Inkplate 4 TEMPERA ePaper display supports ESPHome, Arduino, and MicroPython (Crowdfunding)

Years after years, Soldered Electronics keeps on churning out new ESP32-powered ePaper displays and the latest model is the Inkplate 4 TEMPERA with a recycled 3.8-inch e-paper touchscreen with 600×600 resolution and plenty of sensors and features for a device of that size.

The InkPlate 4 TEMPERA comes with a frontlight, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, temperature, humidity, air quality, and gesture sensors, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a built-in battery, and a low-power operating mode.

Inkplate 4 TEMPERA specifications:

• Wireless module – ESP32-WROVER-E with
  • ESP32 dual-core microcontroller with Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity
  • Memory – 8MB PSRAM
  • Storage – 4MB flash
  • PCB antenna
• Storage – MicroSD card slot
• Display (ED038TH2)
  • 3.8-inch 3-bit grayscale (black, white, and six shades of gray) ePaper display with 600 x 600 pixels resolution
  • Refresh rate
    • 0.18s partial refresh rate in 1-bit (B&W) mode
    • 0.86s full refresh mode in either 1-bit or 3-bit modes
  • Multi-point touchscreen support
  • Customizable LED frontlighting
  • Optional glass panel
• USB – USB Type-C port for power and programming with CH340 converter
• Sensors
  • Bosch SensorTech BME688 sensor for environmental monitoring with temperature, humidity, pressure, and air quality
  • Side-mounted APDS-9960 gesture sensor for interactive controls
  • LSM6DS3 gyroscope and accelerometer for motion sensing
• Expansion- easyC (Qwicc/STEMMA Qt) connectors connected via  PCAL6416 GPIO expander
• Misc
  • PCF85063A real-time clock (RTC) for precise timekeeping backed up by an auxiliary battery
  • “Wake Up” user button
  • Buzzer for audio alerts
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB-C
  • Pre-installed 1200-mAh Li-ion battery housed within the enclosure
  • Power consumption at 18 µA in low-power mode
  • Power supply based on TPS65186
  • Onboard MCP73831 battery charger
  • Onboard BQ27441DRZR to track battery status, SoC, and more
• Dimensions – 90 x 83 x 24 mm

Inkplate 4 TEMPERA supports Arduino and MicroPython like other displays from Soldered Electronics, and ESPHome is supported by the community although the TEMPERA model is not listed yet. So it should be quite versatile to create all sorts of projects that would benefit from a small ePaper display.

But if you require a solution for a long-term project, the Inkplate 4 TEMPERA is not for you since they rely on recycled e-paper screens that were originally made by the E Ink Corporation for a now-discontinued product and are available in limited quantities. More specifically it means 670 units will ever be produced: 370 with a glass panel, and 300 without.

The Inkplate 4 TEMPERA has been launched on Crowd Supply with a $10,000 funding target that’s soon to be reached. The many sensors added to the display do add to the costs with the latest Inkplate ePaper display going for $149 without a glass panel, and $169 with one. Shipping is free to the US, but adds $12 to the rest of the world, and deliveries are only expected to start at the end of March 2024.

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