Phase 1: Hardware — Pico W + E-Ink, Let's Go¶
The planning phase is done. We've got hardware on the bench. Phase 1 begins now.
The Hardware¶
We're starting with what's on hand: a Raspberry Pi Pico W and a Waveshare Pico-ePaper-2.13. The original plan called for a Pi Zero WH, but the Pico W is cheaper, boots instantly, and is perfect for prototyping the display and input system. The Pi Zero upgrade is planned for Phase 5 when we need Linux.
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Pico W | RP2040 dual-core, 264KB SRAM, WiFi + BLE, ~€6 |
| Waveshare Pico-ePaper-2.13 | SSD1680 driver, 250×122px, Pico-native module, ~€15 |
| Micro-USB cable | Power + data |
| Half-size breadboard | Prototyping |
| Jumper wire kit (M-F, M-M) | Display can plug directly onto Pico or use 8-pin breakout for breadboard |
| 6×6mm tactile buttons (×20) | With snap-on caps |
The Test Bench Plan¶
The Pico W sits on a breadboard. The e-ink display connects via 8 jumper wires from the HAT's side header to the Pico W's SPI1 pins. Five tactile buttons wire to GPIOs with internal pull-ups.
No soldering, no permanent connections. Just enough to confirm everything works before committing to a final layout.
Display pin mapping (Pico W SPI1):
| E-Paper Pin | Pico W GPIO | Pin # |
|---|---|---|
| VCC | 3V3(OUT) | 36 |
| GND | GND | 38 |
| DIN | GP11 (SPI1 TX) | 15 |
| CLK | GP10 (SPI1 SCK) | 14 |
| CS | GP9 (SPI1 CSn) | 12 |
| DC | GP8 | 11 |
| RST | GP12 | 16 |
| BUSY | GP13 | 17 |
Button GPIO assignments:
| Button | Pico W GPIO | Pin # |
|---|---|---|
| Up | GP2 | 4 |
| Down | GP3 | 5 |
| Left | GP4 | 6 |
| Right | GP5 | 7 |
| Center / Select | GP6 | 9 |
Phase 1 Goals¶
- [ ] Flash MicroPython firmware onto Pico W
- [ ] Set up VSCode with MicroPico extension on Linux
- [ ] Wire display to Pico W via jumper wires
- [ ] Run Waveshare demo script — confirm display renders
- [ ] Wire 5 buttons on breadboard
- [ ] Write button test script — confirm all 5 inputs register
- [ ] Display a custom image or text as proof-of-life
When all seven bullets are checked, Phase 1 is complete and Phase 2 (firmware scaffold) begins.
Setup Guides¶
The full step-by-step setup process is in the docs:
Pico W Setup Guide Display Setup Guide Dev Environment Guide