Badger 2040 is a programmable E-Ink display powered by Raspberry Pi RP2040

Pimoroni Badger 2040 is a Raspberry Pi RP2040 board equipped with a 2.9-inch black and white E-Ink display with 296 x 128 resolution and programmable with C/C++, MicroPython, or CircuitPython.

The board is not just an ePaper badge, as it also comes with five buttons, and expansion capability through a Qwiic/STEMMA QT connector plus some pads with UART, I2C, interrupt, and power signals.

Badger RP2040 specifications:

• MCU – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ running at up to 133Mhz with 264kB of SRAM
• Storage – 2MB QSPI flash
• Display – 2.9-inch B&W E Ink display with 296 x 128 pixels resolution, ultrawide viewing angles, ultra-low power consumption; Dot pitch – 0.227 x 0.226 mm
• USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming
• Expansion
  • Qwiic/STEMMA QT connector
  • 10 pads with I2C, an interrupt pin, UART, SWC/SWD, 3.3V, GND
• Misc
  • 5x front user buttons
  • Reset and boot buttons (the boot button can also be used as a user button)
  • White LED
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB-C port
  • JST-PH connector for attaching a battery (input range 2.7V – 6V)
  • High-precision voltage reference for battery level monitoring
• Dimensions – 85 x 48 x 9 mm

Pimoroni provides C++ and MicroPython samples for all their Raspberry Pi RP2040 board on Github, and you’ll also find CircuitPython firmware for the Badger 2040 on the official website.

The board ships with a dual AAA battery holder, two AAA batteries, velcro squares, a black lanyard made from recycled plastic bottles, and a USB-C to USB-A cable for programming.

The Badger 2040 has been around for a couple of months, and Les Pounder from Tom’s Hardware reviewed the board in March. He was rather satisfied with the experience notably with the easy-to-use library, the nice-looking screen, the Stemma QT connector for expansion, and support for both USB and battery power, but lamented the lack of an on-board charging circuit, and Pimoroni does not provide an enclosure. The good news is that Andreas Känner released a 3D printable case in April a few weeks after the review.

The Badger 2040 Raspberry Pi RP2040 E-Ink board can be purchased for about $17 (board only) or $23.50 with all accessories shown above (Third photo from the top).

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

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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