Raspberry Pi e-ink Display Module Wiki

Introduction

This Raspberry Pi e-ink display module comes with a 2.13” screen with a resolution of 250×122, adopting SPI interface to communicate with Raspberry Pi. It leads out the pins on Raspberry Pi, so there would be no conflicts if you need to use the e-ink display and Raspberry Pi’s pins at the same time. The display supports custom font. There are two patch touch switches on the module for expanding more applications. This e-ink display features small size, compact layout, plug and play, and low power consumption. It can provide clear display even in sunlight. When powered off, the e-ink display will continue to display the last screen. Since it will take a long time for the display to refresh fully, we don’t recommend using the product in the application that needs frequent refreshing to display data.

NOTE: The e-ink display does not come with fonts chip, but you can download ttf fonts to realize different display effects.

Specification

Operating Voltage: 3.3V
Button ×2
- Button A (Occupy GPIO29, P40 on Raspberry Pi)
- Button B (Occupy GPIO28, P38 on Raspberry Pi)
Outline Dimension：66.5 x 31 mm/2.62x1.22”
Model: GDE0213B1 (V1.0), GDEH0213B73 (V2.0), GDEH0213B75 (V3.0)
- E-ink Display Dimension: 59.2 x 29.2x 1.05mm
- Dispaly Area Dimension: 48.55 x 23.80mm
Resolution: 250 x 122 （Logical resolution: 250 × 128 ）
Communication Interface: SPI
Display Color: black and white
Greyscale Level: 2
Refresh Way: fully or partially refresh
Refresh Time: 3s for full refresh, 0.5s for partial refresh
Refresh Power: 26.4mW
Standby Power: 0.017mW
Viewing Angle: >170°

Overview

Pinout

Tutorial

Preparation

Raspberry Pi ×1
Raspberry Pi e-ink Display Module ×1

Steps

1. Plug the e-ink display into Raspberry Pi/rock 4se, and enabe the SPI interface of the Raspberry Pi.

2. Install Driver library

To make the e-ink display work properly, we have to install function library. The library provides the driving program of e-ink display and sample code. The library only supports Python at present. We will provide more libraries under users' requirement later.

To integrate Rock 4se, installation is required beforehandlibmraa

Access the /boot/hw_intfc.conf file and modify it as follows

For V1.0, input the following command into Raspberry Pi terminal to download the library (https://github.com/DFRobot/DFRobot_RPi_Display)

git clone https://github.com/DFRobot/DFRobot_RPi_Display

For V2.0, input the following command to download (https://github.com/DFRobot/DFRobot_RPi_Display)

git clone https://github.com/DFRobot/DFRobot_RPi_Display_V2

For V3.0, input the following command to download (https://github.com/cdjq/DFRobot_RPi_Eink_Display)

git clone https://github.com/cdjq/DFRobot_RPi_Eink_Display_V3

3. Download the freetype library.

Make sure that your Raspberry Pi is connected to network before downloading. Open the Raspberry Pi terminal and input the following command to download the library.

python -m pip install freetype-py

4. Run the example program

Enter the examples files under decompress path, and run the example program.

cd DFRobot_RPi_Display/examples/dfrobot_epaper
   python xxx.py

There are 5 example programs in the file: demo_bitmap, demographics, demo_multi_lingual and so on. Replace the xxx with the name of the example program when running the command.

Examples

1. Example program to dispaly image: display_bitmap.py

The screen supports monochrome bitmap, change the file name and file path in display_bitmap.py to display your own picture.

Result:

2. Example program to display geometrical figure: display_geometry.py

The example programs provide the interface functions of line, rectangle, circle, triangle and so on.

Result:

Geometrical figure display

3. display_multiLingual.py

The e-ink screen supports multilingual display, just need to download the ttf library into examples/resources.

Result:

4. display_printString.py

The screen can be refreshed fully or partially, and the font is adjustable.

Result:

5. display_keyResponse.py

Result:

Attention: if you want to alter the customized font and language, you have to download the GPL ttf file from the internet, place it to /DFR0bot_RPi_Display/examples/resources, then call the file in the programs.

