For this project, I was using the 2.13inch e-Paper HAT (G) from Waveshare
It takes about 20 seconds to update the G HAT screen. The datasheets says: it takes about 25 seconds. It says the 3 color screens (no yellow) refresh in about 15 seconds, and white/black screens have a partial refresh that is fast. I regret getting this screen.
Notice the jitter and moving text to try to prevent burn-in
The screen should be refreshed at least once every 24 hours, with a minimum refresh interval of 180 seconds. To prevent damage, it should not stay powered on for extended periods. After displaying content, the screen should be put into sleep mode. When not in use, the screen should either be set to sleep mode or powered off.
https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/2.13inch_e-Paper_HAT_(G)_Manual#Precautions
To import the waveshare_epd library, you need to install the library first:
Get library and font from Waveshare. I recommend not trying to clone the entire ~1GB repo onto a raspi. Use another computer and copy the Separate_Program folder over or selectively clone the folder.
Their code currently does not have a setup.py, so make lib/setup.py file with the following contents:
import setuptools
setuptools.setup(name="waveshare_epd", version='0.1', packages=["waveshare_epd"])Then install it with: pip install -e lib/
Move the font file pic/Font.ttc to the same directory as the python scripts
To quickly mess around with the code and see what the results look like, use:
python3 stock_test_screens.py
To run indefintely on the raspi, use:
nohup python3 epaper.py > /dev/null &