Hackaday · Creativity & design

Pocket Pico Recreates Heathkit Packet Radio

A modern recreation of the Heathkit HK-21 Pocket Packet, a terminal node controller for amateur packet radio, has been developed using a Raspberry Pi Pico.

Dubbed the Pocket Pico, the device runs the same firmware as the original HK-21 by emulating a Z80 processor on the Raspberry Pi Pico. The microcontroller also handles the modulation and demodulation of Bell 202 audio tones at 1200 baud, eliminating the need for a separate modem chip.

This compatibility allows the Pocket Pico to work with existing packet radio software. It supports APRS and AX.25 Level 2, and includes a built-in Personal Bulletin Board System for message exchange between stations.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.