NM-EPD-420 Port Ecosystem
The NM-EPD-420 (ESP32-S3 + 4.2" e-ink) has been officially ported to eleven 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 |
| NM-EPD420-BW Demo | Official NM-EPD-420-BW reference demo firmware, ported from the ZECTRIX NOTE4 EPD demo; demonstrates partial/fast refresh on the black-and-white panel — also flashable in one click via the Web Flasher | RockBase-iot/nm-epd420-bw-demo |
| Inkstone Firmware | RockBase IoT's own local image-push firmware: open inkstone.local in a browser to pick an image, crop it, preview two quantization algorithms, and push it to the panel; Bearer-authenticated HTTP API (currently supports NM-EPD-420-4C). See the Inkstone project page | RockBase-iot/Inkstone-firmware |
| emini Home | Four-color "poster of your day" firmware (weather, headline, note, sunrise/sunset & moon phase, air quality) with phone-browser provisioning; the RockBase fork supports NM-EPD-420-4C (upstream fiedoruk/emini-home, originally for the ZECTRIX NOTE4C) | RockBase-iot/emini-home |
| AgentDeck | Third-party project that puts AI coding agent status on a physical e-ink display, targeting the NM-EPD-420; flashable via the Web Flasher | puritysb/AgentDeck |
| OpenDisplay | BLE-first open-source e-paper ecosystem with browser tooling and an official Home Assistant integration; ported to the NM-EPD-420-4C (EP42YR_400x300). See the OpenDisplay guide | OpenDisplay-Firmware@nm-epd-420 |
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.
On the NM-EPD-420-BW, the build additionally enables the InkHUD interface (2026-08-17) and ES8311 audio support (2026-09-03).
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).
The RockBase IoT Web Flasher now offers one-click MeshCore v1.17.0 builds for the NM-EPD-420-BW in all five device roles — Companion Radio (BLE), Companion Radio (USB), KISS Modem, Repeater, and Room Server — no toolchain required.
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.
OpenDisplay & Home Assistant
OpenDisplay is a BLE-first open-source e-paper ecosystem: configure the device and upload images directly from a browser, no gateway required, and control it from Home Assistant through the official OpenDisplay integration (image entity, sensors, drawcustom / upload_image actions). The NM-EPD-420-4C port supports full-screen refresh, physical buttons, deep-sleep wake, and battery reporting. See the OpenDisplay on NM-EPD-420-4C guide.
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.