Build a tiny web radio with your Raspberry Pi Pico 2W
Tune In
© Lead Image © yupiramos, 123RF.com
A Raspberry Pi Pico 2W has enough power to let you create a very usable web radio when you add a DAC chip and an amplifier.
Listening to music and news on the Internet instead of FM is very much in vogue. In the past, you needed at least a Pi Zero W to get started, but with performance increasing all the time, even microprocessors can now do this, making the web radio smaller, cheaper, and faster. I have already built various web radio projects, from a simple radio with a four-line LC display [1] to a web radio that's at home in any living room with a Raspberry Pi 4 and a large touchscreen for the stereo system. My current project is downsizing to the minimum: I'm using a Pico 2W, but an ESP32-S3 would just as easily do the trick.
Basic Functions
The radio only supports the most basic functions: It can output MP3 streams from Internet URLs and display the station logo, and it has buttons that let you browse the station list. This frugality keeps the hardware requirements manageable.
There are no limits when it comes to buttons and the screen, although screens with integrated buttons are the obvious choice for the application at hand. You do not need a particularly large screen as you only want the application to display a logo: 135x135 pixels should be fine. Most screens are based on an ST7789 or a similar chip, and there is no shortage of suitable drivers.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Working Exploit for a Linux Kernel Flaw Made Public
Even before a bug received its CVE identifier or an upstream fix, the local privilege escalation vulnerability exploit found its way into the wild.
-
r/opensource Bans AI-Assisted and AI-Related Projects
The de facto subreddit for all things open source has not only banned AI-related projects but also users who "don't speak English."
-
Bottlenecks Discovered by Meta Engineers Lead to Scalability Improvements
Thanks to a small group of engineers at Meta, the Linux kernel module kernfs has been improved, which has led to some serious gains.
-
PwnEscape Poses VM Vulnerability
A guest-to-host escape flaw in Linux KVM, named PwnEscape, might be yet another means of attacking Linux.
-
Linux Mint 27 Set for a Christmas Release
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced a Christmas release, and it looks like Santa's sack will be brimming with features.
-
Is Linus Torvalds Vibe Coding?
The creator of Linux has added AI into his process for Linux kernel development, and it's more than just for debugging.
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.