iroh Rust mesh networking stack ported to Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller

The iroh project has ported its modular Rust networking stack to Raspberry Pi's RP2350 microcontroller, demonstrating the port on Pimoroni's Presto device with Wi-Fi connectivity. This brings secure, reliable mesh networking capabilities to a low-power, real-time compute platform that previously lacked such functionality. The RP2350 pairs with Raspberry Pi Radio Module 2, which packages the Infineon CYW43439 radio also found on Pico W and Pico 2 W boards.

The implementation includes support for both IP-based networks like Wi-Fi and cellular, as well as non-IP transports including Bluetooth-LE and LoRa. Developer Rüdiger Klaehn documented the engineering challenges and workarounds required to run the library on resource-constrained hardware, including operation on a bare Raspberry Pi Pico 2 without wireless connectivity. Example code and implementation details are available in the iroh-pico-examples repository on GitHub.

RP2350 port and networking architecture

• Rust-to-embedded constraints: The port required addressing memory and runtime limitations of the RP2350 to run iroh's native Rust codebase without a full operating system underneath.
• Radio hardware pairing: The implementation leverages Raspberry Pi Radio Module 2 with its Infineon CYW43439 chip, providing turnkey Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for RP2040 and RP2350-based designs.
• Transport flexibility: iroh supports both traditional IP networks and non-IP links including Bluetooth-LE and LoRa, allowing heterogeneous mesh topologies from the same codebase.
• Demonstration platform: The Pimoroni Presto serves as the reference hardware, combining the RP2350, Radio Module 2, Wi-Fi, and a touchscreen display in a desktop companion form factor.
• Open-source availability: Engineering details and runnable examples are published in the iroh-pico-examples GitHub repository, with technical documentation from Klaehn's blog post.

Why it matters

This port extends iroh's reach from servers and desktops into the deeply embedded space, giving developers a production-ready mesh networking option for IoT sensors, industrial controllers, and edge devices running on inexpensive Raspberry Pi silicon. For the open hardware community, it validates the RP2350 as a capable platform for connected applications that require cryptographic security and peer-to-peer coordination without relying on cloud gateways or proprietary stacks.