# PicoCalc possible upgrades

**URL:** <https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313>\
**Category:** PicoCalc\
**Tags:** alternatives, alternative-board\
**Created:** [March 26, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313 "2025-03-26T17:57:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/1 "2025-03-26T17:57:18Z")

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Pico comparisons…  
NOTE PicoCalc main board has 8Mb psram (though slower than Pico processors internal ram). Program language speed all relate to MMBasic on basic Pico at same clock speeds. Overclock speed sourced from succesful tests by others but may fail in PicoCalc due to onboard psram and other issues. Will update as time goes on if enough interest.

Pico/PicoW…RP2040  
264k internal ram  
2mb external flash (up to 16mb)  
133Mhz (270Mhz overclock)  
MMBasic - 1x  
Python - 10x

Pico2…RP2350A  
520k internal ram  
4mb external flash (up to 16mb)  
150Mhz (396Mhz overclock)  
MMBasic - 1.18x  
Python -

Pico 2w…RP2350A  
520k internal ram  
4mb external flash (up to 16mb)  
150Mhz (396Mhz overclock) LIMITED TO 252Mhz BY WEBMITE.  
MMBasic - 1.18x  
Python -

Pimoroni pico plus 2/Plus 2W…RP2350B  
520kb internal ram (+8mb psram onboard)  
16mb external flash  
150Mhz (315mhz overclock limit due to psram etc). 2W LIMITED TO 252Mhz BY WEBMITE YET MINE FAILS ABOVE 236Mhz !.

Walnut Pi Pico W… ESP32-S3 (+wifi/bluetooth)  
512Kb Ram (+ 2/8Mb psram onboard ?)  
8Mb/16Mb external Flash ?  
240Mhz

Waveshare ESP32-S3 (+wifi/bluetooth)  
512Kb ram (+ 8Mb psram onboard)  
8/16Mb external Flash  
240Mhz

Milk-V Duo… SG2002  
64/256Mb ddr ram  
Flash (bare pad !) and micro sd socket  
1Ghz/700Mhz

Luckfox Lyra… RK3506G2  
128Mb internal ddr3 ram  
256Mb external flash/TF flash card  
1.2Ghz

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Toml\_12953](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/toml_12953/32/11925_2.png) [@Toml\_12953](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Toml_12953)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/2 "2025-03-27T14:03:32Z")

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But how do you run BASIC on them? Doesn’t the file available on the Clockwork Pi website only run on the 2040 included in the kit?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/3 "2025-03-27T14:10:06Z")

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Someone here has managed to get a new version of MMBasic to run on a Pico2 in the Picocalc… [Anybody have interesting to compile firmware for RP2350? - #14 by guu](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/anybody-have-interesting-to-compile-firmware-for-rp2350/16237/14)

Have a look at ‘New Version’ at bottom of this page too… [Geoff's Projects - BASIC Interpreter for the Raspberry Pi Pico](https://geoffg.net/picomite.html)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adcockm](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/adcockm/32/1664_2.png) [@adcockm](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/adcockm)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/4 "2025-03-27T14:20:43Z")

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Yeah, MMBasic probbably won’t work on them without someone from the community to do the porting work. MicroPython has been shown to work on the WalnutPi. And all the usual build tools for C, CPP, Python, Perl, PHP, and whatever else you may want will probably work on the Lyra since it’s running full blown Linux. Someone already has Pico-8 running on it, a Doom port, etc.

> [@Luckfox Lyra on PicoCalc](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/luckfox-lyra-on-picocalc/16280/16):
>
> I updated the image. Now it supports tmux, pico8\_dyn and prboom. Retroarch still has some problems, maybe related to the config. And the screen’s spi bus is overclocked to 80Mhz. [[Doom on PicoCalc] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g8VGWfRcRI)

If you want MMBasic/PicoMite, best to stick with just the Pico or Pico 2, or a Pico upgrade like the Pimoroni (as I imagine someone will get PicoMite working on it too). That will also be compatible with the usual Pico development tools and information online. But if you want flexibility and a sort of “mini uConsole” (obviously with much less power), then the Lyra would be the way to go. A recent post indicated the MilkV Duo may also work as a Linux solution, and it seems comparable to the Lyra (and also has support for adding a camera, which would be interesting to see someone to try to integrate into the PicoCalc case!) For these sorts of things, the PicoCalc ceases to be just a “calculator” and is more like a case for a SBC Linux device with a nice built in keyboard and screen.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jutleys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jutleys](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jutleys)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/6 "2025-03-28T16:16:17Z")

