Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
Contents
Pi Zero Series - A brief History
The Pi Zero is officially part of the Raspberry Pi family of single board computers. These single board computers integrate all components of a computer—CPU, RAM, GPIO headers, and I/O interfaces - onto a single compact board, running a full Linux operating system.
- Nov 2015: Original Pi Zero 1.2 released, featuring single-core ARM11 processor and 512MB of RAM. This initial release was stripped of peripherals, such as the CSI camera connector, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- May 2016: Pi Zero 1.3 was released, adding a CSI camera connector
- Feb 2017: The series was expanded with the Pi Zero W. This variant added onboard Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Bluetooth 4.1
- Jan 2018: The Pi Zero WH was introduced, which is identical to the Pi Zero W but features a pre-soldered 40-pin GPIO header, removing the need for users to solder pins themselves.
- Oct 2021: The lineup saw a major performance upgrade with the Pi Zero 2 W. This model replaced the original single-core processor with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 (the same "RP3A0" SoC used in the Raspberry Pi 3B), while keeping the same compact size, 512MB RAM, and wireless capabilities.
Powering the Pi Zero 2 W
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W should be powered via the micro USB power port labelled 'PWR IN' - using a 5V power supply. While the official recommendation is a 5V/2.5A supply, a 5V/2A supply is generally sufficient for most use cases.
The Raspberry Pi official 12.5W micro USB power supply (5.1V/2.5A) is a compact power supply that plugs directly into a wall outlet. It's very reasonably priced and comes highly recommended.
Avoid powering from a computer USB port, as voltage can sag, potentially causing SD card corruption. For stable operation — especially when using Wi-Fi, USB devices, or under load — a high-quality power supply is essential.
Preparing the Pi Zero 2 W
This is how we prepared our Pi Zero 2 W for this Python programming web series:
- Flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-bit) to a MicroSD card.
This article describes how to flash the OS to the MicroSD card, boot the Zero 2 W and run headless through a SSH session on a computer; Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) for Pi Zero 2 W - [Optional] Install the Blinka Python library
We chose to install the Blinka library from Adafruit. It's a compatibility layer translating CircuitPython APIs (from the microcontroller world) into calls that work on Linux. It's very popular, easy to use and actively supported with a large base of reusable code.
If you've ever used CircuitPython with microcontroller boards than this library is worthwhile installing. This is our article that describes the install process; Installing 'Blinka' Python Library on a Raspberry Pi - Configure the Thonny IDE
Running the Pi Zero 2 W headless means that a GUI IDE can't be run directly on the board. However there is a very simple solution. Thonny, a popular IDE for Python and MicroPython is widely used, especially in educational circles. It runs on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer and is able to connect to the Pi Zero through a SSH session.
Essentially this means that Python programs can be entered into Thonny's code editor, then when ready, sent immediately to the Pi Zero to run. Standard program output is displayed in the REPL on Thonny.
Python statements can also be entered into the REPL and directly executed by the Pi Zero. This article provides instructions for preparing Thonny to connect to the Pi Zero; Programming the Pi Zero 2 W in the Thonny IDE
The Pi Zero 2 W is now ready for some serious program development in Python - the language of choice for this small single board computer.
The following article describes the basic architecture of the Pi Zero 2 W including the digital pins on the GPIO block, serial communications (UART, I2C and SPI) and the availability of external interrupts; Pi Zero 2 W Architecture
Also included in this article is a high resolution pinout diagram for the Pi Zero board.