Pi's refusal to drop a USB-C on Pico due to cost increases is a terrible call IMO.
I seriously cannot fathom being someone doing development who wouldn't pay $0.50 extra to purge the last micro USB from their desktop.
I seriously cannot fathom being someone doing development who wouldn't pay $0.50 extra to purge the last micro USB from their desktop.
$0.12 for microUSB female connector (rated 1A) $0.26 for a USB-C female (rated 3A). Needs 2 x resistors (< $0.01), 20% larger board area
I think the power capabilities are the biggest item. If you want to pull higher current from a laptop for development or supply from a wall, you have to switch to USB-C.
I don't think either of these prices are that aggressive - pretty sure the cost comes down at volume.
But it seems like it would be useful nowadays, since some laptop have mostly USB-C connectors, and USB-C to USB-C is pretty common. I’ve never seen a C to Micro. Do they even exist?
I have a Pico in front of me, and there's plenty of room there for a USB-C footprint and the two 5.1k resistors. Given that, I cannot reasonably agree that the "design" stage is significant.
In other words, it's a change that I would make to my own board in 2-5 minutes because the stakes are low. My ballpark guess is that such a change at RPi would have to go through a proposal stage, a PCB change review, and then there would be dozens of places to update documentation.
Since backwards compatibility is non-optional, this would result in a separate SKU, which means that the whole distribution chain needs to be updated with a new product.
So, I acknowledge that when you're working at their scale any change like this is the definition of non-trivial. What I don't agree with is the conclusion that it's not still clearly the right thing to do.
They do, in spades: https://www.amazon.com/3FT-Micro-Data-Charge-Cable/dp/B0DDWH...
I look forward to the day when they're no longer necessary.
There is no more use case for RPi if I can have ESP32 C6 for $10 - maybe I have to do some soldering on my own.
Then if I need a minicomputer I'd rather go with MinisForum PC that is in price range of RPi and if I need I2C or GPIO I can pair it with ESP32 like as many as I want ESP32 instead of single one like RPi. Then communicate over wireless as much as I want with BLE or WiFi.
Remind me how many PIO channels does the C6 have?
Also, could you confirm that the RP2350 consumes 2-3x less power when idling?
If you have the contact details for any certification labs that don't charge extra for radio modules even if you're not using them in your product, that'd be super helpful as well.
I am just hyped about ESP I have. I also have bunch of old RPi’s.
I guess power consumption can be lower on C6 if I turn off BLE and WiFi.
When you frame two MCUs intended for different purposes as competition, you're completely missing why there are so many different useful MCU families in the first place.
If you need a programmable IO state machine (or twelve) then you need the RP2350, period. It's a feature that enables entire domains of functionality that wouldn't otherwise be possible. For example, I'm using it to perform a real-time 12 output MIDI THRU that doesn't tax the CPU cores. Nothing like that exists on the ESP32 family.
I'm on a phone that makes it a pain in the ass to switch languages. Do it yourself.
https://shop.pimoroni.com/en-us/collections/rp2350
https://www.sparkfun.com/sparkfun-pro-micro-rp2350.html
What I am saying is that we're well into 2026 and there's no good reason for RPi not to offer a USB-C version of the reference board for this MCU.
I don't need a Pico or any other 3rd party board. I drop SC-1511/12s packages on my PCBs as needed.
What I am saying is that the reference board for an RP2350 should have a USB-C port in 2026. It's not aesthetics or even convenience (and it's definitely not price) so much as establishing best practices for how a part should be used.
A big part of that is to acknowledge the context in which a part exists, and in this case, it's both a fact and a very good thing that the world has embraced USB-C. It's even being regulated in many cases.
I'm not saying that you can't smoke, just that maybe you shouldn't do it when you're volunteering as a Big Brother.
Edit: one thing I can think of where micro USB connectors are better: if you broke off the connector, it's much easier to solder it back on.
Sure when you're at home, if you have a stable home. It's one more cable to bring if you don't, or if you ever travel and stay in a hotel.
USB-C is the opposite of all those cons: much more durable, not directionally opinionated, you can use one cable for everything, you can do USB host and USB-PD.
It's also clearly the future everything is standardizing on. There's value in embracing that, since it is a Reference Board.
The economics don't add up either, because an adapter cable costs money too.
I do think that you're missing my point, which is that we're significantly past the point in this wretched timeline where they should offer a USB-C version of the reference board for this MCU.
This way, I can have my laptop running codex control over a target laptop, by pretending to be a keyboard.
I just don't get it. Anyone who wants to save a few pennies just buys the chip directly. Their Pico board is primarily for prototyping and one off products, where quality of life is everything and 16 cents is nothing. The adapter cable probably costs more than the amount they saved. That's a dick move.
however, while in one hand we are happy to (albeit temporarily) raise prices based on ram situation, in terms of design, there is simply not enough money for the port. especially when now they are adding ecosystem items that do cost money to develop and maintain.
this explanation made sense pre-ipo but no longer imho.