Picoboy is a 2021 maker project that pairs a Raspberry Pi Pico with a Wii Remote for controller input. Its documented parts list also includes a 128 × 64 graphic OLED, buzzer, three LEDs and an Arduino Micro. The project page includes Wii Remote, Raspberry Pi and Ping-Pong code sections, but its available details do not establish every connection or explain the Arduino Micro’s role.
What is Picoboy?
Rahul Khanna’s 2021 Hackster.io project describes Picoboy as an effort to port the Arduboy to the Raspberry Pi platform and add a Wii Remote controller. The page documents the project’s components and code examples rather than a fully explained, pin-by-pin build guide.
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How does the Raspberry Pi Pico use a Wii Remote?
The Wii Remote code excerpt imports a nunchuck library, creates a nunchuck() object and repeatedly reads its joystick method. A separate Raspberry Pi code excerpt reads joystick X and Y values along with C and Z button presses, then maps those inputs to output pins. The examples show the intended control inputs, but do not by themselves specify all wiring or prove compatibility with other controller libraries or firmware.
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| Component | Documented detail |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Pico | The project’s named Raspberry Pi platform. |
| Wii Remote | Used as controller input. |
| Graphic OLED | 128 × 64 resolution; exact model and electrical interface are not stated. |
| Buzzer | Listed, but its specific function is not established in the available description. |
| Three LEDs | Listed; their individual roles are not established. |
| Arduino Micro | Listed, but its role in the build is not explained in the available description. |
Before sourcing parts, check the OLED’s dimensions and electrical compatibility against the project schematic. The listed components are not enough to infer exact models, wiring or pin assignments.
#1 Best Overall
- RP2040 microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom
- Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz
- 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards
- 26 × multi-function GPIO pins
What should you check before rebuilding it?
The Hackster page has sections labelled for schematics, but the available documentation does not support reconstructing complete wiring or assigning every listed board a role with confidence. Use the original schematics and code as the reference before connecting hardware; do not rely on the code excerpts alone for pin-by-pin instructions.
Is Picoboy a Pico W project?
The original 2021 project identifies a Raspberry Pi Pico. A later article proposes a Pico W or a separate Bluetooth-capable host as possible connection approaches, but that discussion is not corroborated by the original project page. It should not be treated as evidence that the documented Picoboy build used a Pico W, or that its original code works unchanged with those alternatives. For context on other maker uses of Wii Remotes, Raspberry Pi has separately described wireless digital graffiti in “Adding the Pi to Picasso with wireless digital graffiti”; that is a different project.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Raspberry Pi Pico: A tiny, fast, and versatile board built using dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor (Comes with pinout card and stickers)
- Detailed Tutorial: Provides step-by-step guide with MicroPython, C and Processing (Java) Code (The download link can be found on the product box) (No paper tutorial)
- Example Projects: Each project has schematics, wiring diagrams, complete code and detailed explanations (Need extra items)
- Easy to Use: Just connect the board to your computer (installed IDE) with the USB cable to program it
- Get Support: Our technical support team is always ready to answer your questions
Rank #4
- New Flexible Microcontroller Board --- Raspberry Pi Pico is a tiny, fast, and versatile board. It's based on RP2040 chip, which features a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor with 264KB internal RAM and support for up to 16MB of off-chip Flash, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz.
- Multi-Function GPIO Pins---It has 26 multifunction GPIO pins, including 3 analogue inputs, 2 × UART, 2 × SPI controllers, 2 × I2C controllers, 16 × PWM channels.
- Rich Peripheral Set---A wide range of flexible I/O options includes I2C, SPI, and — uniquely —8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support.
- Multiple Software Support---Raspberry Pi Pico has rich and complete software support and community resources. Programmable in C and MicroPython. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB.
- Low-power sleep and dormant modes; Accurate on-chip clock; Temperature sensor; Accelerated integer and floating-point libraries on-chip
Rank #3
- with pre-soldered header Raspberry Pi Pico. RP2040 microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom
- Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB. 26 × multi-function GPIO pins.
- 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.Accurate clock and timer on-chip.Temperature sensor.
- Accelerated floating-point libraries on-chip.8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
Rank #2
- The Raspberry Pi Pico is a beginner-friendly microcontroller board that uses MicroPython to give you a taste of the Internet of Things and microcontrollers. The RP2040 is a well-designed microprocessor that can be utilized in almost any Internet of Things project. It has enough power to complete the task quickly.
- 【Raspberry Pi RP2040 Microcontroller】Raspberry Pi Pico features Dual-core ARM Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. With 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.Supports up to 16 MB of off chip flash memory via a dedicated QSPI bus
- 【Multiple Software Support】Pico has rich and complete software support, it comes with a complete Rasberry Pi official C/C++ SDK, Micropython SDK.The programming and burning of Pico need to be carried out on the computer. Supported operating systems and computers include:Raspberry Pie with Raspberry Pi OS,Other platforms equipped with Debian based Linux system Computer with MacOS, Computers with Windows, etc.
- 【Rich Hardware Interface】Raspberry Pi Pico has 30 GPIO pins, 4 pins for analog signal input and 26 × multi-function GPIO pins, 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.USB 1.1 supported by host and device, The installation mode can be flexibly selected by users to facilitate welding with other development boards.
- 【Build Project in Tiny Size】Only 2.1cm*5.1cm ( as small as your thumb). Pico has been designed to use either soldered 0.1" pin-headers or can be used as a surface-mountable 'module'.
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