CNX Software – Embedded Systems News

Reviews, tutorials and the latest news about embedded systems, IoT, open-source hardware, SBC's, microcontrollers, processors, and more

We’ve just reviewed the Raspberry Pi 4-powered CrowPi L laptop and Crowtail Starter kit used to teach programming and electronics, but Elecrow has now launched the “Raspberry Pi Pico Advanced Kit” with 32 electronics modules, a smart kit car, and 32 tutorials that should be a more affordable way of teaching electronics and programming.

However, it does so in a different way, as instead of using visual programming and Python, the Raspberry Pi Pico Advanced Kit’s lessons rely on MicroPython, and the projects are different with for example parts to build an obstacle avoidance, line tracking, or remote controlled car.

You’ll get to learn or teach 32 Raspberry Pi Pico projects written in MicroPython, which include an electronic clock, a plant “doctor”, a fire alarm, a traffic light, and more besides the more advanced smart car projects. The good news is that the tutorials are available publicly, but the less good one is that it is not quite as detailed as the lessons that run on the CrowPi hardware, since it just shows the components required, how to connect the modules, and the MicroPython code with limited explanations. So it should be nice to try many types of projects quickly, but it does not explain the function of each module and the theory behind it.

Elecrow sells the Raspberry Pi Pico Advanced Kit for $37.99 without a Raspberry Pi Pico for which you’d need to add $5 to the total ($42.99)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.

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I remember buying a similar kit like 10 years ago, but with an Arduino instead. I wasn’t even in college back then. Good times.

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