Picotronix: an open architecture, MicroPython programmable modular instrument

A capable base unit

On its own, the Picotronix Main Module should cover the test and measurement needs of many maker projects, with a two channel oscilloscope, 8 input logic analyser, frequency counter, voltmeter and logic probe.

It is portable and self-contained, with a 320 x 240 colour LCD, and runs from USB-C or four internal AAA cells.

Expand only where you need to

Three expansion ports (two analog, one multifunction) take application-specific picoPods that configure themselves when plugged in.

Pods can add capabilities such as faster capture, waveform generation, differential inputs or more logic channels, so you add what a task needs instead of paying for a do-everything instrument. See the current pods on the picoPods page.

Connects to your phone or PC

Inside Picotronix, the two Pico 2 units talk to each other using Picogram, our structured data protocol.

The same protocol is designed to link Picotronix over WiFi or USB to a smart phone or PC, so captures can be shared, shown in more detail or handed off for heavier signal processing.

The capability is here; the software is being rolled out in stages for different platforms.

Built for AI

Every Picogram capture is packaged in a structured, machine-readable form, which is designed to let an AI work with the instrument directly.

An AI could take the raw signal data, analyse it, choose the next measurement, suggest where to probe next and suggest a fix.

The capability is here; the software is being developed in stages.

A bridge for your own pods: T&M or otherwise

The port structure is open, so you can design your own custom or more complex pods, and program them in MicroPython with access to the RP2350's state machines.

The aim is that your pod can use Picotronix as its bridge to a phone, a PC or an AI. It does not have to be a measurement front end: it could add a different function altogether.

Teaching circuits

Picotronix may suit teaching. Our Electronix Lab picoPod, for example, lets students set up logic on the pod, produce a real signal from it and see the result straight away on the Picotronix display.

Guided experiments that set up the instrument and walk students through each step could be part of future development, and schools could build their own. We would welcome input from teachers.

Model railways

Picotronix may suit model railway electronics. Pods for reading and displaying DCC signals on the layout, and possibly train control, are among the ideas for future development.

Because the ports are open, enthusiasts could also build their own pods for the layout.

Music and synths

Picotronix may suit anyone who builds or repairs synth modules: for looking at oscillator waveforms and envelopes, following a signal through a faulty module, or checking gate, trigger and clock timing on the logic inputs. The timebase covers audio rates.

Synth signals swing up to about ±10 V, and analog picoPods can be built for the input range a job needs. Music-specific features such as MIDI decoding could be future development, and the open ports let you build a pod for your own music project.