Build an IOT sensor with Raspberry Pi Pico W

1. Plug the USB cable into the Pico W and your computer

2. Open the Thonny Python editor on your computer

• Look at the text in the bottom right-hand corner of the Thonny editor. It will show you the version of Python that is being used.

• If it does not say ‘MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)’ there, then click on the text and select ‘MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)’ from the options.

3. Test your Pico W

• Use the instructions here to test your Pico W.

• Now type this code into a new program:

from picozero import pico_temp_sensor
from time import sleep
for _ in range(100):
    print(pico_temp_sensor.temp)
    sleep(1)

• Click on View -> Plotter in Thonny and you should see the readings from the temperature sensor displayed. Warm up the Pico W with your hands and watch the plot change.

4. Build your IOT sensor

• Now open this project guide. You can skip to Step 3 ("Getting started with your Raspberry Pi Pico W").

• Use the password rocksrocks to connect to the CDKU wifi network.

• Follow the rest of the guide to create a web-server on your Pico W and use it to take a temperature reading and control the LED.

5. What else can you add to your Pico?

• Take a look at some of the examples here. You can reproduce the circuits on a breadboard if you wish.
• How about adding an RGB LED and changing the colour using buttons on your web-page?
• Have a look at the examples in the picozero documentation.
• Create a light sensor:

Here is some simple code to take a light reading. Can you display that value on your webpage? How about triggering an LED to light up when it gets dark?

from picozero import Pot

ldr = Pot(26)

print(ldr.value*1000)