install it on at least one computer per team. If Thonny cannot be installed at all, we can use the alternate method below to run the experiments.

You can streamline the process by installing Thonny app on all computers before the workshop.

How to Run Experiments with Thonny

  1. Launch Thonny App on your computer, if it is not already running
  2. Read the guide and the code for the experiment on this website and create a new file as described
  3. Connect the components as described before connecting Pico to power supply
  4. Verify all the connections are to the correct Pins, especially the VCC and GND connections
  5. Connect the Raspberry Pi Pico to the computer with the provided USB cable
  6. Expand the menu at the bottom right of the Thonny window, and select Raspberry Pi Pico
  7. Save the file and run the script using the green ‘Current Run Script’ button
  8. To end the experiment, disconnect the USB cable from Pico
  9. To select another experiment, repeat the steps above

Alternate Method to Run Experiments without Thonny

  1. Read the guide and the code for the experiment on this website but skip creating a file
  2. Connect the components as described before connecting Pico to power supply
  3. Verify all the connections are to the correct Pins, especially the VCC and GND connections
  4. Connect the Raspberry Pi Pico to the battery pack with the provided USB cable
  5. Toggle the switch on the battery pack to ON (Insert 3 included AA batteries first, if empty)
  6. On the breadboard, press the blue button 🔵 once to launch the menu on the OLED screen
  7. Use the yellow button 🟡 to move forward to the next experiment and green 🟢 to move back
  8. Once you reach the experiment you are trying to run, press the blue button 🔵 to launch it
  9. To end the experiment, disconnect the USB cable from Pico
  10. To select another experiment, repeat the steps above

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