Raspberry Pi RP2350: A Significant Upgrade Over the RP2040

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has recently unveiled the RP2350, a powerful new microcontroller that serves as the heart of the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 board. This chip represents a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the RP2040, offering enhanced performance, expanded memory, and additional features that open up new possibilities for embedded projects.

Processor Choices: Arm Cortex-M33 or RISC-V Hazard3

One of the standout features of the RP2350 is the ability to choose between dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processors or dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 processors. This flexibility allows developers to select the architecture that best suits their project requirements, whether it's the well-established Arm ecosystem or the growing RISC-V community.

The Arm Cortex-M33 cores offer a significant performance boost over the RP2040's Cortex-M0+ cores. With a maximum clock speed of 150 MHz, compared to the RP2040's 133 MHz, the Cortex-M33 cores deliver faster processing and improved responsiveness for demanding applications[1][2].

For developers looking to leverage the benefits of open-source hardware, the RISC-V Hazard3 cores provide a compelling alternative. These dual-core processors, running at up to 150 MHz, offer a versatile option for projects that require a more customizable architecture[1][2].

Expanded Memory and Storage

The RP2350 boasts a substantial increase in on-chip SRAM, with 520KB available compared to the RP2040's 264KB. This nearly doubles the available memory, enabling more complex projects and improved multitasking capabilities[1][2].

In addition to the expanded SRAM, the RP2350 supports up to 16MB of external QSPI flash or PSRAM. This allows for larger programs and data storage, making it suitable for applications that require more storage space[2].

Enhanced Security Features

Security is a critical aspect of modern embedded systems, and the RP2350 delivers with several enhancements. It includes Arm TrustZone technology, signed boot, 8KB of anti-fuse OTP for key storage, SHA-256 acceleration, and fast glitch detectors. These features provide a robust security framework, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and applications[1][2].

The RP2350's security features also include global bus filtering based on Arm or RISC-V security and privilege levels, as well as the ability to individually assign peripherals, GPIOs, and DMA channels to security domains. These measures help prevent unauthorized access and ensure the integrity of the system[2].

Peripheral Improvements

The RP2350 builds upon the RP2040's peripheral interfaces, offering additional PIO state machines, more GPIO pins (up to 48 in the RP2350B variant), and improved power efficiency through a switch-mode DC-DC converter. These enhancements enable more complex real-time processing and control tasks while reducing power consumption[1][2].

The RP2350 includes 2 UARTs, 2 SPI controllers, 2 I2C controllers, 24 PWM channels, and 4 or 8 ADC channels, depending on the package variant. This wide range of peripherals allows for seamless integration with various sensors, displays, and communication protocols[2].

Raspberry Pi Pico 2: Leveraging the RP2350's Capabilities

The Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is the latest addition to the Pico series, taking advantage of the RP2350's capabilities. While maintaining compatibility with most Pico accessories and projects due to the shared GPIO pinout, the Pico 2 offers several improvements:

• Higher clock speed of 150 MHz
• Increased memory with 520KB of SRAM
• Enhanced security features like Arm TrustZone and signed boot
• Potential for more GPIO pins with the RP2350B variant[4][5]

The Pico 2 retains the compact form factor of its predecessor, measuring just 21mm x 51mm, making it suitable for space-constrained projects. It also preserves the Pico's drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB, allowing for easy development and deployment[4].

Arm vs RISC

Conclusion

The Raspberry Pi RP2350 and the Pico 2 board represent a significant leap forward in the world of microcontrollers. With improved performance, expanded memory, enhanced security features, and peripheral enhancements, the RP2350 sets a new standard for embedded systems. The Pico 2 leverages these advancements to provide a powerful and versatile platform for a wide range of projects, from IoT devices to robotics and beyond.

The ability to choose between Arm Cortex-M33 and RISC-V Hazard3 cores, along with the increased memory and storage, makes the RP2350 suitable for more demanding applications that require greater processing power and resources. The enhanced security features, such as Arm TrustZone and signed boot, ensure that sensitive projects can be developed with confidence.

As the successor to the popular RP2040, the RP2350 and Pico 2 build upon the strong foundations laid by their predecessors. With a focus on performance, security, and flexibility, these new offerings from Raspberry Pi are poised to inspire a new generation of innovative projects and applications.

Citations:

[1] https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/rp2350/

[2] https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2350/rp2350-product-brief.pdf

[3] https://ilabs.se/challenger-rp2350-wifi-ble/

[4] https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/rp2040/specifications/

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RP2040

[6] https://www.nextpcb.com/blog/compare-rp2040-rp2350

[7] https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/raspberry-pi-pico/raspberry-pi-pico-2-launches-with-arm-risc-v-cores-hands-on-with-the-new-dollar5-microcontroller

[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re-hd9aGzz