Ladder IDE for Pi Pico

Overview

The Ladder IDE for Pi Pico is a self-contained, portable Python application that enables industrial-style ladder logic programming of all Raspberry Pi Pico variants — the original Pico, Pico W, Pico 2, and Pico 2W. It consists of two components: a PC-based Ladder IDE (Python + GUI) and a dual-core firmware interpreter (C++ on RP2040/RP2350) that runs the compiled ladder logic on the target board.

The IDE allows engineers to draw ladder rungs graphically — contacts, coils, timers, counters, set/reset coils — and compile them to a bytecode that is deployed to the Pico as a UF2 file. The firmware interpreter runs the ladder scan cycle on Core 0, while Core 1 handles all I/O, HMI, and communication tasks. Inter-core messaging uses the Pico SDK's FIFO primitives with a 32-bit typed message format — no shared globals, no race conditions.

The opto-isolated 10-input, 7-relay-output hardware configuration mirrors the PicoPLC product, making the Ladder IDE a direct programming front-end for PicoPLC hardware as well as custom I/O boards.

Key Features

• Graphical ladder editor — contacts, coils, timers, counters, SET/RST
• Python GUI — runs on Windows, macOS, Linux without installation
• Supports all Pico variants: Pico, Pico W, Pico 2, Pico 2W
• Dual-core firmware — Core 0: ladder scan engine; Core 1: I/O, HMI, comms
• 32-bit typed inter-core messages — no shared globals
• Clock speed configurable via IDE — up to 250 MHz on Pico 2/2W
• UF2 deployment — drag to bootloader, no special tools needed
• 10 opto-isolated inputs + 7 relay outputs (PicoPLC compatible)
• I2C LCD display support — status and variable display on hardware
• Real-time monitoring — watch I/O states and variable values live

Supported Hardware

Inter-Core Message Types