Raspberry Pi Zero Simulator
Python and GPIO on the smallest Pi, in your browser
Run Raspberry Pi Zero projects without the board: write Python with gpiozero and RPi.GPIO against LEDs, buttons and I2C sensors on the canvas, or boot a 32-bit Linux guest with a shell.
Three free 15-minute trial sessions · Then Maker and Pro plans · Runs in your browser
Raspberry Pi Zero at a glance
The Zero is the Pi people pick for wearables, cameras and one-purpose boxes, and most of that code is a Python script and a few header pins. Velxio runs exactly that: the script executes against the circuit you wire, and when it needs a terminal a QEMU Linux guest with the Zero's 32-bit CPU profile boots on our servers.
- Processor
- BCM2835, single-core ARM at 1 GHz
- Memory
- 512 MB RAM
- Emulation
- Python in the browser + QEMU Linux guest (32-bit ARM)
- Languages
- Python 3
- Made by
- Raspberry Pi
- Plan
- Trial, then Maker or Pro
What you can do with the Raspberry Pi Zero simulator
The board on the canvas is the real thing as far as your code is concerned: the same pins, the same buses, the same peripherals, wired to the same 100+ sensors, displays and actuators every other Velxio board talks to.
Python 3 with the real libraries
RPi.GPIO, gpiozero, smbus2, spidev and pyserial work as they do on the bench. Scripts start in seconds on the in-browser engine; third-party packages come from a requirements.txt.
GPIO, PWM and ADC
Drive LEDs, relays and servos, read buttons and potentiometers, dim with PWM. Every pin follows the board's real pin map, so what works here works on the hardware.
I2C, SPI and UART
Talk to OLEDs, IMUs, ADCs, RTCs and SD cards over the buses the board really has. Bus traffic runs through emulated peripherals, not through a shortcut.
A Linux shell when you need one
Linux mode boots an Alpine guest under QEMU on our servers with a real terminal and python3. It is not Raspberry Pi OS: no apt, no desktop, no network from inside the guest.
Multi-board canvas
Mix this board with an Arduino, an ESP32 or a Pico on the same canvas and let them talk over serial or I2C, each running its own firmware.
Try it before you subscribe
A free account gets three 15-minute trial sessions on this board family; every run inside a session is free. Unlimited runs are part of the Maker and Pro plans and of Velxio Desktop.
Raspberry Pi Zero examples
Ready-to-run projects for this board from the gallery. Open one, read the sketch, press Run.
Related simulators
Frequently asked questions
- Is the simulated Zero the same as a Pi 3 with a different picture?
- The header, the Python libraries and the workflow are the same across the family. The difference is the guest: the Zero boots a 32-bit single-core ARM Linux (armhf), so anything that behaves differently on a 32-bit Pi behaves differently here too.
- Can I read analog sensors on the Pi Zero?
- Not directly, the same as the real board: a Pi has no analog input. Put an MCP3008 or an ADS1115 from the catalog between the sensor and the header and read it over SPI or I2C.
- Does the Zero's camera connector work?
- The camera bridge is available on the Pi 4 and Pi 5 pages' examples; on the Zero, projects are about GPIO and the buses. The Zero W's WiFi is not emulated.
- Is the Raspberry Pi Zero simulator free?
- Partly. You can build and save a Raspberry Pi Zero circuit with any account, and a free account gets three 15-minute trial sessions to run it; every run inside a session is free. Unlimited runs boot a Linux guest on our servers, so they are part of the Maker and Pro plans, or of Velxio Desktop with a paid licence.
- Which languages can I use on the Raspberry Pi Zero?
- Python 3. The language is switched from the toolbar; the circuit on the canvas stays the same.
Ready to simulate the Raspberry Pi Zero?
Open the editor, place the Raspberry Pi Zero from the picker, wire what you need and press Run.
Launch the Raspberry Pi Zero simulator →