eINK Click is an adaptor Click board™, used to interface a compatible eINK display with the host MCU. The most distinctive feature of the eINK displays is their very low power consumption and the ability to retain the information, even after disconnecting from the power source.
eINK Click is an adaptor Click board™, used to interface a compatible eINK display with the host MCU. The most distinctive feature of the eINK displays is their very low power consumption and the ability to retain the information, even after disconnecting from the power source. The power is consumed only when the display content is changing. The Click board™ comes shipped with the 172x72 eINK display, driven by the integrated SSD1606 controller and it can display 4 shades: black, dark grey, light grey and white. The same type of display is used on the popular Kindle E-readers.
eINK Click is supported by a mikroSDK compliant library, which includes functions that simplify software development.
The eINK is a reasonably new technology with a promising future. The displayed content does not degrade when exposed to direct sunlight, the display actually behaves like a real paper; it is more readable when there is more light hitting its surface. There is a wide range of applications, where eINK can be implemented: it can be used for very low power consumption applications that require display output, such as mobile phones and wearables, industrial and packaging applications, electronic reading and writing, electronic shelf labels and similar applications that can utilise this type of display.
The eINK displays are using the SPI communication protocol for the communication with the host MCU. These displays features inherently wide viewing angle and high contrast, as well as good readability in daylight conditions. The Click board™ itself carries the supporting electronics, used to provide all the necessary voltages for the proper operation of the eINK display. The display driver pins are routed through the flat cable of the display and connected via the 24pin, 0.5mm ZIF connector on the Click board™. For example, SSD1606 - 4GS Active Matrix EPD, 128 x 180 Display Driver with Controller is widely used, and pretty common choise when it comes to eINK displays. From there, the command and data lines are routed to the appropriate pins on the mikroBUS™ of the eINK Click.
The eINK Click also contains the LM75 thermal sensor, which uses I2C protocol to communicate with the display driver IC. This is required for thermal compensation of the display, so it can be operated in a wide temperature range, from 0°C to +50°C. The total power consumption of this device is very low. The power is only required when rearranging of the microcell pigments is required, while no power is required to sustain the content of the display. The display retains the content, even when the power is disconnected.
This Click board™ uses both I2C and SPI communication interfaces. It is designed to be operated only with up to 3.3V logic levels. Proper conversion of logic voltage levels should be applied, before the Click board™ is used with MCUs operated at 5V.
The supplied Click library contains easy to use functions, that simplify the workflow with the eINK Click. Their usage is demonstrated in the provided example application, which can be used as a reference for the custom design.
NOTE: This Click board™ does not come with a display. Please check below in the hookup accessories for display options.
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