Hey electronics folks,

I have several potential projects on my TO-DO list which use E-ink screens
or similar display technology. But the proliferation of E-readers and lack
of manufacturer-provided documentations means a way to drive them to display something useful could be still unknown for many models.

But I vaguely remembered there were few of them that got successfully reverse-engineered out there, but can't remember the models or where
I found the instruction to drive them.

So, do you folks know of part numbers of non-small E-ink screens that come
with proper drive information (or with someone already reverse-engineered
them with success), preferably ones that are parts of commercial E-readers/tablets? [1]

If you do, please share the model/part-number (and possibly link
to the documentation too).

(Note that I'm not looking for business card-sized screens which are
sometimes seen in hobbyist projects; I'm looking for ones that are A5
or larger, aspect ratio does not matter)

Regards,
~xwindows


[1] Which means they are mass-manufactured, thus cheap; and can be sourced
from discarded E-readers as well.
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xwindows <xwindows@tilde.club> wrote:

Hey electronics folks,

I have several potential projects on my TO-DO list which use E-ink screens
or similar display technology. But the proliferation of E-readers and lack
of manufacturer-provided documentations means a way to drive them to display something useful could be still unknown for many models.

But I vaguely remembered there were few of them that got successfully reverse-engineered out there, but can't remember the models or where
I found the instruction to drive them.

So, do you folks know of part numbers of non-small E-ink screens that come with proper drive information (or with someone already reverse-engineered them with success), preferably ones that are parts of commercial E-readers/tablets? [1]

https://hackaday.com/2021/06/21/review-inkplate-6plus/
"open hardware ESP32 development board that plugs into the e-paper
displays salvaged from old e-readers"

If you don't want to buy their board, it's supposed to be
open-hardware so the project should document somewhere the
connections and protocol for the display that they're using which
is from the "first or second generation Kindle Paperwhite".

Failing that, this kit has open-source software which presumably
has the code for the screen and a hint as to the model used in it
somewhere. Probably too small though at 4.2", and not an E-Reader
part:
https://docs.thingpulse.com/guides/42-espaper-plus-kit/ https://github.com/ThingPulse/espaper-client

Possibly also of interest:
http://fread.ink/ https://hackaday.com/2018/07/25/hope-xii-a-foss-operating-system-for-e-readers/

What's the project/s, if you don't mind me asking?
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