SunFounder Raspberry Pi Pico W Ultimate Starter Kit
SunFounder Raspberry Pi Pico W Ultimate Starter Kit with Online Tutorials, 454 Items, 117 Projects, MicroPython, Piper Make and C/C++ (Compatible with Arduino IDE)
| Weight: | 830 g |
| Dimensions: | 25 x 16.5 x 6.5 cm; 830 Grams |
| Brand: | SUNFOUNDER |
| Model: | DE-A-Kapler Kit |
| Batteries Included: | Yes |
| Manufacture: | SUNFOUNDER |
| Dimensions: | 25 x 16.5 x 6.5 cm; 830 Grams |
All items required for many small electronic projects. Very good value for money and a great learning experience for many different aspects in electronic circuits.
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Quite a kit. Gave one to my next door neighbor to work with his young son to get him rolling on computers and the like. Game players are OK, but knowing how computers operate is the future…
This is an excellent way to get started learning about electronics, and programming. All the parts worked as advertised. The web site was very good and clear. I had some problems with one project, but all the others worked great. It’s a good way to learn about controllers too. For the cost, this is an excellent starter kit for kids, young & old.
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Fantastic kit to introduce microcontrollers to anyone interested in learning more about building working microcontroller circuits. Plenty of sensors and plans online to find something fun and functional that will spark the creativity side of anyone, no matter the age. Some of the projects require more voltage than the single 18650 battery can supply, which is an unfortunate oversight which could lead to frustration rather than jubilation. A micro-USB or barrel jack port could solve the problem, by supplying 5V, but I don’t believe one is supplied .
I got this to encourage my kids to build things, but I may end up keeping it and having to buy another because I really like the packaging and how much they fit into one simple kit. And it actually comes with the Pico, which is very rare!
There is nothing like a hands-on learning. This little use is the new raspberry pi pico which is an Arduino like chipset to create projects in order to teach the student about programming for integrated circuits and electronics in general.
It contains all the numerous parts and components you will need to complete these projects and unless you’ve been doing electronics for decades you’re unlikely to have all these things just lying around. I have a fair bit of spare parts and I don’t even have all of the stuff. This kit is absolutely amazing. It reminds me of the old days when you can go to RadioShack and buy the resistor or transistor that you needed. Those days are long gone and I often lament that people don’t know how to build things anymore.
The amount of things that you will learn by working through the projects in this kit is extraordinary. I am probably going to get a couple of these for Christmas gifts as well as maybe work through one myself. I have forgotten a lot of stuff since the good all days and this is just engaging. What an amazing alternative to sitting and watching television.
I ordered this without having any real background in coding or microcontrollers and it was easy enough to set up following the included instructions and get right into building the projects. I ended up working through this with a 1st grader and it was a big hit. I’ve built a few projects and they all worked out smoothly with the included code/instructions/parts. My favorite so far was the banana piano because it was a nice project to do with a little one and point out how certain bits of code or even pieces of hardware are expandable or interchangeable. I don’t know how to code so I haven’t tried to do anything ‘maker’-y with the Pico or other parts that’s not laid out in the included tutorials but everything I’ve tried so far was worked well.
This is a 5/5 kit in my eyes for a kid or an adult. I’m 32 and have probably more fun working through the lessons than my 1st grade niece does.
The SunFounder Raspberry Pi Pico W Ultimate Starter Kit is another great STEM type project kit from SunFounder. I have been buying and using SunFounder products for several years now and the high quality of this kit is what I have come to expect from them. A good way to know the overall quality of a project kit like this is to look at some of the more basic items, such as the resistors and capacitors. The components included with the kit are high quality and the stated values and actual values are dead on. As with any electronics kit, there are bound to be some that come with defective components, that is to be expected regardless of the brand or manufacturer. So far, I have not had that experience with any of the kits and products I have gotten from SunFounder.
This kit is good for the beginner (they will want to use the online tutorials and other online resources if they are brand new to Arduino and Raspberry Pi and/or programming languages like C++, MicroPython, etc.) to the advanced programmers looking to have some fun. As this is a multi-project kit that can be used to build/learn quite a few things, I have not had an opportunity to use everything included, and there is a lot of stuff included! What I can speak to is the quality of the kit and some of the projects included in the kit.
I have several SunFounder Arduino boards, as well as multiple kits and Ultimate kits and the components that have come in each one is good quality and does what it is supposed to do. I know there are some reviewers on this kit and other SunFounder kits that mention a component or board that is DOA and as I mentioned, it is going to happen with electronic kits. I have personally never had any issues with any of the SunFounder Arduino boards, sensors, etc. though I have experienced with other electronics over the years.
