7.8inch e-Paper

Note

7.8inch e-Paper is big size screen, the glass panel and FPC is fragile, please be careful when use it for developing. we recommend you to reinforce the FPC with scotch tape when developing.

There are two version, one is raw panel and another is HAT version. Driver board (IT8951) is required for raw panel, if you are the first time to buy this e-paper, recommend you to choose HAT version which come with the driver board.

Introduction

7.8inch E-Ink display HAT for Raspberry Pi, 1872 x 1404 resolution, 16 gray scale, USB/SPI/I80/I2C interface

Features

• No backlight, keeps displaying last content for a long time even when power down
• Low power consumption, basically power is only required for refreshing
• Compatible with Raspberry Pi Zero/Zero W/Zero WH/2B/3B/3B+
• USB/SPI/I80/I2C interface, for connecting with host boards like Raspberry Pi/Nucleo, etc.
• Comes with development resources and manual (examples for Raspberry Pi/STM32)

Specifications

• Operating voltage: 5V
• Interface: USB/SPI/I80/I2C
• Outline dimension: 173.8mm × 127.6mm × 0.78mm
• Display size: 158.184mm × 118.638mm
• Dot pitch: 0.0845mm × 0.0845mm
• Resolution: 1872 × 1404
• Display color: black, white
• Gray scale: 2-16 (1-4 bit)
• Full refresh time: 450ms
• Total refresh power: 1.2W(typ.)
• Total standby power: 0.1W(typ.)
• Viewing angle: >170°

Working principle

This product is an E-paper device adopting the image display technology of Microencapsulated Electrophoretic Display, MED. The initial approach is to create tiny spheres, in which the charged color pigments are suspending in the transparent oil and would move depending on the electronic charge. The E-paper screen display patterns by reflecting the ambient light, so it has no background light requirement. Under sunshine, the E-paper screen still has high visibility with a wide viewing angle of 180 degree. It is the ideal choice for E-reading.

How to use

Working with Windows PC

• Connect 7.8inch e-paper to IT8951 driver board as below

• Connect USB interface of IT8951 driver board to PC, then connect PWR ONLY interface of IT8951 to 5V power adapter.

The refresh consumption of e-Paper is high, therefore, external power supply is required. You must first connect data cable then the power, otherwise, e-Paper cannot be recognized properly.

• Download and open E-LINK-TCON-DEMO software
• Click connect as below
  

• Check option "AutoSet", then click "Open File" to open one picture for display. Browse diagram will be opened, and you should click "OK"

• Click "display" to refresh the picture

Working with Raspberry Pi

• Hardware connection

Insert IT8951 driver board to GPIO of Raspberry Pi, Connect e-Paper to driver board

You can also connecting by wires

• Make sure you have switched the sail switch to SPI mode
• 
  

• Download and install BCM2835 libraries to your Raspberry Pi

You can also download the newest bcm2835 library from its official website http://www.airspayce.com/mikem/bcm2835/

Copy the library you download to Raspberry Pi and install it withe commands below. You can also following the instruction on its website above

tar zxvf bcm2835-1.xx.tar.gz
cd bcm2835-1.xx
./configure
make
sudo make check
sudo make install

• Download Demo codes of 10.3inch e-Paper HAT and test

git clone https://github.com/waveshare/IT8951.git
cd IT8951
make clean
make
sudo ./IT8951 0 0 01.bmp

This demo code supports display general BMP pictures directly, if you find that your BMP picture cannot be displayed, please open it on Windows PC with Paint software (Windows APP), save it as BMP and try again.

The command ;./IT8951 0 0 01.bmp', the first two parameters is X and Y coordinate of picture's left-top, 01.bmp is the file name of picture.

To get better display, you can set Vcom. Vcom voltages of every panel are different, it is printed on the FPC cable of e-Paper

For example, if the Vcom is -1.65, you should modify the VCOM value on IT8951.h to 1650

Working with STM32

Because IT8951 will cost big size of RAM, some of STM32 cannot support without external SDRAM device. So we here use Open429I  as test board, Open429I integrates IS42S16400J (64-MBIT) SDRAM,has full memory to drive the 9.7inch e-paper.

