RP2350B 'Bells & Whistles' Board Packs a Debugger and HDMI for $30

Everything-On-One-Board, the Way Makers Like It

There's a particular kind of joy in a development board that just has everything you need already on it — no extra probes, no adapter hunt, no friction. The RP2350B "Bells & Whistles" board, which launched on June 24, 2026, is built around exactly that philosophy. For $29.95, it bundles an onboard debugger, HDMI video output, and a microSD slot into a single open-source package, and it's a lovely example of the thriving RP2350 ecosystem.

I'm a sucker for hardware that lowers the barrier to actually building something, and this board removes several of the small annoyances that slow down a project before it even starts.

A Capable Microcontroller at the Core

At the heart of the board is the Raspberry Pi RP2350B microcontroller, and it's a genuinely flexible chip. You can run it as a dual Arm Cortex-M33 or, intriguingly, switch to dual RISC-V Hazard3 cores — both clocked at 150 MHz. That choice between Arm and RISC-V on the same silicon makes it a fantastic platform for learning and experimentation.

Memory and I/O

The board doesn't skimp on the essentials. There's 520KB of SRAM on the chip, an optional 8MB of PSRAM for memory-hungry projects, and 4MB of SPI flash for your program. For connectivity, you get a generous 46 GPIO pins across two 30-pin headers — plenty of room for sensors, displays, and whatever else your project demands.

The Features That Save You Time

Here's where the "Bells & Whistles" name earns itself. First, the onboard debugger: a second RP2040 running Picoprobe firmware is built right in, so you can flash and step through your code without buying or wiring up a separate debug probe. That's a small thing that makes a big difference in day-to-day development.

Video Out and Storage

Second, the board includes HDMI (DVI) video output, so your microcontroller project can drive a real display — great for retro graphics demos, simple dashboards, or visual experiments. Third, a microSD card slot gives you easy mass storage for data logging or media. Rounding it out are two USB-C ports — one for the main MCU and one dedicated to the debugger.

Open Source, As It Should Be

The whole board is open-source hardware under the MIT license, with the design files available on GitHub. That openness means you can learn from it, remix it, or adapt it to your own needs — the same spirit that has made the broader Raspberry Pi and single board computer community so generative. As mini computer fans know, open designs are how good ideas spread and improve.

The Takeaway

The RP2350B "Bells & Whistles" board is a thoughtfully complete maker tool: a capable, dual-architecture microcontroller paired with an onboard debugger, HDMI out, microSD, and a fully open design — all for thirty dollars. By folding in the parts you'd otherwise scramble for, it lets you spend your time building instead of setting up. For anyone exploring the RP2350, it's an easy and satisfying recommendation.

Sources: CNX Software — "RP2350B Bells&Whistles development board features on-board RP2040 debugger, HDMI, and microSD card slot" — June 24, 2026.