This kit combines the Raspberry Pi Pico W, which is the wireless version of the Pico and has a single-band 2.4GHz wireless interface (802.11n) built into the board. That means some of the projects involve one of the faster growing segments in technology these days, IoT (Internet of Things)! By having projects in several different programming languages, you can see which one works better for you. If you or the recipient of this kit is brand new, I would suggest starting with Piper Make which uses a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to code and then moving on to either MicroPython or C++ (which is used in many devices such as 3D printers).
If you are interested in learning to code, using micro-controllers and controllers such as the Raspberry Pi Pico or its bigger sibling, the ever-popular Raspberry Pi, this is a great kit that is not only fun but also teaching STEM subjects which are only going to become more and more prevalent and important. I would also recommend looking at some of the other kits that SunFounder has, especially as a gift to any child that has shown or expressed an interest in STEM, coding, Engineering, etc., as a way of fostering that interest and curiosity. Technology, computers, IoT and so forth are only going to become more and more important and part of our everyday lives and we will need more coders, programmers, Engineers, etc. I absolutely recommend the SunFounder Raspberry Pi Pico W Ultimate Starter Kit!
* First, not sure that was my unlucky day or the QC in the factory wasn’t done right – I have received a DOA product. The key item in this product is the Raspberry Pico W, but unfortunately, upon receiving, no matter how I connect it or press the button or whatever, there is no response from my computer at all. Once I filed an exchange and received the replacement, as soon as I connect the Pico to my computer, it immediately prompts me new device(Pico) is plugged, that’s exactly what happened, the first product received is defective on arrival.
* I started some modules, the 18650 is 800mAh only, kind of a very low capacity, more important, the “Li-Po charger module” does charge the 18650, however, it appears that the power module doesn’t has voltage step-up, what does that means is that, the Pico can be powered up by the 18650, when it is fully charged, it gets the 4.2V max for the VBUS, but no where closes to 5V, so, it won’t power both the Pico and some external modules, like LCD, without external help of connecting another power source. So, apparently the idea of introducing the 18650 and powered by it is great, but without a step-up module like what a powerbank ic does, it may only work on some simple project but not those requires a 5V source.
* Note that there is no printed manual/instruction/CD and the like, everything is online. Well, it is both good and bad, you always need to have another machine that is internet connected to access the tutorials or reference. After some years, if the online site is moved, closed or no longer available for any reason, you are on your own. There should be at least a mini-CD with all the components introduction as well as the tutorials, so that customer can get those without connecting to internet.
On the good side, the online tutorials are pretty throughout, very suitable for starters, it tells you step-by-step to setup for the module/component demonstrated. But I found some detail explanation is missing. So, some additional research on your own is required.
It has some “IoT” projects as well, but those require you pre- setup some accounts on those introduced free/open-source sites first. Those are interesting and excited to explore with this Pico W, internet connection capable small embedded device.
Overall, it comes with lots of passive/active components for hobbyist to try out, start the first IoT project, the online tutorials are not the greatest but acceptable for starters. The price is slightly on the high-end, but kind of justified with the pin-soldered Pico($6 value), LCD module and lots of sensors, RFID modules, passive resistors/LEDs/buttons and more.
Recommended starter kit to learn Pico W in depth to its internet connectivity capability!
First this kit of parts offers a PICO W with Installed Headers for breadboard insertion which I have not been able to find in stock from the RPi site or any of the authorized distributors. This kit also offers a full range of parts for experimentation neatly laid out with an identification card including among many other parts an ultrasonic distance sensor. It includes a web accessible set of tutorials and experiments and is also applicable to many instructional books including the one from Simon Monk.
Besides the Raspberry Pi Pico micro-controller itself (by the way, this is the “W” version which means that it has WiFi on board!), there is also a breadboard included that makes it easy to wire together the circuits to complete the projects included in the online tutorial. Also, it’s easy to re-wire if you make a mistake or have an idea to modify the design in any way. The rest of the kit is a cornucopia of resistors, connecting wires, transistors, switches, displays, motors, and lots more high-quality components. The great thing is, you’re not left alone to fend for yourself, but the tutorial walks you all the way from plugging the Pico into the breadboard to connecting it to your PC, to obtaining the software you’ll need to create and run software on the board, all the way through to building assorted projects from very simple to complex (all of which can be built with the components included in the kit). All the program modules that control the projects are available for download also, so you don’t have to type them in manually from the instructions.
