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A USBSID-Pico dual-SID synthesizer combines a Raspberry Pi Pico-family controller with two Commodore SID sound chips (or compatible hardware emulators). The board presents the chips to a computer, phone, ASID player or USB MIDI controller through USB, and can send SID1 to the left audio channel and SID2 to the right for stereo playback.
To build one reliably, match every part to the PCB revision, provide the correct 9 V or 12 V rail for each socket, compile or flash firmware for the installed Pico family, then configure both sockets with the official USBSID-Configtool. The procedure below covers the hardware choices, firmware, stereo setup, testing and the failure modes documented by the project.
What the USBSID-Pico does
USBSID-Pico is an open-source board based on either the RP2040 Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico W or the RP2350 Pico 2/Pico 2 W. It has two SID sockets and firmware interfaces for WebUSB, custom USB CDC, MIDI/ASID and embedded player modes. You can install one SID, two SIDs, or supported SID replacements, so the same PCB can serve as a mono instrument, a dual-chip stereo synthesizer or a USB bridge for SID software.
The normal two-chip arrangement uses socket 1 as SID1 and socket 2 as SID2. In stereo mode, SID1 is routed to the left channel and SID2 to the right. Address ranges are configurable, allowing software that expects different dual-SID maps to use the hardware without rewiring the board.
#1 Best Overall
- RPi Pico 2 W Microcontroller Board (pre-soldered header (color-coded)), Based on Official RP2350 Chip, Dual-core & Dual-architecture Design. Upgraded hardware from Pico 2 with wireless communication, onboard antenna, features 2.4GHz 802.11n WIFI and Bluetooth 5.2.
- Adopts unique dual-core and dual-architecture design: dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor and dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V processor, flexible clock running up to 150 MHz.
- Onboard Infineon CYW43439 wireless chip, supports WIFI 4 wireless and Bluetooth 5.2.
- 520KB of SRAM, and 4MB of on-board Flash memory.
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB.
Choose the Pico, SID devices and PCB revision
Controller options
| Controller | Firmware target | Practical guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico W | rp2040 |
Supported for normal playback and control. The project notes that dense cycle-exact tunes may not run at full speed on Pico1/RP2040. |
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2 or Pico 2 W | rp2350 |
Preferred for demanding cycle-exact or sample-heavy work because the RP2350 provides more headroom. |
Choose the Pico family before compiling firmware; an image built for the wrong target is not a substitute for the correct build. The Pico W and Pico 2 W add wireless hardware, but the documented USB and SID setup remains the same.
SID devices
The sockets accept MOS6581, MOS6582 and MOS8580 chips. The project also documents support for SIDKick-Pico, ARMSID, FPGASID and SwinSID hardware emulators. A replacement is not automatically electrically interchangeable: configure its voltage, clock and filtering according to its own requirements and the selected PCB manual.
Two sockets can contain different devices and different voltage families. The documented example is a MOS6581 on a 12 V socket paired with a MOS6582 or MOS8580 on a 9 V socket. Never infer the rail from the chip’s appearance; verify the part number and set each socket’s voltage and filtering exactly as shown in the revision-specific documentation.
PCB revisions and documentation
Files are published for revisions v1.0, v1.3 and v1.5c. Download the schematic, bill of materials, Gerbers, interactive BOM and manual for the same revision as your board. Pin assignments, jumpers, audio details and voltage configuration can vary between revisions, so a manual for another revision is not a safe substitute.
Rank #2
- Note: The Pico 2 W comes with no program by default, so you won’t see any lights when plugged in. Please upload a simple blink program to verify it's working.
- Built-in Wireless Connectivity: Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 5.2 for seamless IoT and embedded applications.
- High-Performance RP2350 Chip: Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 with FPU and Hazard3 RISC-V cores, delivering double the speed and flexibility of the RP2040.
- Increased RAM: Equipped with 520 KB of on-chip RAM, facilitating efficient data handling for complex applications.
- Expanded Flash Storage: Provides 4 MB of onboard flash memory, suitable for storing extensive codebases and data.
Parts and pre-solder checks
- One USBSID-Pico PCB of a known revision.
