The Inkplate 5 is a small E Ink display designed for DIY projects. It’s connected to a printed circuit board that allows you to use the screen as a programmable device for standalone applications or for use with other gear.
It’s the latest in the ever-expanding family of Inkplate products, and it’s now available for pre-order through a Crowd Supply crowdfunding campaign.
The full InkPlate 5 system is going for $79 during crowdfunding, and features a 5.2 inch, 960 x 540 pixel greyscale electronic paper display, an ESP32 microcontroller with support for WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy connections, and a USB-C port and microSD card reader.
But there are also several other purchase options during crowdfunding:
- InkPlate mainboard without a display for $59
- InkPlate 5 + 3D printed enclosure for $89
- InkPlate 5 + 3D printed enclosure & battery for $99
InkPlate products are made by Soldered Electronics, a Croatian company that was known as e-radionica until recently. Soldered makes hardware design files and software source code available in a GitHub repository.
The company says the board is Arduino-compatible and supports Adafruit’s GFX library. It can also be programmed using MicroPython.
While the board itself doesn’t have a battery, E Ink displays can display a static image indefinitely, meaning you could plug the board into a computer to change the on-screen image, unplug it, and stick it on a shelf for use as digital signage. Or you could connect it to a battery or USB power source and use it as a low-power wireless display. With a 18 µA sleep state, Soldered says the InkPlate 5 should be able to run for “days, weeks, or months” on a charge.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but other InkPlate products range in price from around $40 to $200 depending on the screen size and capabilities.
This article was first published May 4, 2023 and most recently updated June 12, 2023 to indicate that the crowdfunding campaign has gone live.
no solar power on board?
I need 18650 or AA charge battery
no backlight on whole screen? seriosly?
I would like to add integrafion with other cpu: raspberry pi, orange pi, orange crab fpga, etc
Someone needs to attach one of these to the front of their Sol Reader E Ink headset (see previous post) to show their E-Ink eyeballs to the outside world.
no power?
why not solar panels, step up-down, 18650 , lipo etc?
Because this way you can choose which you want to use and supply your own.
no , becuse producer cant put it
look this https://1bitsquared.com/products/orangecrab smalest and have lipo.
inkplate is mobile and long time working it MUST have power .