u/Flaky_Conclusion_187

I built an open-source ESP32-C3 e-paper desk display with a 4.2" 400x300 SPI panel.

The setup flow is the part I’m most interested in getting feedback on:

• browser-based firmware flashing
• Wi-Fi setup through a captive portal / web flow
• web UI for choosing display modes
• preview before saving to the device
• JSON-driven modes

Current target:

• ESP32-C3
• 4.2" SPI e-paper
• USB power for development
• optional battery build
• firmware + web config are open-source

I’d love feedback from ESP32 people:

1. Would you keep ESP32-C3 as the default, or move to S3?
2. Any advice on refresh strategy for a slow-updating desk e-paper device?
3. What debug surfaces would you expect: UART header, test pads, power measurement, button behavior?

I built this, so happy to answer technical questions.

GitHub/docs: https://github.com/datascale-ai/inksight

I made a thing!

I wanted a small always-visible desk display that did not feel like another glowing notification screen, so I built an e-paper desk companion around ESP32-C3 and a 4.2" SPI e-paper panel.

The part I spent the most time on was not just the firmware, but the whole setup experience:

• browser-based firmware flashing
• online device configuration
• previewing modes before saving them to the device
• a no-device demo flow for people who only want to try the content/UI first
• a small mode system for weather, memo, countdown, habits, AI briefing, art wall, quotes, etc.

A few things I learned while building it:

1. E-paper UX is very different from normal screens. Fewer updates and calmer layouts are usually better.
2. Preview-before-save matters a lot, because debugging layout directly on e-paper is slow.
3. For open hardware, the docs/BOM/assembly path matter almost as much as the code.
4. A web flasher makes the project much less intimidating for people who have never used ESP32 tooling before.

The hardware path I am currently recommending is ESP32-C3 + 4.2" SPI e-paper. The DIY BOM is roughly around CNY 220 depending on parts/source.

It is open source. I am mainly looking for feedback from e-paper users/builders:

• Would this be useful on your desk, or is it too much for an e-paper device?
• What modes would you actually keep running every day?
• Is browser flashing/configuration a good direction for e-paper DIY projects?
• Any obvious hardware or documentation gaps I should fix first?