- One Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico W (RP2040) or Pico 2/Pico 2 W (RP2350).
- One or two compatible SID chips or documented hardware emulators.
- The revision-specific resistors, capacitors, regulators, headers, audio jack and USB connector listed in the BOM.
- A USB cable and an audio destination. Use headphones during initial testing if your computer and audio equipment are on different mains outlets.
Before soldering, compare the silkscreen with the schematic and interactive BOM. Identify the Pico orientation, the notch or pin-1 marker on each SID socket, regulator orientation, polarized capacitors, headers, audio jack and USB connector. Keep the SID chips out of their sockets until the board has passed continuity and power checks; a solder bridge can destroy an irreplaceable original SID.
Assemble the board
- Populate passive parts. Install the resistors, capacitors, jumpers and filtering components listed for your revision. Do not fit an alternative value because it appears similar on another revision’s BOM.
- Install voltage and regulator parts. Fit the regulator components and any socket-selection or rail jumpers exactly as the manual shows. The board provides 5 V logic plus 9 V and 12 V SID rails; the socket settings must match the device installed in that socket.
- Install connectors and headers. Solder the USB connector, audio jack, Pico headers and any other connectors. Check that the Pico’s USB end points in the direction shown by the silkscreen.
- Inspect under magnification. Look for bridges between adjacent pins, unsoldered joints, lifted pads and misplaced polarized parts. Pay particular attention to the Pico header and the SID socket pins.
- Check for shorts before inserting chips. With power disconnected, use a meter to check for an unintended short between ground and the 5 V, 9 V and 12 V rails. Confirm continuity from the socket pins to the corresponding schematic nets.
- Insert the Pico and SIDs. Align every notch or pin-1 marker with the manual. Install one chip first if you want to isolate socket-level problems, then add the second after the first socket works.
Build or flash the firmware
Compile from source
The project documents building with Pico SDK 2.1.1 and the included TinyUSB stack. A source build is useful when you need the current firmware or want to select an embedded mode, but release behavior and image names can change while the firmware remains under development.
- Install the toolchain required by Pico SDK 2.1.1 and clone the SDK with its submodules.
- In the SDK’s TinyUSB directory, change to
pico-sdk/lib/tinyusb. - Install TinyUSB dependencies by running
python3 tools/get_deps.py PICO_PLATFORM. ReplacePICO_PLATFORMwithrp2040for Pico/Pico W orrp2350for Pico 2/Pico 2 W. - Configure the USBSID-Pico project with the same platform value, generate the build files and compile the requested firmware target according to the project’s build instructions.
- Keep the resulting image matched to the controller family. Do not flash an RP2040 image to an RP2350 board or the reverse.
Use a release image
If you do not need a source build, select a release image that explicitly matches your Pico family and desired features, then follow the project’s flashing manual. Put the Pico into its USB bootloader mode as described by the manual, copy the matching image, wait for the board to reboot, and confirm that the USB device enumerates before connecting SIDs for playback. Because firmware is still being developed, release names, defaults and available modes can change; use the instructions shipped with the specific release.
The Tool Desk
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After the board appears over USB, open the official USBSID-Configtool. Configure the hardware before launching a player so that the software and physical sockets agree.
Rank #3
- The Raspberry Pi Pico is a beginner-friendly microcontroller board that uses MicroPython to give you a taste of the Internet of Things and microcontrollers. The RP2040 is a well-designed microprocessor that can be utilized in almost any Internet of Things project. It has enough power to complete the task quickly.
- 【Raspberry Pi RP2040 Microcontroller】Raspberry Pi Pico features Dual-core ARM Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. With 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.Supports up to 16 MB of off chip flash memory via a dedicated QSPI bus
- 【Multiple Software Support】Pico has rich and complete software support, it comes with a complete Rasberry Pi official C/C++ SDK, Micropython SDK.The programming and burning of Pico need to be carried out on the computer. Supported operating systems and computers include:Raspberry Pie with Raspberry Pi OS,Other platforms equipped with Debian based Linux system Computer with MacOS, Computers with Windows, etc.
