Ardino RP2040 Connect board with Micropython

[ScooterKraig]

I’m trying to get Micropython to work with an Arduino RP2040 Connect. I’m at the point where most of the Python code runs with no problem, but I’m having trouble with the WiFi. When I get to the first use of the WiFi at “wlan.active(True)” I get a message about the firmware. Is there some wifi firmware that must be updated? How?

`` wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
wlan.active(True)
wlan.connect(ssid, password)

%Run -c $EDITOR_CONTENT

MPY: soft reboot
reset the clock
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 398, in
File "", line 304, in reset_clock
OSError: firmware version mismatch, minimum supported firmware is v1.5.0 found v1.4.8

[Josverl]

The wifi is provided by NINA wifi coprocessor.
MicroPython’s network driver for this board checks the NINA firmware version during wlan.active(True). Your module is running NINA firmware v1.4.8, but the MicroPython build you flashed requires >= v1.5.0, so it aborts.

You update the NINA firmware using the Arduino tooling (it runs an updater sketch on the RP2040 which re-flashes the NINA module).

AFAIK there is no native MicroPython tooling for the NINA update

[ScooterKraig]

This makes sense. But why isn't it working? I'm using the Arduino IDE 2.3.7 Firmware Updater to install firmware version 1.5.0. I've tried 2.0.0 too, but that doesn't work either.

[Josverl]

The NINA 1.48 firmware on your board is tooo old - and does not have the needed capabilities.
Version 2.0.0 works just fine on my board

Upgrading it is doable, but requires you to use the Arduino tools
Either :

• install the Arduino2 IDE , and update the NINA from the IDE
• install the commanline tools arduino-fwuploaderand arduino_ide to do this manually in a bunch of different steps.

I used option 2 - and it took me 30-45 minutes to figure out.

Details

Windows CLI recipe for updating the NINA firmware on a Nano RP2040 Connect and checking its version
no Arduino IDE needed.

Assumes the board is on COM7—adjust if needed.
You will need to adjust the paths to your system

1. Install Arduino CLI

Download :

• https://arduino.github.io/arduino-cli/latest/installation/
• https://github.com/arduino/arduino-fwuploader/releases/tag/2.4.1

Both are simple cli tools , you can add them in the same folder for ease of use

cd C:\Tools\Arduino-cli

2. Install board support for Nano RP2040 Connect

.\arduino-cli.exe core update-index
.\arduino-cli.exe core install arduino:mbed_nano

3. Install WiFiNINA library (for the SerialNINAPassthrough example)

.\arduino-cli.exe lib install WiFiNINA

4. Locate the SerialNINAPassthrough example
   It will be placed under your Arduino sketchbook, typically:
   Yo0u need this to be able for your PC to communicate directly with the ESP32 that is also on the board to update its NINA firmware.

C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\Arduino\libraries\WiFiNINA\examples\SerialNINAPassthrough\

Replace with the actual Windows username.

5. Compile the SerialNINAPassthrough sketch

cd "C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\Arduino\libraries\WiFiNINA\examples\SerialNINAPassthrough"

C:\Tools\arduino-cli\arduino-cli.exe compile --fqbn arduino:mbed_nano:nanorp2040connect

6. Upload SerialNINAPassthrough to the Nano RP2040 Connect

C:\Tools\arduino-cli\arduino-cli.exe upload -p COM7 --fqbn arduino:mbed_nano:nanorp2040connect

Now the RP2040 acts as a USB↔UART bridge to the NINA module.

