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E-paper displays: Smart solutions for every environment

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IoT Use Case - IOX + E Ink
4 minutes Reading time
4 minutes Reading time

Digital display boards with E-Ink technology have low energy consumption and a wide range of applications thanks to their robust design. The solution is ideal for applications in cities and buildings.

The challenge: Display boards are often located in harsh environments without a power connection

Modern digital display boards for cities and buildings have a significant advantage over posters or traditional notice boards: they can be updated with new content remotely. However, there are two important requirements for a practical solution: firstly, they must be resistant to moisture, dust, temperature fluctuations and other external influences such as vandalism. Secondly, they must be as energy-efficient as possible in order to operate independently of a fixed power supply.

This results in further challenges. Battery-operated displays reach their limits during long operating times. With conventional technology, such as LED displays, maintenance personnel have to replace the batteries more frequently. Furthermore, remote control of the systems requires wireless communication that works reliably even with limited availability. This, in turn, necessitates digital technology that is energy-efficient and low-maintenance.

A third challenge is ensuring the operation is as simple as possible. This is because the requirements for the content of the advertisements vary greatly. The systems can be used for regularly changing advertising messages. Another application scenario is a real-time timetable display that shows the waiting time for a train or bus, for example. Such a digital display board must therefore have a user interface in the cloud that is as simple as possible so that the operators have flexibility.

The solution: E-Ink as a smart and sustainable solution

Display specialist E Ink from Taiwan has developed a digital display panel suitable for the smart city together with Düsseldorf-based IoT specialist IOX. It is an e-paper display with a 42-inch screen diagonal and is based on the E Ink Kaleido 3, which offers high color quality and optimized color saturation.

The Kaleido uses a special display technology developed by E Ink. Tiny, electrically charged particles alternate between light and color when current is applied. The display is reminiscent of printed pages and is easy to read even in bright light. Energy consumption is low, as electricity is only required when changing the contents.

This technology is familiar from e-book readers, but can also be used for larger displays. The current technology increases the color intensity by around 30 percent compared to the previous generation, which enables a significantly better display. A pleasant reading experience is achieved by front lighting that reduces reflections of blue light.

Content updates through IoT and cloud

The display is updated via the IoT and the cloud. There is also a button for manual updating to retrieve the latest content in the event of technical problems. A connection to the Internet of Things (IoT) is required to change the content remotely. The images are rendered in a cloud application and then transferred to the device. This means that all image data and information is stored centrally in the cloud. The application enables integration into different content management systems via open interfaces.

The technical basis for this is provided by a low-power IoT controller that uses the two machine networks NB-IoT and LTE-M for mobile data access. This enables a connection to the IoT throughout Europe. The two machine networks are being developed in parallel by different providers; NB IoT is particularly widespread in Germany. Thanks to roaming, connectivity issues only occur relatively rarely. For in-house applications, options for connecting with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and WiFi 6 are to be built into the controller in the future.

This creates a system that does not require an external power supply on site. Battery operation ensures flexible installation, while the housing with IP67 protection rating allows use in adverse weather conditions. The display also has a base with wheels, which allows the display to be set up in different locations.

The result: E-paper is robust and versatile

The new e-paper display provides companies, cities and property management companies with a solution that is flexible and versatile. The low energy consumption and wireless communication enable cost-efficient remote control from the cloud. Thanks to its robust design, the display is very easy to maintain.

The improved color quality of the current generation of E Ink technology also allows the vivid and appealing display of advertising content. The displays are also able to update the content quickly. This also applies to components of the display, allowing scrolling text, counters, clocks, and similar elements to be presented on e-paper as well.

In application

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