Skip to main content

Built-in Modules

These modules are available with require() out of the box. Acronyms are explained in the Glossary.

Core modules​

  • console for logging
  • fs for files on the onboard drive
  • process for runtime info
  • board for board helpers (LED, reset, memory)

Hardware modules​

  • gpio for pins and digital IO (GPIO)
  • pwm for PWM output (PWM)
  • i2c for sensors and peripherals (I2C)
  • spi for fast serial devices (SPI)
  • adc for analog inputs (ADC)
  • neopixel for WS2812 LEDs (NeoPixel)
  • keyboard for USB HID keyboard emulation
  • mouse for USB HID mouse emulation

Example usage​

const fs = require('fs');
const GPIO = require('gpio');
const neopixel = require('neopixel');

fs.writeFileSync('/log.txt', 'Hello Pico');
GPIO.init(25, GPIO.OUTPUT);
GPIO.toggle(25);

neopixel.init({ pin: 16, length: 1, order: 'GRB' });
// order can be "GRB" (default) or "RGB"
neopixel.setPixel(0, 255, 80, 10);
neopixel.show();

If your board has a built-in NeoPixel, use board.neopixel as a shortcut. It accepts:

  • board.neopixel([r, g, b])
  • board.neopixel({ r, g, b })
  • board.neopixel([[r,g,b], ...]) for multiple pixels
  • board.neopixel([{r,g,b}, ...]) for multiple pixels

Missing color values default to 0, and extra pixels are ignored. The helper only exists on boards with onboard NeoPixels. You can also check board.neopixelPin and board.neopixelLength at runtime. Object inputs always mean RGB. Array inputs follow the active neopixel.init() order. Array-of-objects always stay RGB; array-of-arrays follows the order.

More ideas​

  • Log sensor data to a file every few seconds
  • Use fs.readdirSync('/') to inspect what is on the device
  • Combine gpio and pwm for LED fades

If you are looking for timers or console logging, those are in Runtime JavaScript.

USB HID Keyboard​

The keyboard module lets the Pico act as a USB keyboard. No drivers needed on the host.

const K = require('keyboard');

// Type text (handles shift for uppercase and symbols)
K.print('Hello, World!');

// Single key tap
K.tap('enter');

// Modifier combos
K.press('super');    // Hold Super/Win/Cmd key
K.tap('space');      // Tap space while Super is held
K.release('super');  // Release Super

// Safety: release all keys
K.releaseAll();

// Check key state
K.isPressed('shift');  // returns true/false

Supported keys​

  • Letters: a-z (case insensitive)
  • Numbers: 0-9
  • Function keys: f1-f12
  • Modifiers: ctrl, shift, alt, super (also gui, cmd, win, meta)
  • Right modifiers: rctrl, rshift, ralt, rgui
  • Navigation: up, down, left, right, home, end, pageup, pagedown
  • Special: enter, tab, space, backspace, delete, escape, insert
  • Locks: capslock, numlock, scrolllock
  • Other: printscreen, pause
  • Punctuation: -, =, [, ], \, ;, ', `, ,, ., /
  • Media: mute, volumeup, volumedown, playpause, nexttrack, prevtrack, stop
  • Brightness: brightnessup, brightnessdown

Example: Macro button​

const K = require('keyboard');
const GPIO = require('gpio');

// Button on GPIO 15
GPIO.init(15, GPIO.INPUT_PULLUP);
let wasPressed = false;

setInterval(() => {
    const pressed = GPIO.get(15) === 0;
    if (pressed && !wasPressed) {
        K.print('console.log("Hello!");');
        K.tap('enter');
    }
    wasPressed = pressed;
}, 10);

USB HID Mouse​

The mouse module lets the Pico act as a USB mouse.

const M = require('mouse');

// Move cursor (relative, pixels)
M.move(100, 0);   // right
M.move(-50, 50);  // left and down

// Click buttons
M.click();           // left click (default)
M.click('right');    // right click
M.doubleClick();     // double left click

// Drag operation
M.press('left');
M.move(200, 0);      // drag right
M.release('left');

// Scroll
M.scroll(5);         // scroll up
M.scroll(-5);        // scroll down
M.scrollH(3);        // scroll right (horizontal)

// Release all buttons
M.releaseAll();

Buttons​

  • left (or l) - Left mouse button (default)
  • right (or r) - Right mouse button
  • middle (or m) - Middle mouse button

Example: Mouse jiggler​

const M = require('mouse');

// Prevent screen lock by moving mouse every 30 seconds
setInterval(() => {
    M.move(1, 0);
    M.move(-1, 0);
}, 30000);

Key terms​