UF2 Loader release

You can just use the files from the latest uf2loader release:

You need the “BOOT2350.uf2“ in the root directory of your SD card and you need to install the “bootloader_pico2.uf2“ in BOOTSEL mode to the pico 2W.

I’m trying to get this to load, but despite holding the button down on the Pico and putting the microUSB cable into the Pi before letting the button go, the picocalc simply won’t show up as a drive anywhere.

The power light of the picocalc doesn’t come on at all, I assume this is normal?

Remember to have Picocalc switched off before connecting microUSB cable. You can remove the batteries if you’re not sure and then start with a button + cable operation.

Yeah, I even took the Pico out and tried the original Pico-H board directly on the computer: I also tried a PC as well as my MacBook Pro. I tried plugging the cable on the Pico end first, then holding the button, then plugging into the computer, waiting a second or two, then letting button go, but still nothing.

I’ve tried four different cables, but I don’t have any way of checking the cables anywhere. I’ve used these cables for charging, but not for data.

When I do this, there’s no LED or anything on the Pico at all - should there be any indication anywhere that’s on?

[EDIT:] I’ve ordered this cable from Amazon ( Amazon.co.uk ) to see if if it’ll help

Can you see your mobile phone on your computer when connecting via this cable?

iPhone with usb-c port? Not so much… :slight_smile:

I received the cable from Amazon that says it’s a data cable, and I get exactly the same response from both Pico’s - absolutely nothing. Neither show up on a Mac or a PC, regardless.

Are there any other things I should try, or just return everything to Clockwork?

Are you sure that these USB ports actually work ? Have you tried using other devices on these ports ? Are these ports intended for devices or are these ports intended for charging only ?

I find this very suspect, the problem is very unlikely be the Pico (if you have not blown these somehow).

Can you see your device in the usb device list? On linux, you can list it with lsusb command. On windows, in device manager. On Apple, something similar.

Are you sure that it’s a data cable? I personally would not assume that it is regardless of what Amazon says.

Yes, all the ports in both machines work.

The MacBook Pro is less than a year old.

I too am pretty shocked - I’ve watched all the tutorial videos and I’m confident I’m doing it right.

The pico-H is working if I plug it back into the picocalc, I assume the 2w is working cos it was new.

No, it doesn’t show up at all

That’s the only thing I can’t prove in another way.

I’ve tried the pico is working, I’ve tried the ports working, but I’ve got no other machine that uses micro USB to test the cable.

I’ve ordered yet another cable (an official raspberry pi one) from the pi hut as a last ditch resort

Perhaps there’s just a fault with the button.

If you have an original BASIC firmware on your pico, you can connect it to a computer without pressing a button. It should be then visible as a usb serial device.

The pico-H had the clockwork picocalc loader on it, and the pico 2w is brand new and didn’t have anything on it :frowning:

Can you use your cable to flash a UF2 file onto your Pico 2W? If you can, it’s a working data cable. If you can’t, something is wrong, and the first thing to assume is that whatever Amazon sold you isn’t a data cable.

Uhh… if you read my post, you’d see that the problem is that I can’t put either of the Pico’s into boot select mode, with any cable, on any machine.
I got a refund from Amazon because the cable I bought from them didn’t work, and I’ve ordered an official raspberry pi cable, so will try that.

UPDATE: the cable I bought from The Pi Hut (an official Raspberry Pi microUSB → USB-C cable) works for both Picos.

However, I don’t need to press the BOOTSEL button at all. If I just plug the Pico or the PicoCalc in to my Mac or my PC, it shows up as a drive, and allows me to copy the bootloader_pico2.utf2 on to it. It immediately ejects once I copy the file on, and if I plug it in again, the file has gone. However, when I put the BOOT2350.utf in the root of the SD card, the PicoCalc then boots up as expected.

No idea why I don’t need BOOTSEL, but it works and that’s all I need :slight_smile:

Thanks for everyone’s help with this.

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