Inkplate 6 is an ESP32 powered wireless e-Paper Display based on a recycled Kindle E-reader display, and that e-Radionica launched in December 2019 via a crowdfunding campaign.
The company says backers were “happy about the versatility and simplicity of the display” but wished for a larger display, a faster refresh rate, and extra features. This gave birth to an upgraded version: Inkplate 10. The new ESP32 wireless display comes with a recycled 9.7-inch display with 1200 x 825 resolution, up to 38% faster refresh rates, as well as extra GPIO pins, an RTC clock, a USB Type-C port, and lower power consumption.
- Wireless module – ESP32 WROVER module with dual-core ESP32 processor with Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) connectivity, 8MB PSRAM, 4MB flash
- External storage – MicroSD card socket
- Display – 9.7-inch, 1200 x 825 e-paper display with support for grayscale, partial updates, and quick refresh cycles:
- 1.61 second refresh time in black & white mode
- 1.81 second refresh time in grayscale mode
- 0.62s for partial update
- USB – 1x USB Type-C port for programming and power
- Expansion – Headers for GPIO pins, I²C, SPI, and easyC/Qwiic connectivity
- Misc – RTC and backup battery, 3x capacitive touch pads, power and user pushbuttons
- Power Supply
- JST input and MCP73831 charger for Lithium battery power
- Texas Instruments (TI) TPS65186 PMIC
- Power consumption – 22 µA sleep state that can work for months on a single battery
The company provides Arduino libraries compatible with Adafruit GFX as well as a MicroPython module for the display, and an ESP-IDF driver is also in the works. There are also online tools with an image converter and GUI designer to help people create content compatible with the display. You’ll find all those and (soon) hardware design files on Github.
Inkplate 10 also supports Peripheral Mode which allows you to control the display from another board such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino via commands sent over a UART or USB connection.
Just like its predecessor, Inkplate 10 has been launched on Crowd Supply. A $129 pledge is asked for the display, or $169 with a 3D printed enclosure. Shipping adds $10 to the US, and $18 to the rest of the world. Shipping is expected to start at the end of April.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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