Enhance your Circuit Playground projects with a handy bolt-on E-Ink Gizmo. It allows you to add a beautiful tri-color e-Ink display in a solid and reliable way. This PCB resembles a round E-Ink breakout and comes with permanently attached M3 standoffs for both mechanical and electrical connections.
You've probably seen e-readers like the Kindle or Nook. They have large electronic paper 'static' displays. The image stays on even when the power is off, has high contrast, and is easy to read in daylight. It truly looks like printed paper!
Once attached, you'll get a 1.54' 200x200 display (black and red ink pixels on a white-ish background), two 3-pin STEMMA connectors for attaching NeoPixel strips or servos, and a Class D audio amplifier with a Molex PicoBlade connector to plug in a small speaker.
With our CircuitPython or Arduino library, you can create a 'frame buffer' for the pixels you want to activate and write it to the display. The library does all the work, and you can interface with it like an Adafruit_GFX compatible display. This E-Ink breakout doesn't have an extra SRAM chip, so you'll need about 7K of SRAM for the display buffer. The CPX has 32KB and the CPB has 256KB, so there's enough RAM.
It's a great partner for our Circuit Playground Express or Bluefruit boards due to their fast SPI hardware speeds and ample RAM. It works with Arduino and CircuitPython. If you use it with Circuit Playground Express and CircuitPython, you'll be limited because of the low memory - mainly just showing the REPL and maybe running an image slideshow. For CircuitPython, the Bluefruit is recommended and works really well.
You can't use it with the Circuit Playground Classic in Arduino as there isn't enough RAM.
It comes with a PCB with pre - soldered standoffs and 12x M3 screws for attachment. It fits all Circuit Playgrounds, but the Express and Bluefruit are the better choices.
This EPD display uses the SSD1681 chipset.
Using this product is quite easy. First, attach the E - Ink Gizmo to your Circuit Playground project. You can use the pre - soldered standoffs and the included 12x M3 screws for a secure attachment. Once it's attached, you can connect NeoPixel strips or servos using the two 3 - pin STEMMA connectors and plug in a small speaker using the Molex PicoBlade connector on the Class D audio amplifier.
To display content on the 1.54' 200x200 display, use our CircuitPython or Arduino library. Create a 'frame buffer' with the pixels you want to show and let the library handle the rest. It's as simple as interfacing with an Adafruit_GFX compatible display.
When choosing a Circuit Playground board, know that the Express and Bluefruit are recommended. If you use the Circuit Playground Express with CircuitPython, your options are limited due to low memory. For the best CircuitPython experience, go for the Bluefruit.
Don't try to use it with the Circuit Playground Classic in Arduino because there isn't enough RAM. As for maintenance, keep it in a dry and clean place. Avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures or physical shocks. That should keep your E - Ink Gizmo working well for a long time.
