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RP2350 GPIO Programming - Arduino C++

Preparation

Arduino C++ provides a simple and intuitive framework for programming microcontrollers. This section guides you through setting up the Arduino IDE to program the RP2350.

Follow these steps to set up your development environment:

  • Install the Arduino IDE.

    Download and install the Arduino IDE from the official Arduino website.

  • Add RP2350 board support to the Arduino IDE.

    Open the Arduino IDE, navigate to: File → Preferences.

    In the Additional Boards Manager URLs field, add the following URL: 

    https://github.com/earlephilhower/arduino-pico/releases/download/global/package_rp2040_index.json

    Click OK to save the settings.

    rp2350_arduino_1

  • Install the board package.

    Navigate to: Tools → Board → Boards Manager.

    Search for pico or rp2350 in the search box.

    Find Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040/RP2350 by Earle F. Philhower, III, then click Install.

    rp2350_arduino_2

    Wait for the installation to complete. The download process may take time, depending on your network speed.

    Note

    RP2350 support requires version 4.0 or later of the arduino-pico core. If you installed the package before, update it in the Boards Manager.

  • Select the board.

    After installation, navigate to: Tools → Board → Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040/RP2350, select Raspberry Pi Pico 2.

    rp2350_arduino_3

Upload the First Sketch

For the first upload, you must manually put the RP2350 into bootloader mode. This section uses the built-in "Blink" example to demonstrate the process. The example blinks LED_BUILTIN, which maps to GPIO25 — the onboard red LED on Sigma 2, so no external wiring is required.

  • Open the Arduino IDE.

  • In the Arduino IDE, navigate to File → Examples → Basics → Blink.

  • Verify that the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 board is selected.

  • Enter bootloader mode.

    Press and hold the MCU_BOOT button, then press and release the MCU_RST button. Finally release the MCU_BOOT button.

    The OS will now detect the RP2350 as a new USB Mass Storage Device (like a flash drive), typically named RP2350.

  • Select the upload port.

    Navigate to: Tools → Port → Select UF2 Board.

    rp2350_arduino_4

    After the first upload, this is not necessary as the arduino-pico core has auto-reset support. Select the appropriate serial port shown in the Arduino Tools → Port → Serial Port menu once.

  • Click the Upload button to upload the code to the RP2350.

    Wait for the upload process to complete. You should see "Done uploading" in the status bar.

  • The onboard red LED will begin flashing on and off at 1-second intervals.

Upload Subsequent Sketches

After the first upload, the arduino-pico core enables an auto-reset feature, which simplifies future uploads. You no longer need to enter bootloader mode manually.

  • Select the Serial Port

    Navigate to Tools → Port and select the serial port corresponding to the onboard RP2350 (e.g., COM3 or /dev/ttyACM0).

    rp2350_arduino_5

  • Upload your code

    With your new sketch open, simply click the Upload button. The Arduino IDE will automatically handle the reset and upload process.

Language Reference

Arduino C++ Language Reference

Arduino-Pico Core Documentation

Arduino-Pico Core Library

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