Working with STM32, you can use SPI, I80 or I2C interface. SPI is simple and only a few of GPIOs are used, its speed can also meet the requirement of most applications. I80 is also simple and fast, however, it need to use lots of GPIO. I2C is every slow, which we don't recommend.

SPI

1) Hardware connection

2) Set the DIP switch to SPI mode

3) Download demo code and test

You can download the Demo code

Open the project with keil: Open429I-IT8951-Demo\Project\IT8951\MDK-ARM\Project.uvproj

Compile it, then open IT8951.h, check if SPI mode is enabled. Compile it again and download to your board.

After downloading, the information will be printed as below (115200, 8N1)

I80

1） Hardware connection

2) Set the DIP switch to I80 mode

3) Display with demo code

You can download the Demo code

Open the project with keil: Open429I-IT8951-Demo\Project\IT8951\MDK-ARM\Project.uvproj

Compile it, then open IT8951.h, check if I80 mode is enabled. Compile it again and download to your board.

Information are printed to serial port as below (115200, 8N1)

Display pictures

For easy porting our demo code, we display picture with data matrix instead of file system.

We should first convert BMP picture to data matrix (arrays), and use it in demo code.

1) Prepare a BMP image, resize the picture to 800*600

2) Open BMP convert software, Click File->Open..-> to open the picture as below:

3) Click Image -> Convert to ->Gray256(8 BPP)

4) Click File ->Save As... ->Choose "C" bitmap file (*.c) -> input file name and click Save.

5) Choose 8 bit per pixel, click OK. A C file will be saved to your PC

6) Add the C file to keil project, delect unusable information

*********************************************************************
*                SEGGER Microcontroller GmbH & Co. KG                *
*        Solutions for real time microcontroller applications        *
*                           www.segger.com                           *
**********************************************************************
*                                                                    *
* C-file generated by                                                *
*                                                                    *
*        Bitmap Converter for emWin V5.22.                           *
*        Compiled Jul  4 2013, 12:18:24                              *
*        (c) 1998 - 2013 Segger Microcontroller GmbH && Co. KG       *
*                                                                    *
**********************************************************************
*                                                                    *
* Source file: zoo_800_600                                           *
* Dimensions:  800 * 600                                             *
* NumColors:   256                                                   *
*                                                                    *
**********************************************************************
*/
 
#include <stdlib.h>
 
#include "GUI.h"
 
#ifndef GUI_CONST_STORAGE
  #define GUI_CONST_STORAGE const
#endif
 
extern GUI_CONST_STORAGE GUI_BITMAP bmzoo_800_600;
 
