Affordable e-paper display for smart home and your own projects

Elecrow has introduced an interesting novelty for electronics and home automation enthusiasts. This is actually the CrowPanel ESP32 module with a 14.71 cm display based on electronic paper (E-Ink) technology. The device, which is available directly from the manufacturer, costs around 27.60 euros.

The 272×792 pixel display boasts the specific advantages of e-paper. Refresh rates are inherently slow, but the impression is improved by extremely low power consumption and excellent readability in direct sunlight. The display device does not require backlighting.

At the heart of this development board is the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, which means that the system can operate completely independently, without the need for an external computer. The possible uses are very diverse. The device can be used to display the local weather forecast, print custom messages or monitor stock prices. Wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 connections ensure that wired data transfer is not required at all. The display does not support touch input, but physical buttons and a rotary knob are available for control. The display communicates with the motherboard via the SPI interface.

Dedicated GPIO connectors are available for connecting external sensors and actuators, such as an external temperature sensor. The board also features a modern USB Type-C port, a microSD card slot, and a dedicated battery port, allowing it to operate completely without external power. Programming is done using the popular Arduino IDE.

While it is an extremely flexible piece of hardware at a reasonable price, the device is of course aimed primarily at enthusiasts and developers who have some technical knowledge to program themselves. The Elecrow CrowPanel ESP32 display is not a ready-made consumer product “out of the box”.