pico-synth

Pico based I2S Synthesizer

📥 1. Clone the Repository & Initialize Submodules

git clone --recursive https://github.com/HackerSchool/pico-synth.git
cd pico-synth

If you already cloned without --recursive, initialize submodules manually:

git submodule update --init --recursive

📦 2. Install the Pico SDK and Pico Extras

Option 1: Install via Raspberry Pi Repo (Recommended on Raspberry Pi OS)

sudo apt install cmake gcc-arm-none-eabi libnewlib-arm-none-eabi build-essential

Option 2: Manually Install (For Other Linux/Windows/macOS)

Clone & Set Up the Pico SDK

mkdir -p ~/pico && cd ~/pico
git clone --recursive https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-sdk.git
cd pico-sdk
git submodule update --init

Clone & Set Up Pico Extras

cd ~/pico
git clone --recursive https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-extras.git

🌍 3. Set Environment Variables (Each Terminal Session)

Before building, set the paths so CMake can find the SDK and extras:

export PICO_SDK_PATH=~/pico/pico-sdk
export PICO_EXTRAS_PATH=~/pico/pico-extras

To make this permanent, add these lines to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

echo 'export PICO_SDK_PATH=~/pico/pico-sdk' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export PICO_EXTRAS_PATH=~/pico/pico-extras' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

🛠 4. Build the Project

1. Create a Build Directory

mkdir -p build && cd build

2. Run CMake to Configure the Build

cmake ..

3. Compile the Code

make -j$(nproc)

🔥 5. Flash to the Raspberry Pi Pico

Step 1: Put the Pico in Bootloader Mode

• Hold down the BOOTSEL button on the Pico.
• Plug it into your computer via USB.
• It should appear as a USB mass storage device (RPI-RP2).

Step 2: Copy the .uf2 Binary to the Pico

Once built, the pico-synth binary (.uf2 file) will be in build/:

cp build/pico-synth.uf2 /media/$USER/RPI-RP2/

The Pico will automatically reboot and start running the synthesizer!

---

🛠 Troubleshooting

• "pico_sdk_import.cmake not found" error?

  • Make sure PICO_SDK_PATH is set correctly.
  • Try running source ~/.bashrc.

• No *.uf2 file after make?

  • Check the build log for errors.
  • Ensure pico_enable_stdio_usb(${bin_name} 1) is set in CMakeLists.txt.

---

📜 License

GPLV3 License