PaperMono

SKU:C153

Description

PaperMono is an e-paper development board built around low-power display, near-field identification, and long-range communication capabilities. It features a touch-enabled 3.97-inch 4-level grayscale monochrome e-paper display, driven by SSD1677 with a resolution of 480 x 800, and integrates an FT6336G touch controller and a frontlight system for a more comfortable reading and interaction experience in low-light environments. The core adopts an ESP32-S3R8, paired with 16MB Flash, 8MB PSRAM, and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, along with an onboard buzzer, PDM microphone (LMD4737T261-AC02), RGB LED, BMI270 6-axis IMU, M5IOE1 IO expander, microSD card slot, and RX8130CE real-time clock. The NFC section is based on the ST25R3916, supporting ISO14443A, ISO14443B, FeliCa™, and ISO15693; LoRa communication adopts the SX1262 (Stamp LoRa-1262) solution with a built-in FPC antenna, supporting the 868MHz ~ 923MHz band. Combined with the M5PM1 multi-level power management system and a 1150mAh battery, it meets the requirements of low-power IoT and embedded applications such as e-readers, e-paper signage, access control terminals, identity authentication, and intelligent transportation.

Tutorial

UiFlow2

UiFlow2

This tutorial will introduce you to controlling the PaperMono device through the UiFlow2 graphical programming platform.

Note

E-Paper Usage Precautions

1. Avoid direct sunlight/prolonged sun exposure during use; high temperatures or strong UV can damage the panel.
2. After approximately 10 partial fast refreshes in software, it is recommended to perform one full-screen refresh to clear the screen and avoid severe accumulated ghosting.
3. The screen has built-in OTP waveforms that can be called directly. When using custom external waveforms, pay attention to DC balance; otherwise, irreversible damage may be caused to the panel.
4. Avoid uninterrupted continuous partial fast refreshes, to prevent long-term DC imbalance from causing irreversible damage to the panel.

Features

• ESP32-S3R8 Core Controller
  • 16MB Flash
  • 8MB PSRAM
  • 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
• 3.97-inch 4-level grayscale monochrome e-paper display with touch
  • SSD1677
  • 480x800 resolution
  • 4-level grayscale display
  • FT6336G touch
• Integrated frontlight system
• Audio interaction
  • PDM microphone (LMD4737T261-AC02)
  • Built-in buzzer
• Onboard peripherals
  • BMI270 6-axis IMU
  • M5IOE1 IO expander
  • microSD card slot
  • RX8130CE RTC
  • RGB LED
• NFC function
  • ST25R3916
  • Supports ISO14443A / ISO14443B / FeliCa™ / ISO15693
• LoRa communication
  • SX1262 (Stamp LoRa-1262)
  • 868MHz ~ 923MHz
  • Built-in FPC antenna
• Built-in 1150mAh battery

Includes

• 1 x PaperMono

Applications

• E-Reader
• E-Paper Signage
• Access Control Terminal
• Identity Authentication Device
• Intelligent Transportation Terminal

Specifications

Learn

Power On/Off

• Power on / Reset: press the power button once briefly
• Power off: press the power button twice in succession

Download Mode

Press and hold the power button (about 2 seconds) until the red LED blinks, then release. The device enters download mode and is ready for flashing.

M5GFX LUT Refresh Speed

The following data is the laboratory test result of PaperMono under different M5GFX refresh modes. The actual refresh time may vary depending on the display content and operating environment, and is provided for reference only.

Refresh Mode Demonstration:

Schematics

• PaperMono Schematics PDF

1/6

PinMap

E-Paper

The e-paper reset is controlled via PYG5_ADC3 of the M5IOE1, and PYG3 controls the 3.3V power supply of the e-paper; the frontlight brightness is controlled via PYG3_BL_PWM of the M5PM1.

Touch

microSD

TF_DET is pulled up by the microSD power domain. When the card slot switch is closed, the detection pin is pulled low to identify microSD card insertion.

HMI

PYG0_RTC_INT and PYG4_IMU_INT are connected to the M5PM1 and can serve as low-power wake-up sources.

The RGB LED indicator on the side of the PaperMono body consists of three color LED dies, with the red LED connected to LED_EN_PP of the M5PM1. After the device is powered on, it will light up according to the M5PM1 default behavior. Since LED_EN_PP does not support PWM output mode configuration, the adjustable colors of this indicator will be limited.

Audio

M5PM1

M5IOE1

RFID

LoRa

Model Size

• PaperMono Model Size PDF

Datasheets

• ESP32-S3
• NFC ST25R3916
• SSD1677 Display Driver
• 3.97-inch Touchscreen
• RX8130CE Register Datasheet
• BMI270
• SX1262

Softwares

Arduino

• PaperMono Arduino Quick Start
• PaperMono M5PM1 & M5IOE1 Power Management
• M5PM1 Arduino Library
• M5IOE1 Arduino Library
• M5Unified Arduino Library
• M5GFX Arduino Library

UiFlow2

• PaperMono UiFlow2 Quick Start

Protocol

• M5PM1 Power Management Chip
• M5IOE1 IO Expander Management Chip

ESP-IDF

• PaperMono Factory Firmware Source Code
• PaperMono OTP Example

PlatformIO

[env:m5stack-papermono]
platform = espressif32@6.12.0
board = esp32-s3-devkitm-1
framework = arduino
board_build.partitions = default_16MB.csv
board_upload.flash_size = 16MB
board_upload.maximum_size = 16777216
board_build.arduino.memory_type = qio_opi
build_flags =
    -DESP32S3
    -DBOARD_HAS_PSRAM
    -mfix-esp32-psram-cache-issue
    -DCORE_DEBUG_LEVEL=0
    -DARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=1
    -DARDUINO_USB_MODE=1
lib_deps =
    M5Unified = https://github.com/m5stack/M5Unified#develop
    M5PM1 = https://github.com/m5stack/M5PM1
    M5IOE1 = https://github.com/m5stack/M5IOE1
    M5Unit-NFC=https://github.com/m5stack/M5Unit-NFC
    RadioLib = https://github.com/jgromes/RadioLib

Easyloader

Other

• PaperMono Factory Reset Firmware

Video

Product Comparison

Product Compare	PaperMono	PaperMono-Lite
Main Controller	ESP32-S3R8	ESP32-S3R8
Screen	3.97" 4-level grayscale monochrome e-paper, 480x800	3.97" 4-level grayscale monochrome e-paper, 480x800
Touch	FT6336G	FT6336G
Frontlight	Integrated	Integrated
Wi-Fi	2.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
NFC	ST25R3916	❌
LoRa	Stamp LoRa-1262	❌
Expansion Storage	microSD	microSD
IMU	BMI270	BMI270
RTC	RX8130CE	RX8130CE
Battery	1150mAh	1150mAh
Case Color	Gray	White

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