I am just getting started with the kit, and the first project I put together was a controller to change the color of an RGB LED by changing the values in the program code. Already the gears are spinning and I plan to expand the program to automatically cycle through different colors (I just have to learn how Python does program loops), and then maybe as I learn more I’ll expand it further to change the color by using the included joystick component. It did take me longer to get started than I originally planned, but I was having trouble accessing the programs and pre-built code libraries from the links that were in the tutorials. But a quick email to SunFounder’s customer support department got me the answer I needed to be able to successfully access everything I needed. Good to know that the support team is available to help out their customers!
It’s interesting, fun, and I’m actually learning Python! But there’s more to this kit then that – I think it would be ideal for young people to learn about programming and building computerized electronic devices, especially if they already have shown interest in such things. The included projects built around Piper Make would be ideal for kids, as it’s specifically geared towards children and is easy to learn.
I highly recommend this kit for people of all skill levels who want to learn about computers, programming, inventing, electronics, and other technology-related topics. Plus the price is way less than it would cost if you were to source and separately buy all these components on your own.
This looks so great! I think it will take a bit of exploration and reading since I’m totally unfamiliar with this stuff, but it seems like a great project kit to learn with! I’m so excited about it!!
I’ve been doing DIY electronics projects for a very long time, and I was looking for a set to get my kids started down the STEM path. This is a good starter kit with lots of bits and bobs. Way more than I had in my miscellaneous parts bins.
The Pico does come pre-soldered to make it quicker to get started. The included breadboard means you don’t really need to solder at all to run through the projects they provide with the kit. And the Pico is the W variant, so wireless is available to make these connected projects.
The included items are of hobby quality (for instance, the servo is plastic geared), which is fine for the tasks and amount you’re paying for the kit. Overall, my 8 and 17 year-olds both find projects they like, and understand, so we’re really happy with it.
This is easily a 5 star kit, with a few caveats. Note, this is a review of the SunFounder Kit as a whole (i.e. a box of parts), as well as a review of the SunFounder tutorials that come with this kit. It’s not a review of any individual parts in the kit.
There are going to be 3 main categories of users who buy this kit.
1) The first category of user already knows what they’re doing, and is buying this kit because it’s a great bunch of parts, along with the relatively new Pico W (which has WiFi, vs the regular Pico which doesn’t). It comes with just about everything you can think of to do almost any project, or just pull parts for your own advanced projects.
2) The second category is for users of other microcontrollers (e.g. Arduino, ATtiny, ESP32, etc.) but are new to the Pico W. This is the category I fall into, so I usually find the initial tutorials helpful to help get me started with a new board. I’m coming from Arduino, so most of my review centers on using the Arduino IDE to program the Pico, and relying on the tutorials to do that. I already have many of the parts this kit comes with, and I really got this to start playing with the Pico W using the SunFounder tutorials. I also included a picture of the PicoW next to a red Arduino Nano, for size comparison, while running one of the LED blink tutorial.
3) The third category of users are the complete newbies, who have NEVER, or barely ever, used any kind of microcrontroller before, and the Pico W in this SunFounder kit is their first experience with any of them. For you, there may be a bit steeper of a learning curve, because the initial tutorials have a few mistakes that will frustrate you as you begin learning, and may completely stop you in your tracks if you don’t know how to go hunt for answers online, or are not already somewhat familiar with the general world of microcontrollers. I could see potential Raspberry Pi users being in this camp, as they step over from regular Raspberry Pi’s into the world of microcontrollers. However, if you believe you can google the answer to anything, you can overcome any difficulty.
Huge Caveat: I did NOT try to use Thonny or microPython at all. Just Arduio IDE, since that is what I’m already familiar with. My experience may or may not be relevant to microPython and Thonny.
There were a few mistakes in the initial tutorials, mostly dealing with the onboard LED not being connected anymore on the Pico W (like it used to be on the regular Pico), so I spent a lot of time hunting down that info online, and finally skipped to just hooking up an LED on the GPIO pins, and verifying the board and programming method works. I got this working fairly easily with Arduino IDE for Windows by following the SunFounder instructions. Getting it working using the Arduino IDE for Linux (on a Raspberry Pi) was not as straightforward, but I found a guide on Toms Hardware that got me up and running. Once you can get the Pico W programmed via any method, you’re good to go. But I am knocking off one star for the tutorials not distinguishing between Pico and Pico W for new learners like me. It took a few extra hours of time sorting everything out, and going down a few dead ends, before figuring out the onboard LED on the PicoW is not actually connected anymore.
