Micropython lightsleep doesn't go into low power state on non W Pico builds

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1

Hi

Been doing some testing with 16MB Pimoroni Pico Lipo board and low power states.
What I’ve found is all the current (up to 1.19.11) Pimoroni rolled Micropython UF2s - excluding the Pico W version - don’t properly execute the machine.lightsleep(time_ms). They do sleep for the right amount of time, but the current draw with only a battery connected should drop to ~1.4mA, but stays instead at ~22mA

If I try this on the 16MB Pico Lipo using the Pico W UF2 it does work, but I don’t see the bigger flash used by LittleFS as the standard Pico W expects a 2MB flash.

Any one else seen this, or similar results, and any forecasts for a fix?

Here’s some code to demonstrate:

import time
import machine
time.sleep(2)
led = machine.Pin(25, machine.Pin.OUT)

while True:
    led.off()
    machine.lightsleep(3000)
    led.on()
    time.sleep_ms(3000)

This should loop, powering down for 3 seconds with the LED off, and then software sleep for 3 seconds with the LED.

The vanilla Micropython Pico UF2 does work, but I need the Pimoroni flavour with built-in Picographics to support an Inky Pack ePaper display, and want all of the 16MB for record storage.
Currently I’m using the Pimoroni Pico W UF2 for the low power and Inky to work, and stuck with the smaller file system size.

Very happy with everything otherwise!

Cheers
James

2

Try one of these - hot off the press! Nearly 800 changes for non W boards from upstream MicroPython, so hopefully one of them concerns lightsleep :)

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3

That’s great - yes it works a treat on my 16MB Pico Lipo; I see all the flash using os.statvfs(‘/’) and I’m getting a machine.lightsleep(time_in_ms) current of 2.5mA.

Thanks very much for the rapid response!

Cheers
James

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4

Any chance of a software way to turn off the white LED? Based on the schematic and this answer from @alphanumeric it looks like I’d have to remove RN4-4.

5

RN1-4 as I read it, typo in your above post maybe?

6

image
RN4-4 is one of a 4 way resistor package, so removing this affects the red led and the flash chip select!

Easier to just lift the white Led off with a soldering iron I think, though I think you might only save 340uA or so in Lightsleep.

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7

@jrha nice catch. The LED is easier to find anyway. ;)

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