Inkplate 5, a versatile Arduino-compatible e-paper display board from Soldered Electronics, is now available for pre-order. Driven by ESP32 microcontroller, this product is designed to seamlessly connect with the Internet or other devices via WiFi or Bluetooth, allowing users to freely configure their applications.
Inkplate 5 is equipped with a 5.2-inch black and white E-Ink (electronic paper) display with a resolution of 960x540, 213DPI, and supports 6-level gray rendering. The size of the entire product is 130.6 x 75.2 mm. The display refreshes quickly in just 0.19 seconds. Its high energy efficiency and extremely low power consumption allow it to run for months on a single lithium-ion battery charge. Additionally, the Inkplate 5 features a built-in microSD slot and a real-time clock, ensuring unlimited data capacity and precise time recording. The device even has numerous GPIO pins, making it easy to expand your project with any peripheral connection.
The Inkplate 5 hardware is designed to be plug-and-play, simply connect to your computer using the provided USB cable, no complicated setup or tedious configuration is required. In terms of software, Inkplate 5 supports Arduino and Micropython, and provides rich examples and cool projects. Also, there is a peripheral mode where you can send commands over UART to change the screen content.
The Inkplate 5 has a wide range of applications, you can use it as a calendar, track your cryptocurrencies/stocks, create digital picture frames, report the weather, use it as a sensor dashboard and more. The possibilities are endless due to its programming flexibility.
All aspects of Inkplate 5 are completely open source, including hardware and software. All open source files will be made public before Soldered Electronics begins shipping to backers.
There are three versions of Inkplate 5, namely the version without casing ($79), the version with casing ($89) , and the version with casing and 1200mAh battery ($99), which can be purchased according to needs. Additionally, 3D enclosure designs (.stl and Fusion360 source files) are provided so you can customize your display. The official stated that it will be shipped to pre-orderers on November 30.