Inkplate 6PLUS battery support differences between CrowdSupply and Soldered versions

TECHNICAL SUPPORT Inkplate
1

Customer:

I am wondering if a battery can be installed into the device revision sold on CrowdSupply. Also, what is the difference between that revision and the one sold on the Soldered website (https://soldered.com/product/soldered-inkplate-6plus-with-enclosure-e-paper-display-with-touchscreen-usb-only/)? The product page says “USB only” - does that mean a battery cannot be installed?

Originally submitted via email support on 9 December 2023. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.

2

Soldered Support:

The USB Only version of Inkplate 6PLUS can be powered only via USB, not a battery, so a battery cannot be installed on those.

The CrowdSupply version supports connecting a li-ion battery. Those are older models where battery charging is available. These older models are fully supported by the Inkplate library; the only thing to note is to use the correct board definition in the Arduino IDE to get things to work: ‘e-Radionica Inkplate 6PLUS’ and ‘Soldered Inkplate 6PLUS’.

The battery needs to have a JST connector and the + and - sides need to be correct (important to note as some batteries have this flipped). See Inkplate Hardware Reference — Inkplate docs documentation for details.

3

Customer:

Apart from battery support, what is the functional difference between the old CrowdSupply revision and the new Soldered revision of the 6PLUS? Does the old revision miss something the new one has?

4

Soldered Support:

The two revisions are functionally almost identical, but with these differences:

  • They use different GPIO expanders (this is handled transparently in code) but have the same number of available pins
  • The older model does not have the ability to turn power supply to the SD card on or off via a pin (which would be useful for saving power during deep sleep)
5

Customer:

I received my unit ordered from CrowdSupply because I wanted the old model with battery support. However, it has a pink PCB from Soldered, NOT blue from e-Radionica. Does this mean I received the new USB-only version? The label says it does not have MCP23017 (charger) at all and GPIO are not usable. Could you please explain what I am dealing with?

Attachment omitted in migration: IMG_2491 Large.jpeg

6

Customer:

I received my unit ordered from CrowdSupply because I wanted the old model with battery support. However, it has a pink PCB from Soldered, NOT blue from e-Radionica.

  1. Does this mean I received the new USB-only version? Can it be reworked to support battery?
  2. The label says it does not have MCP23017 at all and GPIO are not usable. Will it work if I solder it back?

Could you please explain what I am dealing with?

Attachment omitted in migration: A449AF43-D66B-4E04-A261-E306140B2CD1.jpeg

7

Soldered Support:

The board you received is from 2021-era when there was a huge chip shortage.

This is not the USB-only version. It will work with both USB and battery power. The GPIO pins currently under the sticker are not working without the MCP23017. It will work if you solder the MCP23017 back onto the place above that same sticker.