Customer:
I have two Inkplate 10 units with e-paper, battery, and enclosure used for car racing in outdoor high heat environments. One enclosure melted when in direct sunlight (80°F) while positioned against a metal backing plate. The temperature sensor displayed 120°F at that time.
I understand from previous advice to be careful with direct sunlight because of the e-paper, and I’ll be more cautious next time. However, I have two questions:
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What 3D printing filament would you recommend for the enclosure in high heat conditions like this? A friend can print a replacement.
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The temperature sensor showed 120°F but the actual air temperature was about 80°F. How can I make the temperature sensor more accurately show the ambient air temperature? Any tips?
Originally submitted via email support on 7 April 2025. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.
Soldered Support:
For high-temperature environments, try ABS or ASA filament - these are readily available and have high heat resistance.
Regarding the temperature sensor: the TPS8266 e-Paper power module has a built-in temperature sensor that can be used through the library. The sensor is precise, but it measures temperature right at the chip location. Due to current flowing through the chip and heat buildup in the enclosure, that one small point gets much hotter than the ambient air.
You have two options:
- Get an external temperature sensor
- Calibrate the built-in sensor yourself by measuring the actual temperature outside, reading what the sensor reports, then adding an offset to remap the reading to the correct value:
float rawTemp = getInternalTemperature(); // your function or library call
float offset = -5.0; // for example, if internal sensor reads 35°C and real temp is 30°C
float correctedTemp = rawTemp + offset;
This approach lets you correct the sensor readings to match ambient temperature.