KevsRobots Learning Platform
By Kevin McAleer, 2 Minutes
Ground pins don’t do anything clever, but every circuit needs them and a missing ground is behind a lot of “it doesn’t work” moments. This short lesson explains why.
Ground (GND) is the 0V reference that every other voltage in your circuit is measured against. It’s also the return path that lets current flow back to the power supply and complete the circuit.
Ground pins aren’t GPIO pins: you can’t switch them on or off from code. They’re always 0V.
The Pico has eight ground pins, at physical pins 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, 33 and 38. They’re spread out so there’s always one near the pins you’re using. On the board they have square pads rather than round ones.
Pin 33 is labelled AGND. It’s the ground for the analog circuitry, so use it with potentiometers and analog sensors for the cleanest ADC readings.
All the ground pins are connected together, so you can use whichever is closest.
-) rail, then connect everything else to the railQuick quiz 1 of 2
A servo has its own battery pack and twitches randomly. What’s the most likely fix?
Quick quiz 2 of 2
Which ground pin is best for analog sensors?
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