ePaper displays are becoming incredibly popular — and for good reason.
Their extremely low power consumption and wide viewing angle make them ideal for many battery-powered projects.
But what’s the best way to drive such a display? That’s why we designed ESPink — a board with large memory, low power consumption, easy I²C sensor connection, and a huge maker community around ESP32.
The board naturally includes a connector for ePaper displays (sometimes referred to as E-Ink).
While ePaper is very energy-efficient, it still draws a few microamps even when idle.
To minimize this current, display power is controlled by a voltage regulator switched through GPIO47.
The display power turns on when GPIO47 is set to HIGH.
The board can be powered by a Li-Po battery, which is charged via the USB-C connector.
Battery voltage can be measured thanks to an integrated voltage divider connected to GPIO9.
Connecting sensors has never been easier or safer.
No more broken sensors due to reversed polarity — with our μŠup connector (with a locking mechanism), you can plug sensors in quickly and securely.
Compatible sensors include:
The board also provides plenty of GPIO pins for your own extensions or modules.
Power consumption in deep-sleep mode is extremely low — perfect for long-term battery projects.
Recently shipped boards are equipped with GoodDisplay displays.
The original Waveshare versions are no longer in production.
At this time, there may be incompatibility with ESPHome, since support for new GoodDisplay panels is not yet fully implemented.
If you plan to use ESPHome, please verify compatibility before purchase.
| Display Type | Model | Colors | Refresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black & White | GDEQ042T81 | BW Grayscale | partial refresh |
| Black & White (touch + backlight) | GDEY042T81-FT02 | BW Touch | partial refresh |
| Red-Black-White | GDEY042Z98 | RBW | full refresh ~22 s |
| Yellow-Red-Black-White | GDEM042F52 | YRBW | full refresh ~20 s |
ESP32 module: ESP32-S3-N16R8 (16 MB Flash, 8 MB PSRAM)
Input voltage: 3.7 – 5.5 V
Power consumption (deep-sleep):
- Without touch: 16 µA
- With touch: 4.5 mA for first 30 s, then 1.55 mA
Digital I/O pins: 32
Analog inputs: 16
Recommended battery: GeB Li-Po 503759 – 1200 mAh
| Function | Pin |
|---|---|
| MOSI / SDI | 23 |
| CLK / SCK | 18 |
| SS / CS | 5 |
| DC | 17 |
| RST | 16 |
| BUSY | 4 |
| ePaper Power (HIGH = ON) | 47 |
| Signal | Pin |
|---|---|
| CS | 46 |
| MOSI | 3 |
| SCK | 14 |
| MISO | 21 |
| Signal | Pin |
|---|---|
| SDA | 42 |
| SCL | 2 |
| Signal | Pin |
|---|---|
| CS | 17 |
| MOSI | 11 |
| SCK | 12 |
| MISO | 13 |
| SD Insert | 16 |
| Function | Pins |
|---|---|
| Buttons | 39, 40, 41 |
📦 Buy ESPink-4.2" in our e-shop:
➡️ https://www.laskakit.cz/laskakit-espink-42-esp32-e-paper-pcb-antenna/
💾 Example codes and demos:
➡️ https://github.com/LaskaKit/ESPink-42/tree/main/SW