Minimal E-Ink Clock with a Raspberry Pi (Tutorial)

One Sentence Summary:

This video demonstrates how to build a customizable, low-power 7.3-inch e-ink display using a Raspberry Pi with a web UI for updates.

Main Points:

1. The display uses a 7.3-inch, 7-color Inky Impression for paper-like visuals without glow.
2. It’s powered by a Raspberry Pi 20W, chosen for low power and Wi-Fi capabilities.
3. Components include the display, Raspberry Pi, micro SD card, and micro USB power cable, totaling around $110.
4. Assembly involves inserting the SD card, connecting the Pi to the Inky display with GPIO headers, and framing.
5. The frame is a repurposed Ikea picture frame, customizable with 3D-printed or other cases.
6. Software setup involves flashing Raspberry Pi OS, configuring network, SSH, and hostname.
7. The Inky display is controlled via a GitHub-repo installation script, enabling I2C and SPI interfaces.
8. The web UI allows for updating images and clock faces, with future plans for advanced scheduling.
9. Custom plugins can be created by inheriting from a base class, defining display functions, and registering them.
10. The project is open source, encouraging community contributions and future plugin development.

Takeaways:

• Use low-power components like the Raspberry Pi 20W for energy-efficient projects.
• Customize your display with open-source code and create new plugins for unique functionalities.
• The 7-color e-ink display refreshes slowly, so plan updates accordingly.
• A simple frame can be repurposed or customized for aesthetic flexibility.
• Building such a display offers a minimal, distraction-free visual tool with endless customization options.