Soldered Electronics has been creating ESP32-based e-paper displays since the release of the Inkplate 6 in 2019. Their newest model, the Inkplate 13SPECTRA, features an ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth SoC and a 13.3-inch E-Ink Spectra color display with a 1600 x 1200 resolution.
This model is built with an ESP32-S3-WROOM-2-N32R16V module, which includes 32MB SPI flash and 16MB PSRAM, a microSD card slot for storage, a USB-C port for data and charging, a JST connector for an optional 3,000 mAh LiPo battery, and expansion through three Qwiic connectors and GPIO expander pins.
Inkplate 13SPECTRA specifications:
– Wireless module: ESP32-S3-WROOM-2-N32R16V
– SoC: ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor (up to 240 MHz)
– System Memory: 16MB PSRAM
– Storage: 32MB flash
– Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 5 (LE)
– Storage: MicroSD card slot
– Display:
– 13.3-inch E-Ink SPECTRA color e-paper with 1600 x 1200 resolution (six colors: black, white, yellow, red, blue, green)
– Refresh time: 19 seconds
– USB: 1x USB Type-C port for data and power/battery charging
– Expansion:
– 3x Qwiic ports
– GPIO expander pins (pads with through holes)
– Miscellaneous:
– Power and Wake buttons
– PCF85063A RTC and CR2032 battery backup
– Power Supply:
– 5V via USB-C port
– 2-pin JST connector for 3.7V Li-ion batteries with battery charging circuit onboard; optional 3,000 mAh battery
– Ultra-Low Power: 14 µA deep-sleep current
– Dimension: TBD (approximately A4 paper size)
The 3,000 mAh battery enables the board to sustain 40 to 50 days of operation per charge when updating the screen hourly, with 8 seconds to download data via WiFi and a 19-20 second display refresh before entering deep sleep mode, consuming 14 microamps.
The Inkplate 13SPECTRA will be entirely open-source for hardware and software. Programming can be done via the Arduino IDE with LVGL or the Inkplate library, or MicroPython. The Inkplate library provides functions for drawing shapes, text, images, and includes examples like a Calendar, an OpenMeteo Weather Station, a Spotify “Currently Playing” display, and a photo frame demo reading images from a microSD card. The device also supports ESPHome firmware for Smart Home integration with Home Assistant or other automation solutions. Full schematics, KiCad board files, documentation, and tutorials will be available on the Soldered Electronics GitHub account post-crowdfunding.
The Inkplate 13SPECTRA design is similar to the XIAO ePaper DIY Kit EE02 13.3-inch color E-Ink display but includes additional features such as 16MB PSRAM and 32MB flash storage, a microSD card slot, RTC with backup, and expansion via Qwiic connectors and GPIO expander pins, which are not present on the Seeed Studio display.
Soldered Electronics has launched the Inkplate 13SPECTRA on Crowd Supply with a $9,270 funding goal, which has been exceeded. It is available with a USB Type-C cable for $309, or as a kit with an enclosure and a 3,000 mAh battery for $359. Shipping is free in the US and $12 internationally, with deliveries expected by June 2026. Comparatively, the XIAO ePaper DIY Kit EE02 is priced at $163.90 barebones or $279.90 with a 5,000 mAh battery and an enclosure.