- 【Rich Hardware Interface】Raspberry Pi Pico has 30 GPIO pins, 4 pins for analog signal input and 26 × multi-function GPIO pins, 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.USB 1.1 supported by host and device, The installation mode can be flexibly selected by users to facilitate welding with other development boards.
- 【Build Project in Tiny Size】Only 2.1cm*5.1cm ( as small as your thumb). Pico has been designed to use either soldered 0.1" pin-headers or can be used as a surface-mountable 'module'.
- Select the connected board. Choose the USBSID-Pico USB device in the tool and confirm that it reports the expected Pico family.
- Enable the sockets. The documented default enables both sockets and configures a two-SID system. If only one chip is installed, disable the unused socket while troubleshooting.
- Set address ranges. Socket one defaults to
$00–$1F; socket two defaults to$40–$7F. The tool can configure ranges through$00–$7F, subject to the player’s addressing requirements. - Choose chip types. Select MOS6581, MOS6582, MOS8580 or the appropriate supported emulator for each socket. Chip selection affects timing and filtering expectations.
- Set clock and mode. Match the clock rate requested by your player or tune. Select stereo when you want separate channels, or mono when both SID outputs should be combined according to the board’s options.
- Write and verify. Apply the settings, power-cycle if the tool or manual requests it, and reopen the configuration to verify that both socket entries retained the values.
Software-controlled stereo/mono behavior and an audio switch are documented on v1.3 and later hardware. On an earlier revision, follow the physical switch and jumper instructions in that revision’s manual rather than assuming the later controls exist.
Wire and test stereo audio
Connect the board’s audio output to powered speakers, an interface or headphones. In stereo mode, listen for SID1 on the left and SID2 on the right. Start with a simple tune or test pattern and verify one socket at a time:
- With only SID1 enabled, confirm sound in the left channel and silence in the right.
- With only SID2 enabled, confirm sound in the right channel.
- Enable both and play a known dual-SID track to check channel placement, address ranges and clock rate.
- Listen for crackle, incorrect pitch or missing voices before attempting cycle-exact or sample-heavy music.
If a chip is not detected, turn off power before reseating it. Recheck orientation, socket voltage, filtering, the selected chip type and the address range rather than increasing a supply voltage experimentally.
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WebUSB and ASID
The documented browser test path uses WebUSB and requires a Chrome-based browser. Deepsid can connect through WebUSB (Hermit) or ASID (MIDI). Grant the browser access to the USBSID-Pico device when prompted, select the configured SID addresses and start with a basic tune.
Rank #4
- Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with Pre-soldered Header ,The next big tiny thing,Built Using RP2350 Microcontroller Chip Designed By Raspberry Pi
- C/C++, MicroPython Support,Comprehensive SDK, Dev Resources, Tutorials To Help You Easily Get Started
- Dual-Core, Dual-Architecture,The Unique Dual-Core, Dual-Architecture Capability Of RP2350 Allows Users To Choose Between A Pair Of Industry-Standard Arm Cortex-M33 Cores, And A Pair Of Open-Hardware Hazard3 Cores, Giving Developers A Chance To Experiment With The RISC-V Architecture In A Stable, Well-Supported Environment
- WIFI And Bluetooth Support,Onboard Infineon CYW43439 Wireless Chip, Supports WIFI 4 Wireless And Bluetooth 5.2
- 26 × Multi-Function GPIO Pins,Configurable Pin Function, Allows Flexible Development And Integration
Desktop players
Documented desktop choices include VICE, JSIDPlay2, Denise, libsidplayfp, Phosphor and SidBerry. Each player has its own device, clock and dual-SID settings; enter the same socket addresses and stereo arrangement that you saved in USBSID-Configtool.
C64jukebox and MIDI controllers
C64jukebox is documented by the maintainer with beta status, so expect interface or compatibility changes. The board can also appear as a USB MIDI device for a MIDI controller, but MIDI support is described as beta. For the first MIDI test, map one oscillator or note range, confirm output from one socket, then add the second socket and stereo routing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot the documented failure modes
Hum or buzz after connecting USB and audio
A ground loop can occur when the USB host and the audio destination use different mains outlets. The project reports this more often on v1.0 and v1.3, although it can still occur on v1.5. Test with headphones or insert a suitable ground-loop isolator between the board and the audio input. Do not defeat protective earth connections on mains equipment.