However, once you get it up and running, the rest of the tutorials actually look pretty great. You can tell that SunFounder has been putting in a LOT of work making some great tutorials. The tutorials are very nicely divided up into “for the Arduino user” and “for the MicroPython user” depending on which method you’re comfortable with. There are many, many sample projects, including IoT projects. You can download all the code from their github repository, and there are links in the tutorials to do this. You can also copy/paste the code right from the tutorial webpages if you need/want to. The first time I tried to go to the github page, it wasn’t working, but then the next day it was. Also, the tutorials include BOTH schematics as well as graphics/pictures of the breadboard connections, so users can use either one they’re comfortable with. Sometimes schematics aren’t included, but these tutorials have them, which is a huge plus!
Note, there is also a tech support email, if you need it, but it’s actually listed in the tutorial, under the “What’s included in this kit” section.
Final Answer: 5 stars. Overall, a very complete kit and a very EXELLENT set of tutorials online, once you get past the first few that haven’t been updated for Pico W yet.
The pictures don’t do this product justice! You get everything included in the pictures, but in person it seems like SO MUCH more! Everything you need to get set up is there, and the extras go on for days. Not to mention the quality of EVERY item is superb. Very well crafted parts that open up tons of project possibilities ranging from simple to extremely complex. This would be great for an adult/older sibling teaching a younger person.
My only “complaint”” would be not having any instructions or project packets included. You can always go online and get access to the documentation/instructions for different projects and such, but it would be really nice to just have something on hand i can open up without having to go get my computer to search for it.
This is an excellent beginners kit or even for someone who knows how to use all the comes with it! The price was great and even have free online tutorials. Would recommend to friends and family without a doubt!
SunFounder has been producing electronics learning and experiment sets around the Raspberry Pi for some time now – and I’m always impressed by how well put together they are. You get all you need (including the Raspberry Pi Pico W itself) nicely organized in a nice carrying case and easy access to view/download the directions and tutorials on the SunFounder website.
There are a LOT of parts (though a number are small connectors and wires – those are a necessity to make all the flashier parts like LEDs and remotes and whatnot actually work) and you can build quite a bit – either though the tutorials or using your own imagination. Kits like this are great for budding and would-be creators to experiment, try things out and learn. And, whether it’s coding, electronics, or other engineering fields, you do certainly learn a lot for this kit. And that (whether for your OR for your little ones) is well-worth the price of admission. I would highly recommend this kit!
The learning materials for this kit are definitely better than others I have used in the past. For background, I am an adult professional programmer who came into small electronics with very little prior experience so I had an advantage in the coding department where many others usually do not, hence I have gotten by with some kits that had pretty poor quality code examples and such. This kit offers three approaches for the programming including one that is apparently drag-and-drop (I didn’t try it, but I appreciate they put that option out there).
A kit like this is too complicated to simply hand off to a child and expect them to learn, they will get stuck and frustrated and quit (even a gifted child). I would say an adult and a child could enjoy learning with this kit together, and adults can self-learn with something like this. Remember there are gobs of other sources of help online if you don’t understand the way an explanation is given with the kit tutorials.
The parts in this kit are all high quality and there are TONS of fun things in here, you can hardly fit it back in and close the case!
If you are looking to learn small electronics to build a specific project for your own needs, that is great and yes, this kit can probably help you make a DIY monitor and watering system for your plants or anything of the like. I would recommend you force yourself to go through as many of the lessons as possible before striking off on your own. It may not seem like learning to trigger a relay or run LEDs is related to what you want to do, and it may be true, but the experience will help you immensely with other projects.
Like I said, there are many kits like this but I will affirm this is a quality kit with quality components and pretty solid tutorials and lessons. This one is a good choice.
This kit gives you literally *everything* you need to get started with, and use the included Raspberry Pi Pico W microcontroller – along with components of various types that all have excellent tutorials and uses, for the super-beginner through even very-advanced users.
I’m still diving through the contents that are included – even after using it for a few days, and I’m having tons of fun. I have a decent programming background, but not so much experience directly with Raspberry Pis in general or the Pico (which comes in this kit). Right off the bat though, I can definitely say that this kit includes a ridiculous amount of complementary components to use and learn with – so you aren’t just buying a plain Raspberry Pi Pico with this, you’re getting that plus a huge variety of external components that will allow you to learn and build simple and extremely complex projects depending on your experience and goals.