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Can we use a Pi Pico 2 W?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_Kennedy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/john_kennedy/32/4650_2.png) [@John\_Kennedy](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/John_Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2025, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/7 "2025-03-28T17:23:11Z")

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Not yet - the supplied .uf2 images are compiled for Pico / Pico W right now.  
That said, some Pico 2 images are starting to appear - check other threads.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 9:29am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/8 "2025-04-05T09:29:49Z")

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Updated with additional cores…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jutleys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jutleys](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jutleys)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 10:43am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/9 "2025-04-05T10:43:55Z")

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> [@DigitalDreams](#):
>
> Pico2/Pico2W…RP2350A  
> 520k internal ram  
> 4mb external flash (up to 16mb)  
> 150Mhz (396Mhz overclock)  
> MMBasic ?x  
> Python ?x
> 
> Waveshare ESP32-S3 (+wifi/bluetooth)  
> 512Kb ram (+ 8Mb psram onboard)  
> 8/16Mb external Flash  
> 240Mhz
> 
> Milk-V Duo… SG2002  
> 64/256Mb ddr ram  
> Flash (bare pad !) or micro sd socket  
> 700Mhz/1Ghz
> 
> Luckfox Lyra… RK3506G2  
> 128Mb internal ddr3 ram  
> 256Mb external flash/TF flash ca

I actually have all the below.  
Pico/PicoW…RP2040  
264k internal ram  
2mb external flash (up to 16mb)  
125Mhz (270Mhz overclock)  
MMBasic 1x  
Python 10x

Pico2/Pico2W…RP2350A  
520k internal ram  
4mb external flash (up to 16mb)  
150Mhz (396Mhz overclock)  
MMBasic ?x  
Python ?x

Pimoroni Pico Plus 2/Plus 2 W…RP2350B  
520kb internal ram (+8mb psram onboard)  
16mb external flash  
150Mhz (315mhz overclock limit due to psram etc)

Walnut Pi Pico W… ESP32-S3 (+wifi/bluetooth)  
512Kb Ram (+ 2/8Mb psram onboard ?)  
8Mb/16Mb external Flash ?  
240Mhz

Waveshare ESP32-S3 (+wifi/bluetooth)  
512Kb ram (+ 8Mb psram onboard)  
8/16Mb external Flash  
240Mhz

Milk-V Duo… SG2002  
64/256Mb ddr ram  
Flash (bare pad !) or micro sd socket  
700Mhz/1Ghz

Luckfox Lyra… RK3506G2  
128Mb internal ddr3 ram  
256Mb external flash/TF flash ca

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![luqezr](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/luqezr/32/11255_2.png) [@luqezr](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/luqezr)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 6:56am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/10 "2025-04-07T06:56:40Z")

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Is it possible to add which OS will work on each?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adcockm](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/adcockm/32/1664_2.png) [@adcockm](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/adcockm)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 7:29am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/11 "2025-04-07T07:29:51Z")

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I’m not even sure the forum is a good place for all the info about different hardware and firmware options. Might be better to have a website, a wiki with a table, or maybe even just a (Google?) spreadsheet that could just list out the hardware and the firmware and then provide links to forum topics/github/etc. for each firmware.

The information is complex enough that it kinda goes beyond a simple list. But there’s really only two main dimensions: hardware module and firmware/OS. I’m not even sure what’s the right thing to call the firmware. It ends up being mainly the application software (PicoMite, MicroPython, etc.) and the OS wrapped into one. An exception is something like the Lyra which runs a more fully featured OS (Ubuntu) and can run multiple applications. But with some kind of table view, people could either focus on the hardware module they have to see what they could run on it, or they could focus on the thing they want to use (MicroPython, uLisp, PicoMite, etc.) and find out what hardware modules they could use. Even better is if some crowdsourcing could be done and some performance metrics could be added so it would be possible to compare the performance of the same code in MicroPython running on the Pico, to the Pico2, to the Waveshare, etc.That was done already for uLisp, but it would be nice to do it for the other options across platforms.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 7:46am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/12 "2025-04-07T07:46:50Z")

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> [@luqezr](#):
>
> Is it possible to add which OS will work on each?