7. Use Arduino Firmware Uploader to flash NINA firmware
   Go to the folder where you extracted arduino-fwuploader_2.4.1_Windows_64bit:

cd C:\Tools\arduino-cli

Flash the NINA module:

.\arduino-fwuploader.exe firmware flash --fqbn arduino:mbed_nano:nanorp2040connect -a COM7 --module NINA

8. Check NINA firmware version via CLI

.\arduino-fwuploader.exe firmware get-version --fqbn arduino:mbed_nano:nanorp2040connect -a COM7

you should see something like :

> .\arduino-fwuploader.exe firmware get-version --fqbn arduino:mbed_nano:nanorp2040connect -a COM7
rp2040load 1.0.6 - compiled with go1.16.2
Loading into Flash: [==============================]  100%

FIRMWARE-VERSION: 2.0.0
Firmware version installed: 2.0.0

Then you need to re-flash a recent version of MicroPython - such as V1.27.0

After that it works for me :

mpremote
Connected to MicroPython at COM3
Use Ctrl-] or Ctrl-x to exit this shell
MicroPython v1.27.0 on 2025-12-09; Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect with RP2040
Type "help()" for more information.
>>>

>>> import network
>>> wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
>>> wlan.active(True)
>>> wlan.connect("FOO","BAR")
>>> wlan.scan()
[(b'TP-Link_2.4GHz_61C8BD', b'`\xa4\xb7a\xc8\xbd', 6, -73, 4, 1), (b'AtticWare', b'<7\x12\xb5#7', 12, -81, 4, 1), (b'H369A6D3E7F', b'p\x97A\xb8/\x89', 11, -85, 4, 1), (b'KPN4AC386', b'\x8a\x99\xb2\x9d\xf8\x85', 11, -85, 4, 1), (b'H369A8F38A8', b'Px\xb3\x8f8\xa9', 11, -94, 4, 1), (b'Waldekker151', b'8\x94\xed0\xcc\x80', 11, -94, 4, 1), (b'PRIVSECMASA151', b'8\x94\xed0\xcc\x86', 11, -95, 4, 1)]
>>>
PS D:\Tools\> mpremote wifi_scan
SSID                              MAC address  Channel Signal Authmode        Hidden
TP-Link_2.4GHz_61C8BD            60a4b761c8bd        6    -77 WPA/WPA2-PSK         1
AtticWare                        3c3712b52337       12    -78 WPA/WPA2-PSK         1
IoT                              3e3712b52337       12    -79 WPA/WPA2-PSK         1
KPN4AC386                        8a99b29df885       11    -84 WPA/WPA2-PSK         1
H369A6D3E7F                      709741b82f89       11    -89 WPA/WPA2-PSK         1

[ScooterKraig]

Thanks! I'll try that but it will surely take me more than 30-45 minutes!
It looks like you're using Windows. I'm on Linux now, I'll try Windows.

[ScooterKraig]

Success! In Windows, the IDE firmware installer worked as it should. Could be a bug in the Linux version?

[beetlegigg]

I had a couple of the nano rp2040 connect boards in the useless bits drawer. Previous attempts to get the firmware updated proved futile. But reading one could update it in the arduino IDE prompted me to have a go. But no, on my mac no joy. While it auto connected to the correct board (thats new - to me anyway) for a firmware upgrade the IDE just reported no suitable board connected. Bugger.

But whilst I was at it I had a go with the arduino-fwuploader (thanks @Josverl for that hint) Yes I went through the pain of the obtuse docs to get it to work. For my mac mini, once I realised I had to download the firmware rather than the arduino-fwuploader grabbing automatically from the internet the command was:
./arduino-fwuploader firmware flash --fqbn arduino:mbed_nano:nanorp2040connect
--address /dev/tty.usbmodem111101 -i NINA-rduino.mbed_nano.nanorp2040connect.bin

As working out the command took me well over the 30-45 minutes young Josveri took to figure out I thought putting a mac os version of the command may give some befuddled chap a starter.

The wifi now connects though in my setup I it always takes at least two tries of wlan.connect(ssid, pw) in a connection loop before a successful connection is obtained.

Now those old nano rp2040's may have a new lease of life (?).

[Josverl]

young Josverl

Thank you for that compliment 👶👶- only just before I wake I'm still a twenty-something demi-god