Raspberry Pi have just released a little box which can be used to debug programs on their Pico microcontroller; for example to load code into the device, set breakpoints and examine the state of a fledgling program.

Pico Debug Probe in packaging

The pack includes a set of cables which provides:

• a UART serial console (over the USB connection to the host)
• two options for a SWD (serial wire debug) connection over USB
  • JST connector built in to Pico H and WH
  • cable for the three-pin pads (which will need headers soldered on) for original Pico and Pico W.

A neat touch on the packaging is fold-up tabs picturing the options provided.

Packaging tabs with connection options displayed

Contents of the Pico Probe package

Documentation

There’s comprehensive documentation available at https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/microcontrollers/debug-probe.html including setting up the software needed to drive the probe (for different host platforms). If you want to wire it to the Pico/Pico W via the SWD pads, the wiring looks like:

Pico/Pico W SWD pad connection to debug

To summarise, this is a very neat, well-documented tool, which is itself implemented with the RP2040 chip, a demonstration of its place as an innovative and inexpensive embedded device.