PicoPD Pro - An open-source RP2040 development board with USB PD support up to 30V

The PicoPD Pro is an open-source Raspberry Pi RP2040 development board that integrates USB PD support up to 30V, and features like voltage negotiation and power delivery while still retaining the Raspberry Pi Pico functionality.

It features the AP33772S USB-C PD3.1 sink controller from Diodes Incorporated. The AP33772S supports the full USB-C PD 3.1 specification, including Extended Power Range (EPR) / Adjustable Voltage Supply (AVS) up to 28V and Programmable Power Supply (PPS) up to 21V.

The PicoPD Pro USB PPS/AVS development board is ideal for powering devices with specific requirements, such as motor control boards, LED drivers, custom battery chargers, and other high-power applications. It also features a 5V rail output for less demanding applications. It can also be used as an AP33772S evaluation board. We have previously seen other USB-C PD solutions like the Spark Analyzer, YULC LED Controller, and USB Insight Hub which may serve a similar purpose.

PicoPD Pro specifications:

Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ up to 133 MHz with 264KB SRAM
Storage – 16MB on-board QSPI flash
USB – USB Type-C port for power, data, and programming
Expansion – 2x 20-pin headers with I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO
Debug – USB-C and SWD
Misc – 1x user-controllable green LED, Reset button, Boot button,
Power
- USB-C PD
  - Diodes Incorporated AP33772S sink controller connected over I2C
  - Protocol support: Standard fixed profile, PPS, EPR, AVS up to 30V
    - PPS: 100mV increment, 250mA increment
    - AVS: 200mV increment, 250mA increment
  - Current up to 5A continuous
  - 5V @ 500mA switching power supply
  - 3.3V @ 200mA low-dropout regulator
  - Built-in temperature monitoring on the circuit (68°C max temperature at 5A load)
  - Built-in current and voltage monitoring
Dimensions – 51 x 21mm (Raspberry Pi Pico form factor)

The PicoPD Pro is open-source, with hardware schematics, Arduino code (mostly for the AP33772S control over I2C), and other documentation in the GitHub repository. The board can be programmed using Arduino IDE or Microsoft VSCode with PlatformIO.

The PicoPD Pro Raspberry Pi RP2040 USB PD development board is priced at $22 on Tindie and Lectronz. The seller, CentyLab LLC, also recommends a USB-C Power/Data splitter for simultaneous USB Power Delivery and Serial Debug. More information is available on the Hackaday project page.

Tomisin Olujinmi

Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.