E-Ink Reader
This project is an intelligent electronic paper display reader based on the Quectel Pi H1 Smart Single-Board Computer. The system combines the low-power display characteristics of electronic paper with camera-based eye-tracking technology to achieve natural page-turning without manual operation. It detects user eye movement changes for page navigation, supplemented by physical buttons for auxiliary input to enhance system reliability.
In terms of display, the system adopts a partial refresh and partition rendering strategy, supports automatic typesetting and continuous reading of Chinese and English texts, and also has page memory and quick wake-up functions, making it suitable for long-term reading and embedded smart terminal application scenarios.
Development Resource Summary
Development Component List
| Component Name | Quantity | Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Quectel Pi H1 Single Board Computer | 1 | - |
| USB-C Power Adapter | 1 | 27W USB Type-C Interface Charger 1.2m Cable Length China Standard Power PD Power Suitable for Raspberry Pi 5 |
| HDMI Cable | 1 | Specification: HDMI 2.0; Length: 1m; Connector: HDMI-A (male)-HDMI-D (male) |
| Ethernet Cable | 1 | Length: 1m; Speed: Gigabit |
| CPU Cooling Fan | 1 | Raspberry Pi 5 Official Active Cooler with Thermal Pad |
| 7.5-inch E-Paper Display | 1 | 7.5inch E-Ink display HAT for Raspberry Pi |
| USB Hub | 1 | UGREEN USB3.0 Hub |
| USB Camera Module | 1 | OV5693 5MP USB Camera Module |
| Monitor | 1 | 24-inch HDMI Display |
Component Physical Reference
Quick Start
Development Preparation
The Quectel Pi H1 Smart Single-Board Computer comes pre-installed with Debian 13 system image, eliminating the need for additional image burning.
Hardware Connections
Cooling Fan Installation
First insert the cooling fan's cable into the FAN slot on the single-board computer, then secure both ends of the heat sink to the reserved holes on the single-board computer as shown below:
Display Connection
Connect one end of the HDMI cable to the single-board computer's HDMI interface and the other end to the monitor's HDMI interface.
Input Device Connection
Connect the USB keyboard and mouse to the USB interfaces of the expansion dock, then connect the expansion dock to the USB interface of the single-board computer. For wireless input devices, insert the receiver into the USB port of the expansion dock.
Network Connection
Connect one end of the network cable to the gigabit port of the single-board computer and the other end to the router port (ensure the router is connected to the internet).
Jumper Cap Connection
Ensure that the pins marked with AUTO_POWER_ON silk screen in the upper left corner of the single-board computer are shorted with a jumper cap.
Power Connection
Connect the USB-A end of the USB-A power cable to the power adapter and the USB-C end to the power port of the single-board computer (usually labeled POWER IN).
E-Paper Display Connection
Use PIN ribbon cable connection, refer to the pin correspondence table below:
| EPD Pin | BCM2835 Code | Board Physical Pin Number |
|---|---|---|
| VCC | 3.3V | 3.3V |
| GND | GND | GND |
| DIN | MOSI | 19 |
| CLK | SCLK | 23 |
| CS | CE0 | 24 |
| DC | 25 | 22 |
| RST | 17 | 11 |
| BUSY | 24 | 18 |
| PWR | 18 | 12 |
Camera Connection
Simply connect the OV5693 camera module to the USB interface of the single-board computer or expansion dock.
Completed Connection Reference
Project Implementation
Obtain Project Source Code
Create a new e-ink-reader folder in the root directory of the single-board computer to store project source code.
Upload the file to the e-ink-reader directory using the scp command, refer to Remote Access SCP Copy Chapter.
Open the terminal in the folder path and run the following command to modify file permissions:
sudo chmod -R 755 folder_path
Example: sudo chmod -R 755 /home/pi/e-ink-reader
Compile LG Library
Execute the following commands sequentially in the e-ink-reader directory:
cd lg-master
sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3-setuptools
make
sudo make install
Configure Python Environment
Currently, the default Python version is 3.13, while the development environment required by the MediaPipe model we use is Python 3.9-3.12. We need to re-specify the Python path. Since Python 3.10 is already installed in the system, we only need to modify the default Python path.
# Backup the current Python path link
sudo cp /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python3.backup
# Delete the current Python path link
sudo rm /usr/bin/python3
# Create a new path link pointing to Python 3.10
sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3.10 /usr/bin/python3
# Verify the changes
ls -l /usr/bin/python3
python3 --version
Activate Python Virtual Environment
Execute the following command to create and activate a Python virtual environment.
python3.10 -m venv folder_name
Example: python3.10 -m venv ~/mediapipe_env
source ~/mediapipe_env/bin/activate
Install Python Dependencies
- Install Python dependencies in the e-ink-reader directory:
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt
- Install the evdev library separately:
sudo ln -s /usr/bin/aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc /usr/bin/aarch64-qcom-linux-gcc
CPPFLAGS="-I/usr/include/python3.13 -I/usr/include/python3.10" CFLAGS="-I/usr/include/python3.13 -I/usr/include/python3.10" pip3 install --no-binary evdev evdev==1.9.2
Compile E-Paper Driver Program
Compile the e-paper reader program in the e-ink-reader/src/c directory. If an epd file appears in this directory, the compilation is successful.
make CC=gcc EPD=epd7in5V2
Create udev Rule File
- First enter the following command to create and open the udev rule file:
sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-uinput.rules
- Add the following statement to the file, press "ctrl + o" + Enter to save the edited content, then press "ctrl + x" to exit editing:
KERNEL=="uinput", MODE="0660", GROUP="input"
Add Input Group
Add user to input group:
sudo usermod -aG input pi
Enable SPI Function
Enter the following command in the terminal to enable SPI function:
sudo qpi-config 40pin set
Verify Configuration
- After restarting the system, enter the following commands in the terminal to verify whether the user is in the input group and whether the udev rule configuration takes effect:
ls -l /dev/uinput
groups
- Verify if SPI function is enabled:
ls /dev/spi*
Configure Passwordless Program Execution
Enter the following command in the terminal to configure passwordless execution of the epd program:
echo "pi ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /home/pi/e-ink-reader/src/c/epd" | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/ebook-reader
Prepare Book Files
Put your .txt files in the e-ink-reader/src/tools/books directory and ensure encoding is GB2312.
Windows user operation path: Notepad → Save As → Select encoding "ANSI" (which is GB2312).
Run Program
Execute the startup.sh script in the e-ink-reader folder to run the project:
