Waveshare RP2350-ETH Mini Development Board w/ Ethernet

The board supports drag-and-drop programming via USB mass storage. Connect it to your computer with a USB-C cable, and it will appear as a removable drive. Simply copy your UF2 firmware file onto this drive, and the board will automatically reboot and run the new program. This method is compatible with the official Raspberry Pi Pico C/C++ SDK and MicroPython toolchains, requiring no external debuggers or complex IDE setups.

The 12 PIO state machines are dedicated hardware blocks on the RP2350 that execute simple, deterministic programs to interface with external peripherals independently of the main CPU cores. They are ideal for implementing custom communication protocols like SDIO, DPI for displays, or precise PWM generation with minimal CPU overhead and deterministic timing. You write short assembly-like programs for them using the Pico SDK, enabling highly efficient and flexible I/O management for sensors, actuators, or custom interfaces.

Yes, the onboard CH9120 Ethernet controller with its integrated TCP/IP stack makes the RP2350-ETH ideal for creating Ethernet-to-serial bridges. You can develop firmware that listens on a TCP port, receives network data, and forwards it via UART to a connected device (like a PLC or sensor), and vice-versa. This is commonly used for Modbus TCP gateways or remote serial port access. The dual-core architecture allows one core to manage network stack operations while the other handles application logic or serial communication.

The board is powered via the USB-C connector, accepting a standard 5V DC supply. The operating current varies based on CPU load and peripheral activity but typically ranges from tens to a few hundred milliamps. For low-power applications, the RP2350 microcontroller supports multiple sleep modes which can be managed through firmware to significantly reduce current consumption when the Ethernet PHY and non-essential peripherals are disabled, extending battery life in field deployments.