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Jun 10, 2023

Enthusiasts recreates Raspberry Pi Pico powered custom E Ink train departure board

August 25, 2023 By Sovan Mandal Leave a Comment Enthusiast and programmer Pixelpanic holds a special affinity for train departure boards in the UK, so much that he went to the extent of creating a

August 25, 2023 By Sovan Mandal Leave a Comment

Enthusiast and programmer Pixelpanic holds a special affinity for train departure boards in the UK, so much that he went to the extent of creating a personalized departure board all by himself. Not surprisingly, the board is built around the Raspberry Pi that is coupled to a Pimoroni Badger 2040 W which comes integrated with a 2.9-inch E Ink display. Also, as TomsHardware mentioned, the Pimoroni Badger 2040 W serves as the primary processing unit, while there is also a Pico W onboard which assists by managing supplementary data processing necessary for updating the departure information.

Rather than seeking to replicate the intricacies of the UK departure boards exactly, the primary goal of this undertaking was to present the same vital information in a manner suitable for the Badger 2040 W. Pixelpanic reveals that most of the UK departure boards adhere to a consistent format, courtesy of their shared reliance on a common API—precisely the API that Pixelpanic ingeniously taps into for this emulation. The project showcases data in a style akin to that of a local station’s display.

The National Rail Enquiry DARWIN API serves as the essential conduit for collecting departure data in this endeavor. Tasked with data aggregation from this system, the Pico takes charge of processing it for seamless integration with the Badger 2040 W. Following consolidation, the data is meticulously formatted for display on the E Ink screen. For those interested in delving deeper into the mechanics of this system, Pixelpanic generously offers a comprehensive breakdown on his official blog.

For an up-close exploration of this captivating Raspberry Pi project, the project page is available on Pixelpanic’s official website. Moreover, plans are underway to potentially revisit this venture using a larger, color-capable E Ink display. Enthusiasts eager to stay updated can start following Pixelpanic to catch any future developments.

With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.

Filed Under: E-Ink, Clearink, Plastic Logic and E-paper News