Distorted audio after changing readmode
Turning readmode on and then off without restarting can leave the board and VICE in incompatible states. Turn readmode off, restart the PCB and restart VICE, then configure both sides again before retesting. This reset sequence is specifically required for the documented failure.
Best Value
- RPi Pico 2 microcontroller board (with yellow Pre-Soldered Header) is powered by Official RP2350 microcontroller chip, with unique dual-core and dual-architecture design, running up to 150 MHz, embedded 520KB of SRAM and 4MB of on-board Flash memory, as well as 26x multi-function GPIO pins
- Adopts unique dual-core and dual-architecture design: dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor and dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V processor, flexible clock running up to 150 MHz
- 520KB of SRAM, and 4MB of on-board Flash memory
- 26 × multi-function GPIO pins. 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 24 × controllable PWM channels
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes.
Cycle-exact tunes run too slowly
Dense cycle-exact tunes may not reach full speed on Pico1/RP2040. Move to a Pico 2/RP2350 for this workload, rebuild or flash the matching rp2350 firmware, and repeat the address, clock and stereo configuration.
Embedded player modes become unstable or hot
The embedded USBSID-Player and Cynthcart firmware overclock the Pico MCU to 250 MHz. Provide the passive cooling recommended by the project for these modes and keep the board in a ventilated enclosure. Do not assume that a normally clocked Pico’s thermal behavior applies to a 250 MHz embedded build.
No sound or the wrong channel
- Confirm that the chip is seated in the intended socket and that the socket rail is 9 V or 12 V as required.
- Check the selected chip type and clock in USBSID-Configtool.
- Verify that the player uses the same address ranges: socket one normally starts at
$00–$1Fand socket two at$40–$7F. - Test each socket alone before diagnosing stereo wiring.
- For original MOS6581, MOS6582 and MOS8580 parts, consult the revision manual’s detection and voltage guidance instead of guessing.
Voltage and handling precautions
The Pico logic is not the same as the SID supply. The board supports 5 V logic and separate 9 V/12 V SID rails, and a dual build may use both rails simultaneously. MOS6581, MOS6582 and MOS8580 have different operating conditions. An incorrect rail can damage a chip even when USB enumeration appears normal.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute- Use the selected PCB revision’s schematic and manual for every rail, jumper and filtering decision.
- Power down and unplug USB before changing a socket, jumper or chip.
- Do not insert a MOS6581 into a socket configured for 9 V, or a 9 V-family device into a 12 V setting.
- Keep the board protected from static discharge and avoid touching chip pins.
- Perform continuity and rail checks with the valuable SID devices removed whenever possible.
Obtaining a board
The maintainer documents semi-assembled boards through SmallRun, with or without a Pico, and PCB fabrication through PCBWay. The PCBWay guidance specifies a minimum order of five bare or assembled boards. Availability, pricing, preorder counts and reseller terms are volatile and should be verified at the time you order; they are not part specifications.
A v1.5c preorder notice displayed on October 17, 2026 showed 4 of 10 commitments and a closing date of October 31, 2026. That snapshot is time-limited and does not establish current stock or delivery.
Build checklist
- Identify the PCB revision and obtain its matching schematic, BOM, Gerbers and manual.
- Choose RP2040 or RP2350 hardware and the corresponding firmware target.
- Choose one or two SIDs or documented emulators and record each device’s required rail.
- Assemble, inspect and continuity-test the board before inserting chips.
- Build with Pico SDK 2.1.1 and TinyUSB, or flash a matching release image.
- Use USBSID-Configtool to enable sockets, set addresses, select chip types, choose clock and select stereo or mono.
- Test SID1 and SID2 separately, then confirm left/right stereo with a known dual-SID tune.
- Apply the documented fixes for ground loops, readmode restarts, RP2040 performance limits and 250 MHz cooling.
When these checks agree, the result is a configurable dual-SID USB synthesizer rather than merely two chips powered on a PCB: the electrical rails, firmware target, address map, player settings and stereo routing all describe the same hardware.
Quick Recap
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