canibalizing parts from rpi pico boards for fun and profit - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 29, 2023, 09:01:07 pm
content: I was curious if I can use components from rpi boards for my own projects (it's cheaper to buy a board than components separately). I wasn't sure if it's gonna work, but it worked. I resoldered crystal oscillator, flash chip and the rp2040 itself:

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 29, 2023, 11:36:40 pm
content: Sure, but unless the board you're making is smaller than the Pico, wouldn't just make more sense to solder the castellated vias to your project?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2023, 04:13:47 am
content: Fun? Yes.Profit??? I'm not seeing it, especially if you consider the time and risk of harvesting. But if you don't factor in your time, then I can see cost reduction.Go back 30 years or more and the practice of acquisition (usually scavenging) and harvesting made sense, especially to those with more time than money. I know. Now things are so incredibly cheap - and you can handle delivery via the slow boat from China - this supply channel becomes less practical. I have to un-learn a lifetime of it myself and clear out some stuff that just doesn't make sense to hold on to.For example: Anyone want some 10m VGA cables?

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2023, 11:50:35 am
content: Quote from: MarkS on January 29, 2023, 11:36:40 pmYeah, my board is very dense, no place for rpi board. Although, technically, I could solder it on the other side (I have all the smd components on one side). But then I wonder how much more noise I'd get because of longer wiring. On my board all digital connections are as short as possible.Quote from: Brumby on January 30, 2023, 04:13:47 amWell, there is truth to that. But also I need to make just one board. I couldn't source the exact flash used on the board (it was half year ago or so, don't know now). I could buy something else, but there is a risk it won't be compatible with rpi. So, I just bought an rpi board for its components. The video I filmed was a practice session to see if I can do it.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2023, 10:14:36 pm
content: You can also use low profile headers with the raspi as well, don't have to use the castellations. Then SMD components can fit underneath it.If the size envelope allows it, I would do what is possible to use the board as-is, I don't think noise would be an issue for most designs.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2023, 02:29:24 am
content: Apart from what Brumby said, cheaper? I don't even see it (even excluding time spent.)A Pico is around $4. The RP2040 is about $1, a small flash chip can be had for less than $0.5 and the rest is not that useful, maybe add the crystal, another $0.5? SMD connectors, that's not something I would usually canibalize. So that may be $2 worth of parts on a $4 board, but to each their own.

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 01, 2023, 01:25:30 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on January 31, 2023, 10:14:36 pmYeah, I think this will save me a lot of trouble.Quote from: SiliconWizard on February 01, 2023, 02:29:24 amDamn, you're right. When I was shopping about a year ago or so I couldn't get the exact flash, and wasn't sure what would be a working replacement. Now it's on stock everywhere... Well, lesson learned.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2023, 09:07:07 pm
content: Well, to be fair, the shortage has significantly eased as of late, but a few months ago, it was still pretty bad.

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2023, 09:18:30 pm
content: To my understanding there never was a shortage of the RP2040 chip in the Pi Pico, massive serious shortage of Pi single board computers, but not much effect on the Rasp Pi microcontroller availability. I think the Pi Foundation put buying limits on the Pico and RP2040 to avoid shortages, and brought out the standalone chip for sale a few months after the Pico.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 02, 2023, 09:26:59 pm
content: What profit when bare RP2040 costs $1 @ qty of 1 from major distributors and even less from some other places? It's waste of money and effort unless you get those boards for free.

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 03, 2023, 09:41:33 am
content: Quote from: wraper on February 02, 2023, 09:26:59 pmYeah, I figured. Well, at least some soldering experience