hey mate whats 'tohuart' project? you need links in your signature

I hate signatures but here is ittybitty now.

Approached one eink display manufacturer for custom size... lets see.
this is SPI panel, so need a micro inbetween to "convert" i2c to spi, but that is no problem.

Active area with this is about max 52 x 80 mm as there is some frame around it, and to keep it thin, flex cable eats some space close to camera.

Corresponds to a 3.7" diagonal size.

below is quick illustration how it could look.

Seriously Kimmoli, if you achieve some eInk OH that size (the bigger the better for eInk, and if I understand well, this would be the max possible) and if the software side works correctly, then I'll give my kidney for one. Add me to the list of the "Shut up and take my money" already.

Ideal final features would be:

• 1. notifications (like for the OLED);
  
• 2. ability to automatically send to eInk what was displayed on the main screen when you pressed power key to lock it (this will not close applications like the swipe down), this way you can easily chose what to display on eInk while saving power in only one move; let's say that locking the main screen with the swipe down (from homescreen/lockscreen/launcher) would rather trigger the aforementioned "notification" mode, so that both modes can be achieved easily without menus or options;
  # Would only send static display, no videos of course, but that wouldn't be a problem as eInk is not made for dynamic content
  
• 3. ability to automatically display certain files to the eInk (epubs, etc.);
  # Might be useless if the above can be achieved
  
• 4. ability set eInk "dynamic" usage on/off by running the TOHeInk app, i.e., make Sailfish understand that the user is currently using eInk as main display: when on, you can use hardware volume keys to turn pages of the PDF or ePub (or scroll a webpage?) that was displayed fullscreen when you pressed the power key to transfer the display and lock the LCD (see #2 feature).

If all that can be achieved, seriously, this is gonna be in the Top 2 must have OH together with the keyboard. Easily. And the keyboard will not be for everybody anyway (plus the experience will heavily depend on how Sailfish can be adapted with landscape mode, keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+C, and ability to hide VKB, so a lot of challenges remaining).

And what i'm expected to do with that?

To get all of these i will need someone to help with the sw...

• 1. notifications (like for the OLED);

  Can be done

• 2. ability to automatically send to eInk what was displayed on the main screen when you pressed power key to lock it (this will not close applications like the swipe down), this way you can easily chose what to display on eInk while saving power in only one move; let's say that locking the main screen with the swipe down (from homescreen/lockscreen/launcher) would rather trigger the aforementioned "notification" mode, so that both modes can be achieved easily without menus or options;
  # Would only send static display, no videos of course, but that wouldn't be a problem as eInk is not made for dynamic content

  Need to get powerbutton event, make screencapture, rescale it, dither to monochrome, send it to the screen...sounds like python and pil ...

• 3. ability to automatically display certain files to the eInk (epubs, etc.);
  # Might be useless if the above can be achieved

  Maybe it could work like "share with toh" ??

• 4. ability set eInk "dynamic" usage on/off by running the TOHeInk app, i.e., make Sailfish understand that the user is currently using eInk as main display: when on, you can use hardware volume keys to turn pages of the PDF or ePub (or scroll a webpage?) that was displayed fullscreen when you pressed the power key to transfer the display and lock the LCD (see #2 feature).

  This is too difficult, to make eInk to be main display. Maybe a eReader app could be done to view text-files.
  Other needs rendering of content or to be done by the screencapture-rescale-dither method (which results loss of details (e.g. thin texts will be lost)

It is time for scotch-tape-proto ...lets connect that 2.7" display to the phone...

Fast responce from manufacturer.
Unfortunately custom size requires tooling which is too expensive, "several tens of thousand dollars", recommended to use standard product.

(Good thing about the 2.7" display is that it is available from e.g. digikey for about 20€/each)

Bad news, it may remove one of the most interesting features of the eInk screen (yet difficult to achieve), the ability to send anything to this screen (after resizing as you said) to save energy. In 2.7", it will be limited. Notifications would still be really useful, and I still want one.

What about 3.5"?

eInk screen "E-Paper GDE035A3": http://www.aliexpress.com/item/E-ink...570825797.html, $ 28 US.

Have to check that out, thanks.

Meanwhile, some photos... goodnight.

First unneccessary photo of key ingredients...


The i2ctool is in use here too:

Awesomness incoming, thanks Kimmoli.

By the way, I just noticed that the 3.5" screen in my link is quite thin as shown in the third image, and the bezel around it is thin too (plus the PCB part is on the small side and apparently won't block Jolla's camera). Perhaps a 4" would fit, and the low thickness of the screen could keep the TOHeInk thinner than expected?

I bet there are cons with this eInk screen, but I have no experience with e-paper so I can't say. Is the connector standard?

Haven't been round TMO much for ~several wks, just quickly catching-up on all the developments...
Geezus Kimmoli's proving to be a one man manufacturing army, the amt of projects he's juggling, he must be a very busy man!