Small, full power RP2040 boards - Seeed Studio XIAO-RP2040

The Raspberry Pi Pico is a great development board but it's a bit big for use on a small PCB design. The Seeed Studio RP2040 is about a quarter the size but still delivers the full power of the RP2040.
In this video I'll show you my RP2040 games console project and how I plan to replace the Pi Pico with this smaller board for my final PCB design.
Make sure to check out my main project website at
bytesnbits.co.uk for full project details.
Seed Studio XIAO-2040
www.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-RP20...
Get free shipping from Seeed Studio!!
www.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-RP20...
0:00 Introduction
1:39 Seeed Studio XIAO-RP2040
3:54 IO for games console
5:12 I2C IO Expander
7:01 Reducing PCB space and easier routing
8:19 Testing the games console
9:58 Conclusions

[@umutkayacan7659]

this really cool, please keep it up

[@BytesNBits]

Thanks. Trying to get these out more frequently.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

Another good video that I am "following along with" on my own workbench. So do you see this eventually ending up a small handheld console - including designing custom PCBs and 3D printing case components?

[@BytesNBits]

Hi. Yes. I'm working on the sound at the moment so that will be a video in a week or 2. Then I'll be moving it all onto a pcb design and trying to produce that myself to see how feasible smt is at home. I think I'll initially go with a bare bones PCB handheld with power via USB to prove the concept and then think about an actual case / battery design later. All good fun!

[@jyvben1520]

Make the pico detachable from the mainboard unless the extra height is a problem, a newer pico version (one day) might be faster, like the split extender idea with 4 wires (2+2), making the button pads replaceable when used with (angled) connectors, or one side a mini joystick / thumbpad, the other buttons or swap them ... or could put the handheld on its head, might need a tilt switch to remap the layout correctly and then show a brief intro. if 8 pushbuttons, could game have 2 players ?

[@BytesNBits]

Hi. Thanks for the ideas. Sounds good. On this project I'm going to go for reduced size over flexibility.

[@DiegoSilva-dv9uf]

Valeu!

[@BytesNBits]

Thank you!

[@NamdeoPatil]

How is #rp2040 RTC powered when the equipment is powered off for extended periods of months and days ?

[@BytesNBits]

Hi. Unfortunately it's not powered. The built in RTC only works while the whole chip is powered, plus I think it resets when the chip is reset. You're much better off using a separate RTC module.

[@homehon8787]

a code for esp32 where you have 2 joysticks and all the other buttons that would be 20 or 20-8 would be 14 or if you can better 1 joystick and 20 buttons

[@BytesNBits]

Hi. I'll be making a full game controller in the near future. Probably using the ESP32 to get the Bluetooth connection. Keep an eye out for that one.

[@homehon8787]

@@BytesNBits thanks I use it for american truck I created my own speed lever as well as a steering wheel and pedals and at first I used a modified joystick then I used the arduino uno but I always lacked buttons because I put a plate or a pcb with several buttons and functions on the lever for that reason the esp32 that has many outputs seems like a good option to me