Pins Expansion

The expanded pins of the e-ink display match the ones on the Raspberry Pi, refer to the Pinout.

Please note that SPI, P20 and P21 of Raspberry Pi are occupied by the E-ink display.

Calling Functions

epaper.clear(self, color)

@Function description: clear the screen, remove the content in buffer display.
@Parameter      color: color. Value epaper.WHITE, epaper.BLACK

epaper.flush(self, mode)

@Function description: select refresh mode
@Parameter       mode：refresh mode
         epaper.FULL：refresh fully
         epaper.PART：refresh partially

Calling fucntions about geometrical figure

epaper.setLineWidth(self, w)

@Function description: set the line width of the figure
@parameter      w: line width

epaper.pixel(self, x, y, color)

@Fucntion description：draw a point
@（parameter1, parameter2）  （x, y)：position of the point（row, column）
@parameter3     color：color of the point. Value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE

epaper.VLine(self, x, y, h, color)

@Function description: draw a vertical line
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): starting point of the vertical line. 
@ parameter3    h：height of vertical line 
@ parameter4    color：line color, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.HLine(self, x, y, w, color)

@Function description: draw a horizontal line
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): starting point of the horizontal line
@parameter3     w：width of horizontal line
@parameter4     color: line color, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.line(self, x, y, x1, y1, color)

@Function description：draw a line arbitrarily
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): starting point of the line
@（parameter3，parameter4） （x1, y1): ending point of the line
@ parameter 4    color: line color, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.triangle(self, x, y, x1, y1, x2, y2, color)

@Function description: draw a triangle
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the first apex of the triangle
@（parameter3，parameter4） （x1, y1)：the position of the second apex of the triangle 
@（parameter5，parameter6） （x2, y2): the position of the third apex of the triangle
@parameter7     color：triangle color, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.fillTriangle(self, x, y, x1, y1, x2, y2, color)

@Fucnton description: draw a filled triangle 
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the first apex of the triangle
@（parameter3，parameter4） （x1, y1)：the position of the second apex of the triangle 
@（parameter5，parameter6） （x2, y2): the position of the third apex of the triangle
@parameter7     color：triangle color, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.rect(self, x, y, w, h, color)

@Function description: draw a rectangle
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the upper-left apex of the rectangle
@paramter3     w: rectangle width
@parameter4    h：rectangle height 
@parameter5    color：rectangle color value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.fillRect(self, x, y, w, h, color)

@Function description: draw a filled rectangle
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the upper-left apex of the rectangle
@paramter3     w: rectangle width
@parameter4    h：rectangle height 
@parameter5    color：rectangle color value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.circleHelper(self, x, y, r, quadrant, color)

@Function description：draw an arc in a quadrant
@（paramter1，paramter2） （x, y): the position of the certer point of the circle
@parameter3     r：radius of the circle
@parameter4     quadrant：quadrant. For value, refer to the define related to quadrant in class.
@paramter5     color：color，value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.fillCircleHelper(self, x, y, r, quadrant, color)

@Function description：draw a sector in a quadrant
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the center point of the circle
@parameter3     r：radius of the circle
@parameter4     quadrant：quadrant. Value 1,2,3,4
@parameter5     color：sector color, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.circle(self, x, y, r, color)

@Function description：draw a circle
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the center point
@parameter3     r: radius of the circle
@parameter4     color：color of the circle. Value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE。

epaper.fillCircle(self, x, y, r, color)

@Function description: draw a filled circle
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the center point
@parameter3     r：radius of the circle
@parameter4     color：color of the circle, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.roundRect(self, x, y, w, h, r, color)

@Function description：draw a rounded rectangle
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the crossing point of the extension lines of adjacent sides at the upper-left corner. 
@parameter3     w: the width of the rounded rectangle 
@parameter4     h：the height of the rounded rectangle 
@parameter5     r：the radius of the rounded rectangle
@parameter6     color：the color of the rounded rectangle, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.

epaper.fillRoundRect(self, x, y, w, h, r, color)

