π₯§ Pi Day TikTok Experiments β Wiring Guides
ProTechTrader Make: Radio Kit | March 14, 2026
Experiment 1: LED Morse Code "3.14159" β EASY
Components
| # | Component | Value | In Kit? | Connection |
| 1 | Raspberry Pi Pico | RP2040 | β
Radio Kit | Center of breadboard |
| 2 | LED | Green, 3mm or 5mm | β
Radio Kit | Long leg (+) to resistor, short leg (-) to GND |
| 3 | Resistor | 220Ξ© (Red-Red-Brown) | β
Radio Kit | GP15 to LED anode |
| 4 | Jumper Wire | 1 piece | β
Radio Kit | LED cathode to GND pin |
Breadboard Diagram
USB CABLE (to laptop)
β
βββββββββββ΄ββββββββββ
β RASPBERRY PI β
Pin 1 ββ β GP0 VBUS β ββ Pin 40
Pin 2 ββ β GP1 VSYS β ββ Pin 39
Pin 3 ββ β GND GND β ββ Pin 38
Pin 4 ββ β GP2 3V3_EN β ββ Pin 37
Pin 5 ββ β GP3 3V3 β ββ Pin 36
Pin 6 ββ β GP4 ADC_REF β ββ Pin 35
Pin 7 ββ β GP5 GP28 β ββ Pin 34
Pin 8 ββ β GND GND β ββ Pin 33
Pin 9 ββ β GP6 GP27 β ββ Pin 32
Pin 10 ββ β GP7 GP26 β ββ Pin 31
Pin 11 ββ β GP8 RUN β ββ Pin 30
Pin 12 ββ β GP9 GP22 β ββ Pin 29
Pin 13 ββ β GND GND β ββ Pin 28
Pin 14 ββ β GP10 GP21 β ββ Pin 27
Pin 15 ββ β GP11 GP20 β ββ Pin 26
Pin 16 ββ β GP12 GP19 β ββ Pin 25
Pin 17 ββ β GP13 GP18 β ββ Pin 24
Pin 18 ββ β GND ββββββ GND β ββ Pin 23
Pin 19 ββ β GP14 β GP17 β ββ Pin 22
β
GP15 β
Pin 20 ββ β GP15 β GP16 β ββ Pin 21
ββββββββββββΌββββββββββ
β
βββββββββββββββββββββββ
β GND WIRE (black)
β
Pin 20 (GP15) ββββ [///220Ξ©///] ββββ π’ LED (+) ββββ LED (-) ββββ GND (Pin 18)
resistor long leg short leg wire back
(anode) (cathode) to Pico
SIGNAL FLOW:
GP15 outputs HIGH (3.3V) β current limited by 220Ξ© β flows through LED β to ground
GP15 outputs LOW (0V) β no current β LED off
Wiring Steps
1. Place Pico straddling the breadboard center gap (USB port facing away)
2. RESISTOR: One leg β same row as GP15 (Pin 20 left side). Other leg β empty row below Pico.
3. LED: LONG leg (anode, +) β same row as resistor's other end. SHORT leg (cathode, -) β next row down.
4. GND WIRE: From LED cathode row β any GND pin on Pico (Pin 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, 33, or 38)
β οΈ LED has polarity! Long leg = positive. If LED doesn't light, flip it around.
β οΈ ALWAYS use the 220Ξ© resistor. Without it, you'll burn out the LED instantly.
Experiment 2: LCD Scrolling Pi Digits ββ MEDIUM
Components
| # | Component | Value | In Kit? | Connection |
| 1 | Raspberry Pi Pico | RP2040 | β
Radio Kit | Center of breadboard |
| 2 | 1602 LCD + I2C Backpack | 16x2 characters | β
Radio Kit | 4 wires to Pico |
| 3 | Jumper Wires | 4 pieces (F-to-M) | β
Radio Kit | VCC, GND, SDA, SCL |
Breadboard Diagram
USB CABLE
β
βββββββββββ΄ββββββββββ
Pin 1 ββ β GP0 VBUS β ββ Pin 40 ββββ RED wire ββββ LCD VCC
Pin 2 ββ β GP1 VSYS β ββ Pin 39
Pin 3 ββ β GND GND β ββ Pin 38 ββββ BLACK wire ββ LCD GND
Pin 4 ββ β GP2 3V3_EN β ββ Pin 37
Pin 5 ββ β GP3 3V3 β ββ Pin 36
β
SDAβ
Pin 6 ββ β GP4 ADC_REF β ββ Pin 35 ββββ BLUE wire βββ LCD SDA
β
SCLβ
Pin 7 ββ β GP5 GP28 β ββ Pin 34 ββββ YELLOW wire β LCD SCL
Pin 8 ββ β GND GND β ββ Pin 33
β ... β
Pin 20 ββ β GP15 GP16 β ββ Pin 21
ββββββββββββββββββββββ
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β 1602 LCD DISPLAY β
β ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β 3.14159265358979... βββ βββ βββ (scrolling) β β
β β Happy Pi Day! π₯§ (static) β β
β ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
β β
β Back side β I2C Backpack: β
β ββββββ¬βββββ¬βββββ¬βββββ β
β βGND βVCC βSDA βSCL β β 4 header pins β
β βββ¬βββ΄ββ¬βββ΄ββ¬βββ΄ββ¬βββ β
ββββββΌβββββΌβββββΌβββββΌβββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β β β β
βΌ βΌ βΌ βΌ
BLACK RED BLUE YELLOW
β β β β
βΌ βΌ βΌ βΌ
GND VBUS GP4 GP5
Pin38 Pin40 Pin6 Pin7
Wiring Steps
1. Place Pico on breadboard (same as Experiment 1)
2. RED wire: LCD VCC β Pico VBUS (Pin 40) β This is 5V power for the LCD
3. BLACK wire: LCD GND β Pico GND (Pin 38) β Ground connection
4. BLUE wire: LCD SDA β Pico GP4 (Pin 6) β I2C Data line
5. YELLOW wire: LCD SCL β Pico GP5 (Pin 7) β I2C Clock line
β οΈ LCD needs 5V (VBUS), not 3.3V! If you connect to 3V3 pin, the display will be very dim or won't work.
β οΈ If display shows boxes but no text, turn the blue potentiometer on the I2C backpack to adjust contrast.
β οΈ Pre-upload lcd_api.py and pico_i2c_lcd.py to Pico BEFORE the livestream!
Both Experiments Together
Use BOTH Picos from the kit simultaneously!
βββββββββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββββββββ
β PICO #1 (LED) β β PICO #2 (LCD) β
β β β β
β GP15 β 220Ξ© β π’ β β VBUS β LCD VCC β
β GND β LED(-) β β GND β LCD GND β
β β β GP4 β LCD SDA β
β Running: β β GP5 β LCD SCL β
β pi_morse.py β β Running: β
β β β pi_lcd.py β
ββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββ ββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββ
β USB β USB
βΌ βΌ
Laptop Laptop (or USB hub)
π‘ TIP: Use a USB hub to power both Picos from one laptop!
Everything above comes from the Make: Radio Component Kit
Two Pi Picos β’ 1602 LCD β’ LEDs β’ Resistors β’ Breadboards β’ Wires
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