This would be an awesome starter kit for anyone. I’d actually go as far as saying that this isn’t just a “basic starter kit”, it’s a full-kit that includes a wide-variety of components that can take someone from the basics, all the way to very-experienced users or someone like me, who has a programming background but wants to apply that knowledge to a Raspberry Pi Pico – which is a pretty neat little microcontroller. I think children of all ages would love this, as well as it being a huge help and learning resource for STEM students.
Quick Note: The Pico is an ARM Cortex-based chip, which is a bit different than other Raspberry Pis (just in case you need to know the differences, a quick search should help you find what you need).
If you’re new to programming or electronics in general, definitely don’t be scared off by the depth that this kit goes into. You can start on some very basic projects and work your way to more advanced topics, concepts and interaction with outside components such as LEDs, displays, sensors, actuators, and so much more (all included).
The included Raspberry Pi Pico W (the “brains” of the kit) is a very capable controller out-of-the-box, and since it’s the “W” version, it means that it even has 802.11n wireless support, which is great (that’s the “W” part of the Pico W = wireless). The Pico is also a neat board to use because it is extremely affordable if you want to scale your projects up, you can buy more of them for *much* less than the other Raspberry Pi models.
Programmatically, it’s also a flexible chip. If you’re a beginner, you may want to look into “Piper Make” which is a browser-based editor that lets you create your first projects with drag-and-drop type usage. From there, you can move up to some basic Python, and make your way to the “MicroPython” language. For more advanced users, C++ is available (this is what I’m using and was/am the most-familiar with).
Also, for each of those languages – this kit has dedicated lessons available. For Piper Make, there are 16 projects. For MicroPython there are 62, and for C++ there are 39 projects to learn from and along with.
It looks like there will be a lot of (fun) late nights in my future with this.
My daughter is a junior in high school so I got this kit for her to assist her with learning programming and electronics and helping her with it so far it’s been a great kit and thoroughly enjoying it and she is too. There are many cool and interesting things you can do with this raspberry pi Pico.
I’ve seen many SunFounder kits over the years, I had interest in the Raspberry Pi Pico so this kit would make a great hobby project. There are many projects you can do with this kit and with it being compatible with the Arduino IDE it makes everything easy if you also have an Arduino.
This is one of the best kits I’ve seen, I’d highly recommend this for all ages as there are plenty of projects by SunFounder and also projects you can find online.
This is a nice bundle of various components, and includes everything you need to use them. There are many different projects that you can do with this kit. They have examples on their website, everything you need to walk you through step by step, including wiring diagrams, and code. This kit may look like a bunch of random components were bundled together, but after reading the online guide, I can tell it was well thought out.
The breadboard is good quality, I did not have any problems with loose connections.
Everything is well documented, including the resistors, which include a color guide.
The included 18650 cell only measured about ~675mAh in my testing, but that is plenty for most pi pico projects.
My only “complaint” would be that once you open the kit, it can be pretty hard to close it back up, because they give you so much stuff, only the factory can place it that well. I would have also liked a physical book for the guide, but that would have increased the cost, so I can understand why the guide is online-only.
Overall, for the price, this is a great kit and will keep any tinkerer busy for days, if not weeks!
I had previously picked up a pretty complex robot/tank STEM kit for my nephew (11) who promptly tore through it, absorbed everything about it and let me know he could make it comply with arduino or raspberry but didn’t have any of that stuff.
After discussing that and whole bunch of potential breakout projects with it, I decided to surprise him with this full fledge Raspberry Pi Pico “ultimate” starter kit.
After a few days with it, he is over the moon. When I asked him how it was going, his reply is, “I have SO much to do and explore!” I’ll check back in with him and ask/see if he needs any help, but so far he is ripping things apart. Outside of asking some coding questions, he is handling it solo.
5/5
This is a learning kit. While you can build a “fruit piano” the projects you build are designed to be pulled apart and the parts used again. Some of these are pretty complex. This is probably not something you are going to get for a 6th or 7th grader, and have them understand. I could see them get frustrated easily. I think my 14 year old could probably do many of the projects, but he is computer smart. My 19 year old should be able to do them all. As an adult, it would probably take me longer than it would take him, but I could probably follow the instructions and do all the projects. With 450 projects, there are plenty of ideas, which will probably spark new ideas of things he can build and do. All components listed on the product page were included, and while it did take a bit of searching to find the instructions on line, they are there (and unless you are advanced already, you probably need the instructions to get going). Great kit!