Task List - Using Raspberry Pi and 7.5" E-paper Display

by hamedtaha

48K27742

Intro: Task List - Using Raspberry Pi and 7.5" E-paper Display

I wanted to have my tasks list on my desk while i'm working , with some other information like the weather info , a calendar and a prayer times

so I've created this nice project using raspberry pi and e-paper display

so you gonna need :

  1. Raspberry Pi (Zero , Pi 2 , Pi A + , Pi 3)
  2. waveshare 7.5 inch E-paper Display
  3. SD Card
  4. 13x18 cm Photo frame

and here is a video tutorial

STEP 1: Connect the HAT to the Raspberry Pi

If you are using Raspberry Pi Zero W , solider the headers and connect the HAT to the pi

but if you are using another version of the Raspberry pi you will connect the HAT directly .

i'm using the raspberry pi zero because it is small form factor and i can fit it in the photo frame

STEP 2: Install the Raspbian OS and Transfer the Code

Start by installing the OS to the SD card

and if you need any help please refer to this tutorial

then download the code from here

and then replace the API tokens [Todoist and weather underground APIs] with your own Keys

and then copy the code to you raspberry pi , here i'm using WinSCP

STEP 3: Run and Test the Code

from the terminal in Raspberry Pi

navigate to the directory that contains the code and then run "Python cal.py" that will run the project and will display it into the screen

you will need to run the code in the startup of the raspberry pi so please check this article https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/linux/us...

STEP 4: Finish It !

all the components can fit inside the 13x18 cm photo frame , and you can power it using USB cable

challenge for you is to try to make this project battery powered . i'll try to make a new video with more features and will make it powered by battery

i hope you liked the project

30 Comments

AlexandreS15 5 years ago

WUNDERGROUND doesn't support free connections anymore, so this is over.

LoupT 5 years ago

Hey, I know it's been a while since you posted the project, but I am considering building a portable e ink typewriter in the style of the pomora. I'd like to know about this screen partial refresh rate. Can it go to 1hz ? 5 ? This would be super helpful before I buy one ! Cheers

Veesp 6 years ago

familian error?

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "epd7in5.py", line 27, in <module>

import epdif

File "/home/pi/calendar/epdif.py", line 38, in <module>

SPI = spidev.SpiDev(0, 0)

IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Ace44 5 years ago

I think this error is due to the SPI not being enabled. You can enable this by entering:

sudo sed -i s/#dtparam=spi=on/dtparam=spi=on/ /boot/config.txt in the Terminal

engCybernetics 6 years ago

Hello,

very nice project. I've had pretty much the same idea a few months ago, so I started with my own. I also used the waveshare display with 7.5". But I ran into trouble when (after a couple weeks and several picture updates on the display) the display started to look pale and washed out but only with certain pictures. So I tried refreshing it by setting it into a black screen for a while. But it didn't help.

Do you have the same problem? If so what did you do about it?

I am looking forward to your response :)

Ace44 5 years ago

Hi, I've got some expierence with E-Paper display and the 'ghosting' issue you mentioned. Ghosting occurs when you display the same picture over and over again, 'burning' it inside the E-Paper. It can be prevented by occasionally diplaying a single colour on the full E-Paper. If you're interested, check out the file 'calibration.py' in my gihub: https://github.com/aceisace/Raspberry-Pi-Google-Ca...

WisconsinPlatt 5 years ago

I downloaded the Task - Raspberry Pi.zip and it seems to be missing some of the files. Specifically the cal.py.

Can you point me to a copy of the file? I've tried to recreate it from the video, but I don't believe the full code is shown.

Thank you.

Veesp 6 years ago

can you make simple "hello world" demo.. just python code to write hello world to display?

Veesp 6 years ago

do you have full command list what i need to install etc. I have clean raspberry pi zero w with rasbian lite. i try earlier and error is no module named EPD_driver

space_pac 6 years ago

I got this error: File "cal_tasks.py", line 178, in displayTasks
draw.text((30,330),icons_list[str(icon)],font=font_weather_icons,fill=255)
KeyError: 'snow'
seems that something is wrong with your fonts. Could you please help me?

JoeB446 6 years ago

Hello,

I am trying to do a similar project with this display and rasberry PI 3 ... I am trying to make it so I can connect via USB or possibly by Ethernet and send a graphic image like a BMP and display the image on the E-Paper display but I do not have your programming expertise. I am struggling with this programming and with the best method of sending the images to the rasberry device. Thank you for any helpful advice or resources you can provide and thank you for posting this project!

LeonP37 6 years ago

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "cal_tasks.py", line 29, in <module>
import epd7in5
File "epd7in5.py", line 28, in <module>
import image
File "image.py", line 28, in <module>
import Image

ImportError: No module named Image

JeffS356 6 years ago

I'd like to modify this to work from a local task manager (todo.txt or taskwarrior) instead of todoist. Did you work from an example or sample code from waveshare to develop these screens? Do you have any additional documentation or code up on github that I could look at to learn how it works?

hamedtaha 6 years ago

you can add the Tasks in a json format like the todoist , and use the same code

i'll add the code to Git Hub repo when i finish more code , because i broke my screen and need a new one

Eduardo NobuhikoH 6 years ago

Hi Hamedtaha,

I like this project and want to access the project in Git Hub when you update the code.

Please share how to access Git Hun when it is ready.

gtoal 6 years ago

do you know if the e-paper driver supports the 3-colour version that is the only one that seems to be sold now? (it also has red as well as B/W)

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