# Picocalc raspberry pi zero 2w interposer board **URL:** \ **Category:** PicoCalc\ **Tags:** hardware\ **Created:** [March 30, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405 "2025-03-30T19:00:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/1 "2025-03-30T19:00:47Z")
Hi folks, planning on building a raspberry pi zero hardware interposer for the picocalc, for sure I think i can get the display working via fbtft, the keyboard, and likely the pwm audio, everything else though is a mixed bag, if I get a pcb rolled, who here can help push this across the line? basically need TF slot support, power managment stuff, and generally just roll this all up into a nice install script. whos in? ---
**Author:** ![pkr](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/pkr/32/6084_2.png) [@pkr](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/pkr)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 9:34pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/2 "2025-03-30T21:34:58Z")
TF will probably be as easy as the LCD. As for power management, a bit of modification to the keyboard firmware should let you access the power button input for software shutdown as well as command the axp chip to cut off power. ---
**Author:** ![jutleys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jutleys](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jutleys)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/3 "2025-03-30T21:56:00Z")
How will you house it. ---
**Author:** ![pkr](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/pkr/32/6084_2.png) [@pkr](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/pkr)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/4 "2025-03-30T21:57:30Z")
I’m pretty sure it can all still fit in the case. I haven’t received my picocalc yet, but I can certainly fit one… ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/5 "2025-03-30T23:16:30Z")
I checked against the cad files, shouldn’t be an issue ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2025, 3:53am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/6 "2025-03-31T03:53:53Z")
somebody made this [GitHub - bablokb/pcb-pico-pi-base: An Interface PCB to use Pi-Hats with a Pi-Pico(w)](https://github.com/bablokb/pcb-pico-pi-base) electrically, it seems complete, minus a buck boost to take 3.3v to 5v for running a pi ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 6:16am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/7 "2025-04-01T06:16:53Z")
dont have my pico calc yet, can someone check the vbus pin and see if it produces v5 without a pico present? ---
**Author:** ![pkr](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/pkr/32/6084_2.png) [@pkr](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/pkr)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 11:13am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/8 "2025-04-01T11:13:58Z")
From what I’m seeing in the schematics it seems VBUS\_IN will be 5v only when USB-C is plugged in, and otherwise it’s battery voltage (or maybe 0v?!?)… ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 12:29pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/9 "2025-04-01T12:29:23Z")
That’s what I’m thinking, if that’s the case this just got way easier to make this work ---
**Author:** ![nogdrinker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@nogdrinker](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/nogdrinker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/10 "2025-04-01T23:10:35Z")
With no batteries or Pico in the main board, applying 5V with USB-C over a tested functional power supply, I read 0V between VBUS (the socket meant for the Pico’s pin 40) and GND (socket for pin 38). ![vbus-gnd](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/b/b3d38c4301a69e9c146a5346e7890ab2af2a3058.jpeg) Sorry for the weird angle etc.; it’s hard to take a picture while holding two probes. I encourage someone else to take the same measurement to ensure it’s not just me. I also can’t test with battery power yet. ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 2:28am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/11 "2025-04-02T02:28:38Z")
thanks for looking into this, i wonder if the power circuit has to be latched on to send power ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 2:29am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/12 "2025-04-02T02:29:09Z")
heres what i got for the display so far ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/9/9d2f472cf3e071076f82ad45f146bc4e43fdee8a.png) ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/13 "2025-04-04T23:17:44Z")
![pico pi](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/6/672d65c5f826bb54c3cda4c39d5b568f756006ea.jpeg) alright, here is the first board version, just the display, the spi stuff for the keyboard, and pwm audio, nothing else, gonna fire off one to pcbway, will update with results in a week or so ---
**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 5, 2025, 3:41am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/14 "2025-04-05T03:41:28Z")
Great work! Will it fit in the existing case? Is the pico facing out or tucked in reverse? ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 5:31am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/15 "2025-04-05T05:31:29Z")
I suppose it could go on either side, depends how you solder the header ---
**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 5, 2025, 6:22am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/16 "2025-04-05T06:22:56Z")
It looks like you are planning on having the HDMI and USB interfaces exposed to the outside edge? ---
**Author:** ![philosiraptor](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/philosiraptor/32/11414_2.png) [@philosiraptor](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/philosiraptor)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:44am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/17 "2025-04-05T06:44:53Z")
eventually, this is just to see if i can get the basics working, if I can pull this off, i will definitely make an updated design and back shell to make everything pretty so folks can get at the ports ---
**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, 7:14am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/18 "2025-04-05T07:14:06Z")
I would be interested in this would love some Pi zero power under the hood. Once you have the board i would like to order for sure. ---
**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 5, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/19 "2025-04-05T23:35:07Z")
Another cool idea is to use pogo pins for the zero so that other boards could be swapped in. ---
**Author:** ![kolyan94](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/kolyan94/32/11550_2.png) [@kolyan94](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/kolyan94)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 8:52am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405/20 "2025-04-06T08:52:59Z")
Just curious if this will work > **[Pico to Pi HAT](https://thepihut.com/products/pico-to-pi-hat?variant=43157745402051)** > > Bring your Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico-pin-compatible boards into the standard Raspberry Pi form-factor! This HAT compatible GPIO mapper is a game changer, enabling hobbyists to use the hundreds of available HATs with their favourite microcontroller... [Next page](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picocalc-raspberry-pi-zero-2w-interposer-board/16405.md?page=2)