diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e500874..4b05b6f 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use rp2040_pac as pac;
 
 mod pll;
 mod resets;
+mod uart;
 
 #[link_section = ".boot2"]
 #[used]
@@ -26,6 +27,16 @@ fn timestamp() -> u64 {
     n as u64
 }
 
+static GREETING: &str = "\n\r/ Hello fellow rustaceans! Now I talk to \\\r
+\\ you from a Raspberry Pico board!       /\r
+ -----------------------------------------\r
+        \\\r
+         \\\r
+            _~^~^~_\r
+        \\) /  o o  \\ (/\r
+          '_   -   _'\r
+          / '-----' \\\n\n\n\n\r";
+
 fn init(
     resets: pac::RESETS,
     watchdog: pac::WATCHDOG,
@@ -52,7 +63,8 @@ fn init(
                 | resets::SPI1
                 | resets::UART0
                 | resets::UART1
-                | resets::USBCTRL),
+                | resets::USBCTRL
+                | resets::IO_BANK0),
     );
 
     // xosc 12 mhz
@@ -84,6 +96,28 @@ fn init(
 
     pll::PLL::new(pll_sys).configure(1, 1500_000_000, 6, 2);
     pll::PLL::new(pll_usb).configure(1, 480_000_000, 5, 2);
+
+    // Activate peripheral clock and take external oscillator as input
+    clocks.clk_peri_ctrl.write(|w| {
+        w.enable().set_bit();
+        w.auxsrc().xosc_clksrc();
+        w
+    });
+}
+
+fn uart_configure_alternate_functions(p: &pac::IO_BANK0) {
+    // todo funcsel in pac not implemented for generic access to gpio
+    // for UART, the funcsel is 2 for all pins, so calling uart0_tx
+    // on each gp does the trick but is very confusing
+
+    // set GP0 to UART0_TX
+    p.gpio[0].gpio_ctrl.write(|w| w.funcsel().uart0_tx());
+    // set GP1 to UART0_RX
+    p.gpio[1].gpio_ctrl.write(|w| w.funcsel().uart0_tx());
+    // set GP4 to UART1_TX
+    p.gpio[4].gpio_ctrl.write(|w| w.funcsel().uart0_tx());
+    // set GP5 to UART1_RX
+    p.gpio[5].gpio_ctrl.write(|w| w.funcsel().uart0_tx());
 }
 
 #[entry]
@@ -94,6 +128,17 @@ fn main() -> ! {
 
     init(p.RESETS, p.WATCHDOG, p.CLOCKS, p.XOSC, p.PLL_SYS, p.PLL_USB);
 
+    uart_configure_alternate_functions(&p.IO_BANK0);
+    // Peripheral clock is attached to XOSC
+    const PERI_CLK: u32 = 12_000_000;
+    let uart0 = uart::UART::new(p.UART0, PERI_CLK);
+    uart0.configure(115200);
+    let uart1 = uart::UART::new(p.UART1, PERI_CLK);
+    uart1.configure(115200);
+
+    uart0.write_blocking(&GREETING.as_bytes());
+    uart1.write_blocking(&GREETING.as_bytes());
+
     let led_pin = 25;
 
     loop {
diff --git a/src/uart.rs b/src/uart.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cb5a4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/uart.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/*
+* Uart example in rust for raspberry pico
+*
+* Simple example to enable blocking write on uart0
+* and uart1
+*
+*
+* Copyright (c) Siemens AG, 2021
+*
+* Authors:
+*  Dominik Tacke <dominik.tacke@siemens.com>
+*
+* This work is licensed under the terms of the MIT.  See
+* the LICENSE-MIT file in the top-level directory.
+*
+* SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+*/
+
+use core::ops::Deref;
+
+use rp2040_pac as pac;
+
+pub struct UART<T: Instance> {
+    inner: T,
+    clk_base: u32,
+}
+
+impl<T: Instance> UART<T> {
+    pub fn new(inner: T, clk_base: u32) -> Self {
+        Self { inner, clk_base }
+    }
+
+    pub fn configure(&self, baudrate: u32) -> u32 {
+        let u = &self.inner;
+        // Any LCR writes need to take place before enabling the UART
+        let baud = self.set_baudrate(baudrate);
+        self.set_format(8, 1);
+
+        // Enable the UART, both TX and RX
+        u.uartcr
+            .write(|w| w.uarten().bit(true).rxe().bit(true).txe().bit(true));
+        // Enable FIFOs
+        u.uartlcr_h
+            .modify(|r, w| unsafe { w.bits(r.bits()) }.fen().set_bit());
+
+        // Always enable DREQ signals -- no harm in this if DMA is not listening
+        u.uartdmacr
+            .write(|w| w.txdmae().set_bit().rxdmae().set_bit());
+
+        return baud;
+    }
+
+    fn set_baudrate(&self, baudrate: u32) -> u32 {
+        let p = &self.inner;
+        let baud_rate_div = (8 * self.clk_base) / baudrate;
+        let mut baud_ibrd = baud_rate_div >> 7;
+        let mut baud_fbrd = ((baud_rate_div & 0x7f) + 1) / 2;
+
+        if baud_ibrd == 0 {
+            baud_ibrd = 1;
+            baud_fbrd = 0;
+        } else if baud_ibrd >= 65535 {
+            baud_ibrd = 65535;
+            baud_fbrd = 0;
+        }
+
+        // Load PL011's baud divisor registers
+        p.uartibrd.write(|w| unsafe { w.bits(baud_ibrd) });
+        p.uartfbrd.write(|w| unsafe { w.bits(baud_fbrd) });
+
+        // PL011 needs a (dummy) line control register write to latch in the
+        // divisors. We don't want to actually change LCR contents here
+        let lcr_h = p.uartlcr_h.read().bits() | 0x01;
+
+        p.uartlcr_h.write(|w| unsafe { w.bits(lcr_h) });
+
+        // See datasheet
+        return (4 * self.clk_base) / (64 * baud_ibrd + baud_fbrd);
+    }
+
+    fn set_format(&self, data_bits: u8, stop_bit: u8) {
+        let p = &self.inner;
+        p.uartlcr_h.write(|w| unsafe {
+            w.wlen()
+                .bits(data_bits - 5)
+                .stp2()
+                .bit(stop_bit - 1 == 1)
+                .pen()
+                .bit(false)
+                .eps()
+                .bit(false)
+        });
+    }
+
+    pub fn write_blocking(&self, src: &[u8]) {
+        let p = &self.inner;
+        for byte in src {
+            loop {
+                if self.is_writable() {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            p.uartdr.write(|w| unsafe { w.bits(*byte as u32) });
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn is_writable(&self) -> bool {
+        let r = self.inner.uartfr.read();
+
+        return !r.txff().bit();
+    }
+}
+
+pub trait Instance: Deref<Target = pac::uart0::RegisterBlock> {}
+impl Instance for pac::UART0 {}
+impl Instance for pac::UART1 {}