Summary of Papyr – a Nordic nRF52840 e-paper display board
Papyr is a low-power Nordic nRF52840 e-paper display board designed for wireless applications. It supports BLE, BLE Mesh, Thread, and Zigbee protocols. The device features an Android app for sending images or shapes to the display, making it ideal for dynamic price tags and sensor data visualization in mesh networks. Its key strengths include combining low-power wireless technology with energy-efficient e-paper displays, along with built-in NFC for pairing and a coin cell battery holder for extended operation.
Parts used in the Papyr project:
- Raytac MDBT50 module with Nordic nRF52840 SoC
- 1.54 inch 200×200 pixel red/black/white epaper display
- CR2477 coin cell holder
- Micro USB port
- RGB LED
- NFC PCB antenna
- Push button
- USB/Battery power switch
- Extra GPIOs
- SWD Programming header
- Mounting holes
Papyr is a Nordic nRF52840 epaper display that can be used for various low power wireless applications. It supports both BLE (BLE5, BLE Mesh) and 802.15.4 (Thread, Zigbee). The accompanying Android App will allow you to draw a shape or select and image and send it directly to the e-paper display.
With the exploding number of connected devices being deployed, power consumption is a major concern. Technologies like BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) are built from the ground up with low power consumption in mind. Another technology which is extremely low power is the e-paper display, which was made famous by its adoption by Amazon for the Kindle devices. Papyr from Electronut labs combines these two core ideas – a low power wireless technology combined with a low power display system. By choosing the Nordic nRF52840 SoC, Papyr is able to support not only BLE but mesh networking protocols like Thread, BLE Mesh, and Zigbee. Papyr has many extras too – like build in NFC antenna for BLE pairing or Thread commissioning, CR2477 battery holder, micro USB port, extra GPIOs, RGB LED, etc. There are a lot of applications possible with Papyr – dynamic price tags for example, or sensor data display in a mesh network. Papyr can be used anywhere you need a low power, connected display.
Hardware Specifications
- Raytac MDBT50 module with Nordic nRF52840 BLE/802.15.4 SoC
- 1.54 inch 200×200 pixel red/black/white epaper display
- CR2477 coin cell holder
- Micro USB (device)
- RGB LED
- NFC (PCB) antenna
- Push button
- USB/Battery power switch
- Extra GPIOs
- SWD Programming header
- Mounting holes
Read more: Papyr – a Nordic nRF52840 e-paper display board
- What wireless protocols does Papyr support?
Papyr supports BLE, BLE Mesh, 802.15.4, Thread, and Zigbee. - How can users send content to the display?
The accompanying Android App allows users to draw a shape or select an image to send directly to the e-paper display. - What is the resolution of the Papyr display?
The display has a resolution of 200×200 pixels with red, black, and white colors. - Does Papyr have a built-in NFC antenna?
Yes, Papyr includes a built-in NFC antenna for BLE pairing or Thread commissioning. - What type of battery does Papyr use?
Papyr uses a CR2477 coin cell battery held by a dedicated holder. - Can Papyr be used for dynamic price tags?
Yes, dynamic price tags are listed as one of the possible applications for Papyr. - What microcontroller is used in Papyr?
Papyr uses the Raytac MDBT50 module featuring the Nordic nRF52840 SoC. - Does Papyr have extra GPIOs available?
Yes, the hardware specifications list extra GPIOs as part of the board.