/*********************************************************************
*
*       Palette
*
*  Description
*    The following are the entries of the palette table.
*    The entries are stored as a 32-bit values of which 24 bits are
*    actually used according to the following bit mask: 0xBBGGRR
*
*    The lower   8 bits represent the Red   component.
*    The middle  8 bits represent the Green component.
*    The highest 8 bits represent the Blue  component.
*/
static GUI_CONST_STORAGE GUI_COLOR _Colorszoo_800_600[] = {
  0x000000, 0x010101, 0x020202, 0x030303,
  0x040404, 0x050505, 0x060606, 0x070707,
  0x080808, 0x090909, 0x0A0A0A, 0x0B0B0B,
  0x0C0C0C, 0x0D0D0D, 0x0E0E0E, 0x0F0F0F,
  0x101010, 0x111111, 0x121212, 0x131313,
  0x141414, 0x151515, 0x161616, 0x171717,
  0x181818, 0x191919, 0x1A1A1A, 0x1B1B1B,
  0x1C1C1C, 0x1D1D1D, 0x1E1E1E, 0x1F1F1F,
  0x202020, 0x212121, 0x222222, 0x232323,
  0x242424, 0x252525, 0x262626, 0x272727,
  0x282828, 0x292929, 0x2A2A2A, 0x2B2B2B,
  0x2C2C2C, 0x2D2D2D, 0x2E2E2E, 0x2F2F2F,
  0x303030, 0x313131, 0x323232, 0x333333,
  0x343434, 0x353535, 0x363636, 0x373737,
  0x383838, 0x393939, 0x3A3A3A, 0x3B3B3B,
  0x3C3C3C, 0x3D3D3D, 0x3E3E3E, 0x3F3F3F,
  0x404040, 0x414141, 0x424242, 0x434343,
  0x444444, 0x454545, 0x464646, 0x474747,
  0x484848, 0x494949, 0x4A4A4A, 0x4B4B4B,
  0x4C4C4C, 0x4D4D4D, 0x4E4E4E, 0x4F4F4F,
  0x505050, 0x515151, 0x525252, 0x535353,
  0x545454, 0x555555, 0x565656, 0x575757,
  0x585858, 0x595959, 0x5A5A5A, 0x5B5B5B,
  0x5C5C5C, 0x5D5D5D, 0x5E5E5E, 0x5F5F5F,
  0x606060, 0x616161, 0x626262, 0x636363,
  0x646464, 0x656565, 0x666666, 0x676767,
  0x686868, 0x696969, 0x6A6A6A, 0x6B6B6B,
  0x6C6C6C, 0x6D6D6D, 0x6E6E6E, 0x6F6F6F,
  0x707070, 0x717171, 0x727272, 0x737373,
  0x747474, 0x757575, 0x767676, 0x777777,
  0x787878, 0x797979, 0x7A7A7A, 0x7B7B7B,
  0x7C7C7C, 0x7D7D7D, 0x7E7E7E, 0x7F7F7F,
  0x808080, 0x818181, 0x828282, 0x838383,
  0x848484, 0x858585, 0x868686, 0x878787,
  0x888888, 0x898989, 0x8A8A8A, 0x8B8B8B,
  0x8C8C8C, 0x8D8D8D, 0x8E8E8E, 0x8F8F8F,
  0x909090, 0x919191, 0x929292, 0x939393,
  0x949494, 0x959595, 0x969696, 0x979797,
  0x989898, 0x999999, 0x9A9A9A, 0x9B9B9B,
  0x9C9C9C, 0x9D9D9D, 0x9E9E9E, 0x9F9F9F,
  0xA0A0A0, 0xA1A1A1, 0xA2A2A2, 0xA3A3A3,
  0xA4A4A4, 0xA5A5A5, 0xA6A6A6, 0xA7A7A7,
  0xA8A8A8, 0xA9A9A9, 0xAAAAAA, 0xABABAB,
  0xACACAC, 0xADADAD, 0xAEAEAE, 0xAFAFAF,
  0xB0B0B0, 0xB1B1B1, 0xB2B2B2, 0xB3B3B3,
  0xB4B4B4, 0xB5B5B5, 0xB6B6B6, 0xB7B7B7,
  0xB8B8B8, 0xB9B9B9, 0xBABABA, 0xBBBBBB,
  0xBCBCBC, 0xBDBDBD, 0xBEBEBE, 0xBFBFBF,
  0xC0C0C0, 0xC1C1C1, 0xC2C2C2, 0xC3C3C3,
  0xC4C4C4, 0xC5C5C5, 0xC6C6C6, 0xC7C7C7,
  0xC8C8C8, 0xC9C9C9, 0xCACACA, 0xCBCBCB,
  0xCCCCCC, 0xCDCDCD, 0xCECECE, 0xCFCFCF,
  0xD0D0D0, 0xD1D1D1, 0xD2D2D2, 0xD3D3D3,
  0xD4D4D4, 0xD5D5D5, 0xD6D6D6, 0xD7D7D7,
  0xD8D8D8, 0xD9D9D9, 0xDADADA, 0xDBDBDB,
  0xDCDCDC, 0xDDDDDD, 0xDEDEDE, 0xDFDFDF,
  0xE0E0E0, 0xE1E1E1, 0xE2E2E2, 0xE3E3E3,
  0xE4E4E4, 0xE5E5E5, 0xE6E6E6, 0xE7E7E7,
  0xE8E8E8, 0xE9E9E9, 0xEAEAEA, 0xEBEBEB,
  0xECECEC, 0xEDEDED, 0xEEEEEE, 0xEFEFEF,
  0xF0F0F0, 0xF1F1F1, 0xF2F2F2, 0xF3F3F3,
  0xF4F4F4, 0xF5F5F5, 0xF6F6F6, 0xF7F7F7,
  0xF8F8F8, 0xF9F9F9, 0xFAFAFA, 0xFBFBFB,
  0xFCFCFC, 0xFDFDFD, 0xFEFEFE, 0xFFFFFF
};
 
