Using the Raspberry Pi Pico, PCA9685 and MicroPython for Robotics

Overview

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Dive into a comprehensive tutorial on controlling up to 16 servos using a Raspberry Pi Pico, PCA9685 board, and MicroPython for robotics projects. Learn about I2C communication, troubleshooting techniques, and number bases. Explore the intricacies of servo control, from soldering header pins to understanding servo.py and pca9685.py code. Gain practical experience with hands-on demonstrations, including moving servos and building Charlie the Cricket Robot. Master essential skills like I2C bus scanning, error resolution, and integrating multiple components for advanced robotics applications.

Syllabus

How to get the Raspberry Pi Pico and PCA9685 board to work with MicroPython
Goals of this session
What is the PCA9685 board?
Why you shouldn't power the PCA9685 board from the Pico
What is I2C?
How to troubleshoot I2C on the Pico & MicroPython
How to communicate with I2C
What are Number-Bases - Binary, Octal, Decimal and Hexadecimal?
How to store Octal, Binary and Hexadecimal numbers in MicroPython
Upload the servo.py and pca9685.py to the Pico
How to solder the header pins to Raspberry Pi Pico
Overview of the servo.py code
Overview of the pca9685.py code
The test program, how to move a servo with the PCA9685 board and Pico in MicroPython
How to fix the Bad SCL Pin or Bad SDA Pin error message
How to use I2C in MicroPython
How to scan the I2C bus in MicroPython on the Pico
How to use a Servo with the Pico and PCA9685 board in MicroPython
Charlie the Cricket Robot
Next Steps