Customer:
I’m new to e-ink and looking for a display around 7 inches x 4 inches (or 180mm x 100mm). Can Inkplate 5 be used to control an e-ink display larger than 5 inches? I need something thin and compact - simpler than a Raspberry Pi. Can I mix and match displays with Inkplate, and what are my options?
Originally submitted via email support on 28 November 2024. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.
Soldered Support:
Inkplate 5 can theoretically run differently sized e-papers. Inkplate 5gen2 (currently in the store; the original version is deprecated but still supported) works with the ED052TC4 e-Paper panel: 95.217.227.47 - Please verify yourself to continue
The connector is WP27D-P050. You would need to find an e-Paper with this connector type to fit Inkplate 5gen2. Even with the same physical connector, there’s no guarantee the pinout within the connector is the same for each e-Paper model.
Check the Inkplate 5gen2 hardware repository for schematics and board files showing exact pinout connections: GitHub - SolderedElectronics/Soldered-Inkplate-5-Gen2-hardware-design: Hardware design, BOM, gerbers and 3D files for Soldered-Inkplate-5-Gen2 designed by Soldered Electronics. · GitHub
You can open the board files in KiCad (free software). There aren’t many e-Paper models available that meet specific project requirements - Inkplate devices are built around specific e-Paper models.
For reference, this 900x1800 panel has a similar aspect ratio to your needs: 95.217.227.47 - Please verify yourself to continue but uses a different connector.
You can use that website to search for other options.
Customer:
Thank you for the information. I’m new to this but thinking about the possibilities with Inkplate 5V2. I’m not able to build PCBs from scratch, but I’m considering designing a simple I/O PCB to convert the WP27D-P050 connector pins to what’s needed for the larger e-paper display you mentioned. I appreciate the detailed info and look forward to implementing Inkplate into my projects.
Soldered Support:
You’re welcome. A similar approach was used in Inkplate 4 TEMPERA - check the design files where the middle connector board converts signals between the e-Paper and main board: https://github.com/SolderedElectronics/Soldered-Inkplate-4-TEMPERA-hardware-design/tree/main
However, I should mention that while this approach seems straightforward on paper, it’s quite complex in practice. You would likely need several PCB design iterations, implement your own driver for the e-Paper, and create application code to display what you need. It’s an ambitious project that requires significant experience with hardware design and driver development.
Inkplate was designed to let users quickly implement application code without needing to handle the hardware complexities - that’s the main advantage of the approach we took. Make sure you understand the full scope of what you’re getting into before committing to this path.