Pico W Setup¶

How to flash MicroPython firmware onto the Raspberry Pi Pico W and verify it's working.

What You Need¶

Raspberry Pi Pico W (or Pico WH)
Micro-USB cable that supports data (not just charging)
A Linux computer (this guide targets Linux — macOS/Windows steps are similar)

Step 1 — Download MicroPython Firmware¶

Go to the official MicroPython downloads page and grab the latest stable .uf2 file for the Pico W:

Why MicroPython?

MicroPython runs directly on the RP2040 with no OS. It gives us a Python REPL, filesystem on flash, and hardware access — all with instant boot. Perfect for prototyping a display + button project.

Step 2 — Flash the Firmware¶

Enter BOOTSEL Mode¶

Hold the BOOTSEL button on the Pico W (the small white button on the board)
While holding it, plug the USB cable into the Pico W and your computer
Release BOOTSEL — the Pico appears as a USB mass storage drive named RPI-RP2

Copy the Firmware¶

# The drive typically mounts at /run/media/<user>/RPI-RP2 or /media/<user>/RPI-RP2
# Copy the UF2 file to it
cp ~/Downloads/RPI_PICO_W-*.uf2 /run/media/$USER/RPI-RP2/

# The Pico reboots automatically — the drive disappears
# This is normal. The firmware is now installed.

Or just drag and drop the .uf2 file in your file manager.

Step 3 — Verify MicroPython Is Running¶

After flashing, the Pico W reboots and appears as a serial device.

Find the Serial Port¶

ls /dev/ttyACM*
# Expected: /dev/ttyACM0

If you don't see it, check:

Is the USB cable a data cable? Charge-only cables won't work.
Does your user have permission? Add yourself to the dialout group:

sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER
# Log out and back in for this to take effect

Connect to the REPL¶

# Option 1: screen
screen /dev/ttyACM0 115200

# Option 2: minicom
minicom -D /dev/ttyACM0 -b 115200

# Option 3: picocom
picocom /dev/ttyACM0 -b 115200

Press Enter and you should see the MicroPython prompt:

MicroPython v1.x.x on 2026-xx-xx; Raspberry Pi Pico W with RP2040
Type "help()" for more information.
>>>

Quick Smoke Test¶

>>> import machine
>>> led = machine.Pin("LED", machine.Pin.OUT)
>>> led.on()    # onboard LED turns on
>>> led.off()   # onboard LED turns off
>>> print("Pico W is alive!")
Pico W is alive!

Exit screen

Press Ctrl+A then K then Y to exit screen. For minicom: Ctrl+A then X.

Step 4 — Test Wi-Fi (Optional)¶

The Pico W has onboard Wi-Fi. Verify it can connect to your network:

>>> import network
>>> wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
>>> wlan.active(True)
>>> wlan.connect("YOUR_SSID", "YOUR_PASSWORD")
>>> # Wait a few seconds
>>> wlan.isconnected()
True
>>> wlan.ifconfig()
('192.168.1.xxx', '255.255.255.0', '192.168.1.1', '8.8.8.8')

Wi-Fi isn't required for the display prototype, but it's useful to confirm the wireless chip works.

Step 5 — Understand the Filesystem¶

MicroPython provides a small filesystem on the Pico W's 2MB flash. Key files:

File	Purpose
`boot.py`	Runs on power-up before anything else. Use for Wi-Fi setup.
`main.py`	Runs automatically after `boot.py`. Put your application here.
Other `.py` files	Imported as modules. Upload your libraries here.

>>> import os
>>> os.listdir('/')
['boot.py']

Files are uploaded from your dev machine using the MicroPico VSCode extension (see Dev Environment).

Next Steps¶

Display Setup — wire the e-ink display and get pixels on screen
Dev Environment — set up VSCode with MicroPico for development and debugging