I'm comfortable in programming, but have very little experience in the hardware-side of things; I'm looking to create an eink display that updates once a day with text. I have the capacity to learn what I need to understand in order to finish this hobby-project, but wanted to ask here in order to save time/headaches of those who have accomplished projects like this in the past (eInk newspaper/trading cards/etc.). I bought a RPi Zero 2 W, but I think I need to do this project on a microcontroller in order to reach the battery life goals I desire.
(I am also considering offering payment for guidance if that is allowed on HN- I did not see that it was disallowed!)
My main questions are:
- Raspberry Pi Pico or Arduino Nano? I feel both can accomplish my goals
- I see eInk displays for sale on Alibaba. What is the prerequisite knowledge needed in order to connect one of the displays to a microcontroller? Do these eInk displays come with drivers? How do I physically connect the display to a microcontroller?
- I desire that this device be battery powered that can also be recharged. I see different options in the market, but I'm struggling with understanding power requirements or what is physically possible to connect to a microcontroller (ie. aren't some batteries too strong and would fry the microcontroller?)
- I don't require any internet connectivity, but I know these components need to be physically connected. I've watched some introductory videos on soldering, but are there gotchas?
(I am also considering offering payment for guidance if that is allowed on HN- I did not see that it was disallowed!)
My main questions are:
- Raspberry Pi Pico or Arduino Nano? I feel both can accomplish my goals
- I see eInk displays for sale on Alibaba. What is the prerequisite knowledge needed in order to connect one of the displays to a microcontroller? Do these eInk displays come with drivers? How do I physically connect the display to a microcontroller?
- I desire that this device be battery powered that can also be recharged. I see different options in the market, but I'm struggling with understanding power requirements or what is physically possible to connect to a microcontroller (ie. aren't some batteries too strong and would fry the microcontroller?)
- I don't require any internet connectivity, but I know these components need to be physically connected. I've watched some introductory videos on soldering, but are there gotchas?