Videoby Bo Made It · Adafruit BlogHardware · build
A $40 ESP32-S3 e-reader you build from parts
An ESP32-S3, a five-way button and an e-paper panel add up to a Wi-Fi e-reader for $35 to $60, with a cardboard case if you want it.
Can I build this?Intermediate · AI 4/5 · $35–60
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- AI-buildability
- 4/5
- Time
- A weekend
- Cost
- $35–60
The firmware is open and AI can help adapt it, but you still have to solder and wire the display, buttons and sensor by hand.
Parts
Tools
soldering ironmultimeter
Starter prompt
Based on "A $40 ESP32-S3 e-reader you build from parts" on Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/a-40-esp32-s3-e-reader-you-build-from-parts
Help me build a battery-powered e-reader on an ESP32-S3 dev board with 16 MB flash, driving a Waveshare 7.5in e-Paper V2 (800x480) through its driver HAT over SPI. Use a five-way navigation switch on five GPIO pins with a common ground for up, down, left, right and center. Write MicroPython or Arduino code that loads a text file from the SD card, word-wraps it to the screen, and turns pages with the buttons.
Estimates based on the original write-up. How AI-buildability is scored. Building with an AI assistant? Connect it to Afterware (free MCP server).
Story
Allan Binder, who publishes as MUON SORTES, wired up a basic e-reader from four parts: an ESP32-S3 dev board, an e-paper panel with its adapter board, a five-way navigation button module, and a power source. The panel is either a 5.76in E Ink Carta module or a 7.5in Waveshare e-Paper (800x480), and the firmware supports exactly those two.
The ESP32-S3 earns its spot with built-in Wi-Fi, enough flash to hold a few books, and a hardware SPI bus that drives the panel at full speed. Get a board with 8 MB or 16 MB of flash, since 4 MB boards leave little room for text. The five buttons wire to one common ground and five free GPIO pins. A BME280 breakout adds temperature and humidity to the status line for a couple of dollars.
The guide is free and the firmware is open. Build it yourself for $35 to $60, or the author sells a flashed, boot-tested kit with a printed case.
Resources · 2
Featured in
Build an e-ink Claude Code usage dashboardMore like this
More like this
Videoby Bo Made It · Adafruit Blog
Videoby mewtru · X
