picotool

manages Raspberry Pi Pico and RP2040 devices

TLDR

Show device info

$ picotool info

Load binary

$ picotool load [firmware.uf2]

Save flash contents

$ picotool save -a [backup.bin]

Verify binary

$ picotool verify [firmware.uf2]

Reboot device

$ picotool reboot

Show binary info

$ picotool info [firmware.elf]

Erase flash

$ picotool load --erase

SYNOPSIS

picotool command [options] [file]

picotool manages Raspberry Pi Pico and RP2040 devices. It loads firmware, reads device info, and controls boot mode.Device info shows chip details and running program. Binary info displays embedded metadata.Loading writes firmware to flash. UF2 and ELF formats are supported.Save extracts flash contents for backup. The entire flash or specific regions can be dumped.Verification compares device contents to a file. Useful for confirming successful programming.

PARAMETERS

info

Show device/file info.

load

Load binary to device.

save

Save from device.

verify

Verify device contents.

reboot

Reboot device.

version

Show version.

-a, --all

All flash contents.

-x, --execute

Execute after load.

-f, --force

Force operation.

INSTALL

sudo apt install picotool

sudo zypper install picotool

brew install picotool

nix profile install nixpkgs#picotool

CAVEATS

Device must be in BOOTSEL mode for many operations. USB connection required. Some operations erase existing firmware.

HISTORY

picotool was created by Raspberry Pi for their RP2040 microcontroller. Released with the Pico in 2021, it provides official tooling for device management.