Inky Frame 7.3″ is a 7-color ePaper display powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W

The Inky Frame 7.3″ is a Pico 2 W ePaper display featuring a 7.3-inch E Ink screen with 800 x 480 resolution and 7-color support. Other features include five LED-equipped buttons, two Qwiic/STEMMA QT connectors, a microSD card slot, and a battery connector with power-saving functionality.

This Pico 2 W ePaper display is ideal for low-power applications such as home automation dashboards, sensor data visualization, and static image displays. E Ink technology ensures energy efficiency by consuming power only during screen refreshes while retaining images when unpowered. Flexible mounting options and included metal legs make it suitable for various setups.

Previously, we covered the Waveshare 4-inch Spectra, a six-color ePaper display, along with other modules like the Inkycal v3, Inkplate 4, EnkPi, Inkplate 2, and more. Check them out if you’re interested in exploring these products.

The Inky Frame 7.3″ specifications:

• Wireless module – Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W
  • SoC – Raspberry Pi RP2350
  • CPU
    • Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @ 150 MHz with Arm Trustzone, Secure boot and
    • Dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 @ 150 MHz
    • Only two cores can be used at any given time
  • Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM, 16 KB on-chip cache, 8 MB PSRAM
  • Storage – 4 MB on-board QSPI flash supporting XiP
  • Wireless
    • 2.4GHz 802.11n WiFi 4 via onboard Infineon CYW43439 wireless chip
    • Bluetooth 5.2
  • USB – Micro USB 1.1 host/device connector for power and programming
• Memory – 8MB PSRAM
• Storage – MicroSD card slot
• Display
  • 7.3-inch EPD display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution
  • E Ink Gallery Palette ePaper
  • ACeP (Advanced Color ePaper) 7-color with black, white, red, green, blue, yellow, and orange.
  • Ultra-wide viewing angles, and Ultra-low power consumption
  • Dot pitch – 0.2 x 0.2mm
• Expansion – 2x 4-pin Qw/ST I2C connectors for attaching breakouts
• Misc
  • 1x Power LED
  • 1x Wireless indicator
  • 5x tactile buttons with LED indicators
  • 1x Reset button
  • Dedicated RTC chip (PCF85063A) for deep sleep/wake
• Power supply
  • 1.8 to 5.5V DC-in for module via Micro USB port
  • 2-pin battery connector for long-term use
• Dimension
  • Full dimensions – 176.20 x 139.20 mm (L x W)
  • Display dimensions – 170.2 x 111.2mm (W x H)
  • Usable area dimensions – 160 x 96 mm (W x H)

Multi-color EPD displays rely on electrophoresis to move colored particles, which reflect light for excellent visibility in bright conditions. These ePaper displays are highly energy-efficient, using power only during refresh cycles while retaining images when unpowered, making them well-suited for battery-powered applications. Optimal performance is achieved at ambient temperatures between 15°C and 35°C, as lower temperatures can reduce color vibrancy and display brightness.

The Inky Frame comes pre-loaded with MicroPython and examples utilizing the Pico 2 W’s wireless features. To connect to Wi-Fi, save a ‘secrets.py’ file with your network details using Thonny. More examples are available on GitHub. There are more details and information to get started on the wiki.

The Inky Frame 7.3″ with Pico 2 W comes with an optional accessory kit that includes two metal legs, a 3x AA battery pack, three AA batteries, a Type-B Micro USB cable, a Velcro square for attaching the battery pack, and a microSD card. The standalone Inky Frame is priced at $94.50, while the version with the accessory kit costs $104.90.

Sayantan Nandy

Sayantan Nandy, an electronics engineer with over four years of hands-on experience in PCB design, circuit development and power electronics, is proficient in EAGLE CAD, Ki-Cad, and Altium. He has a proven track record of delivering efficient and effective systems. His expertise extends from R&D, and prototyping to production support, making him a valuable asset to any engineering team.

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