Inkplate 2: Espressif ESP32-based ePaper display lands on Kickstarter with Arduino compatibility

Soldered Electronics has introduced the Inkplate 2, a compact and Arduino-compatible board that the company has brought to Kickstarter. According to the manufacturer, the Inkplate 2 centres around an Espressif ESP32-WROVER-E microcontroller, which integrates two cores, 4 MB of RAM, 8 MB of flash storage and radios for handling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. The Inkplate 2 has a USB Type-C port for data transfers and power delivery.

Additionally, the Inkplate 2 supports Li-ion batteries and a 2.13-inch ePaper display that reproduces three colours. With a power draw of 8uA in low-power mode, the Inkplate 2 should last months before fully discharging a connected Li-ion battery. For reference, Soldered Electronics has included GPIO pins and support for its fork of Adafruit GFX. Moreover, the Inkplate 2 is capable of utilising MicroPython and serial link with any UART-compatible device.   

Currently, the Inkplate 2 can be backed on Kickstarter for US$35 with a USB cable. Alternatively, Soldered Electronics is offering the device with a 3D-printed enclosure for US$45, or with an enclosure and a 500 mAh battery for US$55. All backers should start receiving Inkplate 2 units in April 2023.

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