Raspberry Pi Radio Module 2 available now at $4

Every Raspberry Pi computer since Raspberry Pi 3B+ has been a “module” from a conformance perspective: because we isolate the radio frequency components under a shield can, you can build your own wireless-enabled product around ours without having to re-certify the radio, saving tens of thousands of dollars.

Today we’re building on that heritage with our first standalone Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radio module. Priced at just $4, Raspberry Pi Radio Module 2 packages the same Infineon CYW43439 radio used on Raspberry Pi Pico W and Pico 2 W, and is an ideal choice for RP2040– and RP2350-based products that require turnkey wireless connectivity.

Cost-effective, easy-to-integrate radio connectivity

As our RP2040 and RP2350 customers go to scale, they often ask us for a wireless solution which provides software and feature-set compatibility with Raspberry Pi Pico-series devices.

We designed Radio Module 2 with these customers in mind. It features castellated edge pads and an on-board 2.4GHz antenna for ease of design and assembly, and a low-pin-count SPI host interface which makes efficient use of the host CPU’s I/O budget. Its compact 16.5mm × 14.5mm form factor and minimal external component requirements (just a host CPU and power) drive down mass-production costs. And, like all our recent Raspberry Pi computers, Radio Module 2 comes with full modular certification, making it an ideal choice for designers who wish to avoid the tricky and expensive radio certification process.

Raspberry Pi Pico SDK and MicroPython provide a proven, supported software stack, and a straightforward development experience, from prototyping with Pico W or Pico 2 W to production with Radio Module 2.

Excellent single-antenna Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance

Radio Module 2 offers 1×1 single-band 2.4GHz Wi-Fi® 4 (802.11n) and Bluetooth® 5.2, supporting both Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy. Its integrated internal PA, LNA, and T/R switch deliver excellent wireless performance even when sharing a single antenna between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

You can find technical details of Radio Module 2 in its comprehensive datasheet. It has already seen the light of day in a number of partner products, including SparkFun’s Thing Plus – RP2350, and Pimoroni’s Pico Plus 2 W, and we’re looking forward to playing spot-the-RM2 in the next wave of connected devices.

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