# Raspberry Pi Pico SDK - Manual Installation and Test

### Pico SDK

Download the pico SDK from the official GitHub into your chosen directory. I don't like looking at it, so I put it in a hidden folder.

```bash
mkdir ~/.picob && cd ~/.pico
git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-sdk.git
```

Add the SDK to your PATH. I like using zsh instead of bash.

```bash
nano ~/.zshrc
```

append the following lines to the bottom of the file

```bash
export PICO_SDK_PATH="/home/nathan/.pico/pico-sdk"
```

Log out and back in to update the PATH or

```bash
. ~/.zshrc
```

add sub-modules

```bash
cd ~/.pico/pico-sdk/
git submodule update --init
```

### **Picotool (optional)**

download code, compile, move to local bin

```bash
cd ~/.pico
git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/picotool.git
cd picotool
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ../
make
sudo cp picotool /usr/local/bin/
```

### Pico-extras (optional)

download code, compile, and add to path.

```bash
cd ~/.pico
git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-extras.git
nano ~/.zshrc
```

append the following lines to the bottom of the file

```bash
export PICO_EXTRAS_PATH="/home/nathan/.pico/pico-extras"
```

Log out and back in to update the PATH or

```bash
. ~/.zshrc
```

### Compile the "blink" example

```bash
cd ~/Downloads
git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-examples
cd pico-examples
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
cd blink
make
```

**BOOTSEL Mode**

Hold the BOOTSEL button (White color button near the micro USB connector) located on the Pico board while connecting the Pico to the computer.

### Find and mount the pico

```bash
lsblk -f
```

look for something like

sde                                                                                                               
└─*sde1*              vfat        FAT16    **RPI-RP2**         0009-4A70\`

`/dev/sde` is the device `/dev/sde1` is a filesystem on the device.

```bash
sudo mkdir /mnt/usb && sudo chown $USER:$USER /mnt/usb
sudo mount /dev/sde1 /mnt/usb
```

Copy over the "blink.uf2" file to the pi.

```bash
cp blink.uf2 /mnt/usb
```

It should immediately start blinking.

### CONT. for ECE 101

Download the three multimeter files from the course website. Use RMB on each link and select "Save as...". I would include wget/curl commands, but those hardlinks could change. After you download them, copy them to the adc\_console directory.

```bash
cp adc_console.c digits.c CMakeLists.txt ~/Downloads/pico-examples/adc/adc_console/
```

Remove the prior builds and compile

```bash
cd ~/Downloads/pico-examples
rm -rf build
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
cd adc/adc_console
make
```

put the pi in BOOTSEL mode and copy over .uf2 as shown before.

```bash
sudo cp adc_console.uf2 /mnt/usb
```

### Monitor the serial output

There are several ways to do this. I like using screen, but you can use a GUI like Putty or a command line tool like minicom. The first few steps to identify the pico serial interface will still be needed to use the other methods.

First, check the kernel message buffer (basically a system log) for info relating to the pico

```bash
sudo dmesg
```

the output to look for:

```yaml
[169801.734603] usb 5-1: USB disconnect, device number 4
[169801.735187] device offline error, dev sde, sector 260 op 0x1:(WRITE) flags 0x0 phys_seg 1 prio class 2
[169801.735195] Buffer I/O error on dev sde1, logical block 259, lost async page write
[169802.064671] usb 5-1: new full-speed USB device number 5 using xhci_hcd
[169802.222607] usb 5-1: New USB device found, idVendor=2e8a, idProduct=000a, bcdDevice= 1.00
[169802.222615] usb 5-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[169802.222617] usb 5-1: Product: Pico
[169802.222619] usb 5-1: Manufacturer: Raspberry Pi
[169802.222621] usb 5-1: SerialNumber: E66098F29B400D32
[169802.285360] cdc_acm 5-1:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device
[169802.285388] usbcore: registered new interface driver cdc_acm
[169802.285391] cdc_acm: USB Abstract Control Model driver for USB modems and ISDN adapters
```

specifically, `cdc_acm 5-1:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device`. /dev/ttyACM0 is the port we can use to talk to the pico.

```bash
sudo screen /dev/ttyACM0 115200
```

To end the session, press `Ctrl+A` followed by `K`. Alternatively, press `Ctrl+A`, type `:quit` and confirm it by pressing Enter.

With that, you should be connected. As you can see from the screenshot, my multimeter (which only has the pico plugged in - no power supply) is reading 0.02. This shows that I need to calibrate the meter.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1670041606076/8dd8eba1-761d-4138-a6c1-4c5929c03a07.png align="left")