Jim's Depository

A few overlooked SDK calls and a realistic ADC_VREF value separate useful thermal monitoring from nonsense readings. The RP2040’s on-chip sensor won’t replace a precision probe, but it can flag an overheating enclosure before it cooks a project.

Turn Pico’s CMake setup and UF2 flashing into a repeatable `make install` workflow, with configurable SDK and mount paths. The compact targets also show how `fstab` permissions and `sync` remove common friction on a Raspberry Pi host.

A USB console command can wipe the secondary bootloader and force a Pico back into UF2 mode, eliminating physical reset-button access during development. The historical technique also exposes RP2040 flash-programming hazards, watchdog recovery, and why `reset_usb_boot()` is now the safer choice.

Programmable I/O can make USB devices responsive without a debugger bolted onto every prototype. A software route back to RP2040 boot mode plus Debian’s mount tooling could turn reflashing from a button-timing ritual into a single Make target.