Good idea !, yet VERY early days. I will update this list as time goes on. Hopefully providing links to latest versions of known working operating systems as a go to for beginners and super nerds alike…

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**Author:** ![Hatchback4](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/hatchback4/32/10076_2.png) [@Hatchback4](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Hatchback4)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/13 "2025-04-07T15:11:18Z")

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It’d be good to also include what works and doesn’t per board. For example, the Luckfox Lyra doesn’t natively support sound and the MilkV probably won’t either due to pin limitations.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jutleys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jutleys](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jutleys)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/14 "2025-04-07T16:16:04Z")

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If you need some good pictures of the boards feel free to use. I still have a few boards on the way for testing.

 ![1000003071](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/c/c70e2b05a0bccf01b3df8a177c5b6118c12b0dd8.jpeg)  
 ![1000003072](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/d/d8aaabb9bcd365d68f4442c9ba7cd8cf92270a76.jpeg)  
 ![1000003062](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/c/c46083d98915f4ace31c0be46e10b06b92910965.jpeg)  
 ![1000003063](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/0/02a685bb09ff9e743e799aa0da4fe145f4c555b0.jpeg)  
 ![1000002840](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/2/2ae4e01a46fe47186a3f39c191255dea373820ca.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![J340m3](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/j340m3/32/8852_2.png) [@J340m3](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/J340m3)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 11:59am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/15 "2025-04-18T11:59:13Z")

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Has anyone seen an FPGA-Board thats compatible with the PicoCalc? Until now, I just found [pico-ice](https://pico-ice.tinyvision.ai/md_pinout.html), but I’m not sure if it would work…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 7:07am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/16 "2025-04-19T07:07:28Z")

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![teensy-4-0-pjrc-103087-41901327876291_1000x](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/1/1bd8151318cd2d92ac93ea7e63c96007675a07ad.jpeg)

 ![teensy-4-1-no-ethernet-pjrc-105160-39066072318147_1000x](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/0/090b8a3ad8376d12995a2f883f65322afece8e8b.jpeg)

Hmmmm Teensy 4.0 and 4.1… 600Mhz (overclockable too) with built in RTC !

UPDATE…  
First look at pinouts and its clear very few if any pins align with Pico hence it will need at least an adapter board underneath to juggle them around and also give the standard 40 pin footprint.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Von\_doodle](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/von_doodle/32/11803_2.png) [@Von\_doodle](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Von_doodle)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 11:17am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/17 "2025-04-20T11:17:09Z")

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Is it easy to install a pico 2 W

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/18 "2025-04-20T13:31:15Z")

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> [@Von\_doodle](#):
>
> Is it easy to install a pico 2 W

No different to a basic Pico. Just ensure the right way round, THE LCD HASNT POPPED OUT OF ITS GROOVE and NO UNDUE DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON PCB as the screen is beneath it !. Some have found gently wiggling the core module back to front is better than simply pressing down in one go…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 10:44am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/19 "2025-04-29T10:44:22Z")

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Interesting figure for MMBasic on Pico2 vs Pico !.. 1.18x faster at same clock speed (first post updated). I expected more. Benchmark includes graphics commands so display limits may handicap basic number crunching. Should be able to safely overclock further than Pico though, currently 300Mhz. Will connect a thermocouple to the Pico2 processor asap and consider a heatsink.

 ![Screenshot_20250429_113335_Gallery](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/5/5bd9c5706afe4ce2974f5c66dd6f083f10dc5f96.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/20 "2025-05-24T16:34:47Z")

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Small update to original post re Pico 2W and Pimoroni Pico Plus 2W max clock speeds.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Toml\_12953](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/toml_12953/32/11925_2.png) [@Toml\_12953](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Toml_12953)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-possible-upgrades/16313/21 "2025-05-24T18:46:46Z")

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Is the source code for the benchmark available somewhere?

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