Pico Hello World

A simple "Hello World" program for the Raspberry Pi Pico that prints a message every 0.5 seconds over USB serial.

Features

• Prints "Hello, World!" every 0.5 seconds over USB serial
• Uses the Pico SDK's standard I/O functions
• Demonstrates basic timing with sleep_ms()
• Docker-based build system for cross-platform compatibility

Prerequisites

• Docker - The only requirement for building!

Building

The project uses Docker to handle all build dependencies, making it easy to build on any system.

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/pico-helloworld.git
   cd pico-helloworld

2. Run the build script:

   ./build.sh

   This will:

   • Build the Docker image (first time only)
   • Set up the build environment
   • Compile the project
   • Generate the output files in the build directory

The build process will create several files in the build directory:

• hello_world.uf2 - The main file for flashing to the Pico
• hello_world.bin - Raw binary format
• hello_world.hex - Intel HEX format
• hello_world.elf - ELF format executable (for debugging)

Flashing

1. Hold the BOOTSEL button while plugging in the Pico
2. The Pico will appear as a USB mass storage device
3. Copy the build/hello_world.uf2 file to the Pico
4. The Pico will automatically restart and run the program

Viewing the Output

1. After flashing, the Pico will enumerate as a USB serial device
2. Use your favorite serial monitor (e.g., minicom, screen, or PuTTY) to connect
3. You should see "Hello, World!" being printed every 0.5 seconds

Advanced Usage

If you prefer to run the Docker commands manually:

# Build the Docker image
docker build -t pico-build .

# Run the build process
docker run --rm -v "$(pwd):/pico/project" pico-build build

Troubleshooting

1. If you see permission errors when running Docker:

   • On Linux, make sure you're in the docker group
   • On Windows, ensure Docker Desktop is running
   • On macOS, ensure Docker Desktop has the necessary permissions

2. If the build fails:

   • Ensure Docker is running
   • Try removing the build directory: rm -rf build
   • Check that all files are present: ls -la

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.