RPi Pico: How do I access It?

sarahMCML
sarahMCML
in Richard Russell's BBC BASICs
I have a need to use BBC BASIC on the Pico. I've managed to load the uf2 file onto the module, but after that I'm lost. It doesn't seem to respond to any access over USB, using either Putty or Tera Term, and I'm not even sure in myself if it is supposed to!
I've seen the unit running the music files whilst connected just to USB, but I'm not sure if that is only for power?
Does it need to be accessed via the UART on GP0 and GP1, is that how it's done, or some other method?

So basically, I'm at a total loss! I'm surprised that there aren't some basic (there's that word again!) instructions about how to get it going on the Pico, since it is so different to the other platforms.

I hope somebody can come to my rescue, please.

Regards,

Sarah.

Comments

  • [Richard Russell]
    [Richard Russell]
    sarahMCML wrote: »
    I have a need to use BBC BASIC on the Pico. I've managed to load the uf2 file onto the module, but after that I'm lost. It doesn't seem to respond to any access over USB, using either Putty or Tera Term
    Strange, it should. Where are you getting the UF2 file from? There are several different configurations, each of which has a separate UF2 file, so maybe you have one which is expecting a serial (UAR/T) data connection. The file available from my web site is configured for a USB connection, and definitely works with PuTTY.
  • sarahMCML
    sarahMCML
    Thank you for getting back to me so quickly, Richard.

    I had downloaded the software from your site , but since you confirmed that it should work over USB tried again today. It then struck me that, although I had tried with two different suppliers versions, that there might be a problem with the chinese clones that I was using.

    I'd forgotten that I had a couple of genuine Pico W's around, so found one and tried it. Straight away it connected to Tera Term via USB, and early tests suggest it'll work well.

    Strangely, the clones both work fine using the Arduino system and also when running MicroMite BASIC!

    Just for your information, the clones are a WeAct Studio brand with 16MB of Flash, and the other is an unknown brand with 4MB of Flash. The WeAct one does need a software update apparently to use the full Flash memory, but I haven't done that yet. If you happen to come across any you might look into the problem?

    Thank you once again for your extremely rapid reply, and for your superb versions of BBC BASIC over the years. They are much appreciated by many.

    Regards,

    Sarah.
  • [Richard Russell]
    [Richard Russell]
    sarahMCML wrote: »
    Just for your information, the clones are a WeAct Studio brand with 16MB of Flash, and the other is an unknown brand with 4MB of Flash. The WeAct one does need a software update apparently to use the full Flash memory, but I haven't done that yet. If you happen to come across any you might look into the problem?
    The Pico edition of BBC BASIC is not my product, so I would suggest that you contact the developer 'Memotech Bill'. You could perhaps raise it as an issue at his Github repository.

    Mind you if it was my product I'd respond by saying it's for a Raspberry Pi Pico and not a fake! I think it's likely that the only reason Arduino and Micromite software run is because they are well known and whoever developed the fakes specifically ensured that they did.

    I would not want to encourage the use of fakes, which deprives a British company of income, so from my standpoint the fact that BBC BASIC doesn't run is a good thing! Incidentally they are not clones, which by definition would run anything the genuine Pico can, but fakes.

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