Developer Builds Cluster with 9 Raspberry Pi Pico Boards
Contemplating that the Raspberry Pi Pico and the RP2040 chip that powers it are speculated to be the microcontroller, it is stunning how a lot computing energy the builders have been in a position to extract from them. The RP2040 chip, which runs at 133 MHz and comes with 256K SRAM, has been used for the whole lot from a handheld recreation console. (opens in new tab) to an online server and facility monitoring system. And naturally you’ll be able to play Doom on it.
Now, UK-based Developer Derek Woodroffe, who runs a web site and Twitter account, Extreme Electronics (opens in new tab)developed a option to mix 9 totally different Raspberry Pi Picos right into a distributed computing cluster. He posted a video of the cluster on Twitter performing a Mandelbrot computation and outputting it as a fractal picture to a 240 x 320 show (an ili9341) utilizing an I2C connection.
9 photos, 1 display screen… There are nonetheless some points with lacking information, I think a race situation particulars in git. https://t.co/WZ7SRE3ibE pic.twitter.com/wocjRiXod1April 7, 2023
Woodroffe revealed his code and directions for recreating the challenge he calls PicoCray. on its github page (opens in new tab). It says it is advisable to join GPIO 10, 11, 12, 13 and GND from one board to a different to pair the Picos. Every Pico have to be powered by itself by way of the USB or 3.3 volt pin. It additionally says you may want to put in a 4.7K Ohm resistor to GPIO 10 and 11 on the final processor within the bunch.
The code is similar on all nodes within the cluster and if you wish to use one as a controller it’s important to join a wire from GPIO 22 to floor. There are extra particulars on the Github web page.
At the moment, that is extra of a proof-of-concept than a strong, multiprocessor system, Woodroffe says. “For a lot of makes use of, it really runs slower than engaged on a single Pico,” he writes. However the thought is strong and we count on extra builders to benefit from it.
To be truthful, this is not the primary time somebody has used a number of RP2040 chips collectively for extra computing energy. Not too long ago Pimoroni introduced that it’s engaged on a brand new DV stick that can have an RP2040 for video and an RP2040 for different duties. And on the subject of common Raspberry Pi computer systems, there are tons of cluster choices. One mega-cluster even contained 100 Pis (opens in new tab).
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