static GUI_CONST_STORAGE GUI_LOGPALETTE _Palzoo_800_600 = {
  256,  // Number of entries
  0,    // No transparency
  &_Colorszoo_800_600[0]
};
 
GUI_CONST_STORAGE GUI_BITMAP bmzoo_800_600 = {
  800, // xSize
  600, // ySize
  800, // BytesPerLine
  8, // BitsPerPixel
  _aczoo_800_600,  // Pointer to picture data (indices)
  &_Palzoo_800_600   // Pointer to palette
};

7) Modify the codes

static GUI_CONST_STORAGE unsigned char _aczoo_800_600[] = {

to this one. (You can change the name of the array to every one you like)

const unsigned char zoo_800_600[] = {

8) Modify related codes in IT8951.C as below

extern const unsigned char zoo_800_600[];
void IT8951DisplayExample3()
{
	IT8951LdImgInfo stLdImgInfo;
	IT8951AreaImgInfo stAreaImgInfo;
	TWord width = gstI80DevInfo.usPanelW;
	TWord high = gstI80DevInfo.usPanelH;
	TDWord i;
 
	for (i = 0;i < width*high;i++)
	{
		gpFrameBuf[i] = zoo_800_600[i];
	}
 
	IT8951WaitForDisplayReady();
 
	//Setting Load image information
	stLdImgInfo.ulStartFBAddr    = (TDWord)gpFrameBuf;
	stLdImgInfo.usEndianType     = IT8951_LDIMG_L_ENDIAN;
	stLdImgInfo.usPixelFormat    = IT8951_8BPP; 
	stLdImgInfo.usRotate         = IT8951_ROTATE_0;
	stLdImgInfo.ulImgBufBaseAddr = gulImgBufAddr;
	//Set Load Area
	stAreaImgInfo.usX      = 0;
	stAreaImgInfo.usY      = 0;
	stAreaImgInfo.usWidth  = width;
	stAreaImgInfo.usHeight = high;
 
	IT8951HostAreaPackedPixelWrite(&stLdImgInfo, &stAreaImgInfo);//Display function 2
	IT8951DisplayArea(0,0, gstI80DevInfo.usPanelW, gstI80DevInfo.usPanelH, 2);
}

【Note】Guides provided here are all about how to use the 10.3inch e-Paper HAT (D). If you have any question about how to modify and develope you own codes, please refer to resources of IT8951 #Resources

• e-Paper HAT Codes description
  
  
• e-Paper HAT Hardware/software setup

Schematic

• Schematic of 7.8inch e-Paper Adapter board

Demo code

• Demo code for Raspberry Pi
  
• Demo code for STM32 (Open429I)
  

Datasheet

• 7.8inch e-Paper Specification
  
• IT8951 Specifications
  

Other documents

• IT8951 I80/SPi/I2C Programming Guide
• |IT851 USB Programming Guide
• Mode description

Software

• E-LINK-TCON-DEMO

To：

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Email(support)

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