NM-EPD-420 Port Ecosystem
The NM-EPD-420 (ESP32-S3 + 4.2" e-ink) has been officially ported to six open-source projects. Clone the linked branch and build — application firmware for these projects is also available on the RockBase IoT Web Flasher.
Ported Projects
| Project | Description | Adapted repository / branch |
|---|---|---|
| Meshtastic | Off-grid LoRa mesh messaging; shows node info, messages, and sensor data on the 4.2" e-ink panel (HT-RA62 module, SX1262) | meshtastic-firmware@nm-epd-420 |
| MeshCore | Lightweight, low-power LoRa gateway firmware | RockBase-iot/MeshCore |
| TRMNL-Firmware | TRMNL e-ink content framework; fetches images/content from a server on a schedule | trmnl-firmware@nm-epd-420 |
| Biscuit | Multi-purpose tool / entertainment firmware for e-ink devices | biscuit@master |
| ESP32-weather-epd | Low-power weather station; fetches data from OpenWeatherMap | esp32-weather-epd@main |
| ESP32-Dashboard | Multi-function e-ink dashboard: weather, air quality, indoor T/RH, web config portal | ESP32-Dashboard@main |
Meshtastic Terminal
Meshtastic is the popular off-grid LoRa mesh communication project. The nm-epd-420 branch presents node info, messages, and sensor data on the 4.2-inch e-ink panel — combined with the onboard SX126x header (HT-RA62 module), it becomes a desktop LoRa communication terminal.
The standard tri-color NM-EPD-420 does not include a LoRa module and targets general desktop applications. The NM-EPD-420-BW (black-and-white) version includes LoRa support by default, making it suitable as an indoor desktop LoRa node.
MeshCore Gateway
MeshCore is a lightweight, hybrid-routing mesh packet-radio protocol. The NM-EPD-420 can run as a low-power MeshCore LoRa gateway node, well suited for long-term off-grid deployments (pair it with the NM-Solar solar power supply).
TRMNL Content Framework
TRMNL is a "server pushes images/content on a schedule → e-ink displays them" framework. The port branch lets you use the NM-EPD-420 as a TRMNL-compatible device with self-hosted or third-party content sources.
Biscuit
Biscuit is a multi-purpose tool/entertainment firmware for e-ink devices, fully adapted to the NM-EPD-420 display and peripherals (including a two-button control model and tri-color/BW build variants). See the Biscuit project page.
Weather Station & Dashboard
- ESP32-Weather-EPD: the classic low-power e-ink weather station, fetching data from OpenWeatherMap
- ESP32-Dashboard: a fuller e-ink dashboard — no API key required (Open-Meteo), built-in web config portal, showing weather, air quality, and indoor T/RH together
For mostly static content (weather, calendar, info panels) choose the tri-color version; for faster updates (message notifications, mesh node status) choose the black-and-white (BW) version with partial refresh support.