SolaSim Setup Wizard

Get your SolarSim's RP2040 up and running quickly — no software installation needed.

👋 Welcome

This wizard will guide you through setting up your RP2040:bit board to run the SolaSim solar simulator firmware. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.

0 1 2 3V GND USB A B BOOT RESET RP2040 Dual Core RP2040:bit Board

The RP2040:bit board — your SolaSim controller

ℹī¸
What you'll need: A USB cable (micro-USB), a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, or Opera), and your RP2040:bit board.
⚡ Flash MicroPython Firmware

First, we need to install the MicroPython runtime on your board. This is a one-time process that prepares your RP2040 to run the SolaSim software.

  1. 1
    Unplug the USB cable from your board if it's currently connected.
  2. 2
    Hold down the BOOT button on your board (see the highlighted button below), then plug in the USB cable while still holding the button.
  3. 3
    A new drive called RPI-RP2 will appear on your computer (like a USB flash drive). Release the BOOT button.
  4. 4
    Download the firmware file below, then drag and drop it onto the RPI-RP2 drive. The board will reboot automatically.
0 1 2 3V GND USB USB Port ↑ A B BOOT ← HOLD THIS RESET RP2040 Dual Core RP2040:bit Board
âŦ‡ Download Firmware (.uf2)
💡
Tip: After dragging the file, the RPI-RP2 drive will disappear and the board will reboot. This is normal! Once rebooted, you can proceed to the next step.
🔌 Connect to Your Device

Now let's establish a serial connection to your board. Make sure the USB cable is plugged in (without holding any buttons this time).

  1. 1
    If the board is still plugged in from the firmware step, unplug it and plug it back in (no buttons — just a normal USB connection).
  2. 2
    Click the Connect button below. Your browser will show a popup asking you to choose a serial port — select the one labelled "Board in FS mode" or similar.
đŸ“Ļ Deploy SolaSim Files

Everything is ready! Click the button below to transfer the SolaSim software to your board. This takes about 15–30 seconds.

Preparing...
✓

You're All Set! 🎉

Your RP2040 is ready to go. The firmware has been installed and the demo profile is loaded.

Your device will reboot automatically. Open SolaSim Studio to connect and start building solar simulation programs.

🌞 Open SolaSim Studio
💡
Next steps: In SolaSim Studio, click Connect to Device and choose the serial port. You can try the Rainbow Demo profile right away, or create your own!