@Function description：draw a filled rounded rectangle
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y）：
@parameter3     w：width
@parameter4     h：height
@parameter5     r：radius of the circle
@parameter6     color：color, value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE。

Calling functions about bitmap display

epaper.setBitmapSize(self, size)

@Function display：set the size of the bitmap
@parameter      size：size of the bitmap that is going to be magnified. value 1,2,...the bitmap is doubled in the screen by default

epaper.setBitmapFmt(self, fmt)

@Function description: set the scan mode of the bitmap 
@parameter      fmt:scan mode.The default one is  BITMAP_TBMLLR in screen.
         BITMAP_TBMLLR：scan from top to bottom. The high byte in array will be printed at left,low byte, right. For example, the first byte 0xf0 in the bitmap will be printed like this:[*] [*] [*] [*] [] [] [] []
         BITMAP_TBMRLL：scan from top to bottom, right to left
         BITMAP_BTMLLR：scan from bottom to top, left to right
         BITMAP_BTMRLL：scan from bottom to top, right to left
         BITMAP_LRMTLB：scan from left to right, print from top to bottom 
         BITMAP_LRMBLT：scan from left to right, bottom to top
         BITMAP_RLMTLB：scan from right to left, top to bottom
         BIMTAP_RLMBLT：scan from right to left, bottom to top
         BITMAP_UNKNOW：unknown bitmap scan

epaper.bitmap(self, x, y, bitmap, w, h, color, background)

@Function description：draw bitmap displayed in the form of array. 
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the upper-left vertices of the displayed bitmap
@parameter3     bitmap：array
@parameter4     w：width
@parameter5     h：height
@parameter6     color：color, black by default
@parameter7     background：background color, white by default

epaper.bitmapFile(self, x, y, path)

@Function description：display the file of the bitmap
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the upper-left vertices of the displayed bitmap
@parmaeter3     path：bitmap file path

Calling functions about font display

epaper.setExFonts(self, obj)

@Function description：create the class of font expansion 
@parameter      obj：one class of FreetypeHelper or other class meeting the requirement.

epaper.setTextCursor(self, x, y)

@Functon description：set initial position of the font display
@（parameter1，parameter2） （x, y): the position of the cursor

epaper.setTextFormat(self, size, color, background, intervalRow = 2, intervalCol = 0)

@Function description：set font format
@parameter1     size：font size. Value 1,2,3,...
@parameter2     color: font color. Value epaper.BLACK, epaper.WHITE.
@parameter3     background: font background color, white by default
@parameter4     intervalRow：row-spacing, default space: 2
@parameter5     intervalCol：column-spacing, default space: 0

epaper.setDisLowerLimite(self, limite)

@Function description：set font weight
@parameter1     limite: range 0~255

epaper.setExFontsFmt(self, width, height)

@Function：set the width and height of the expansion font
@parameter1     width：width
@parameter2     height：height

epaper.printStr(self, c)

@Function description：display a character string
@parameter      c：character string

epaper.printStrLn(self, c)

@Function description：display a character string and feed lines.
@parameter      c：character string

Compatibility Test

MCU	Work Well
Raspberry Pi 4	√
Raspberry Pi 3B	√
Raspberry Pi 3B+	√
Raspberry Pi Zero W	√
aspberry Pi 2B+	√

FAQ

Is it normal that the screen flashes for a long time when refreshing?

Although E-ink display is a very popular type of electronic paper display technology, due to the imaging principle, there are also some defects including screen splash and afterimage issue. After repeatedly turning the page, the ink will remain, which causes the afterimage problem. To deal with that, manufactures designed the full refresh function, however, another issue occurred: the screen will flashes for a while when refreshing fully.

For any questions, advice or cool ideas to share, please visit the DFRobot Forum

Dimension Diagram

Pin-spacing: 2.54mm
Board Size: 66.5mm × 31 mm
Thickness: 1.6mm

Raspberry Pi e-ink Display Module Wiki - DFRobot

Introduction

Specification

Overview

Pinout

Tutorial

Preparation

Steps

Examples

Pins Expansion

Calling Functions

Compatibility Test

FAQ

Dimension Diagram

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