Building an affordable Home Assistant dashboard does not require expensive hardware. This guide explores several low-cost methods to create functional control panels and information displays using existing or cheap equipment.
Ways to build a budget dashboard include:
* Repurposing old tablets, phones, or even Kindles from your junk drawer using kiosk browsers or the Home Assistant companion app.
* Purchasing second-hand hardware like older tablets or digital photo frames through online marketplaces.
* Using small ESP32 touchscreen modules for low-power desktop dashboards.
* Implementing E-Ink displays for minimal, always-on information such as weather and calendars.
* Jailbreaking used smart displays to bypass manufacturer limitations and run custom software.
Ways to build a budget dashboard include:
* Repurposing old tablets, phones, or even Kindles from your junk drawer using kiosk browsers or the Home Assistant companion app.
* Purchasing second-hand hardware like older tablets or digital photo frames through online marketplaces.
* Using small ESP32 touchscreen modules for low-power desktop dashboards.
* Implementing E-Ink displays for minimal, always-on information such as weather and calendars.
* Jailbreaking used smart displays to bypass manufacturer limitations and run custom software.
Pimoroni has released new Inky Impression color E Ink displays for Raspberry Pi in 4.0", 7.3", and 13.3" sizes featuring Spectra 6® technology. These low-power, high-resolution screens are designed for easy assembly without soldering and include features like rear-mounted buttons and Qwiic/Stemma QT connectors.
Discussion thread about using a Seeed Studio reTerminal E1002 color ePaper display as a Home Assistant dashboard.
Weather Station designed for the Lilygo T5 4.7 inch Epaper Development Platform. Allows for user-friendly configuration of weather display settings via a web interface.
Core Devices is introducing two new watches that closely follow the original Pebble DNA, the Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2. These smartwatches feature long battery life, e-paper screens, and run open-source PebbleOS.
This post details the creation of a weather dashboard using a Raspberry Pi Zero and a 7-color E-paper display, focusing on the challenges and design choices made during the project. It covers aspects like SVG graphing, icon design, color optimization for E-paper, 3D printing a case, and a unique "Human Guessing Design" philosophy.
Display your favourite photos, artwork, or information on this 7.3" black and white ePaper display. Perfect for a desk, wall, or shelf!
A Raspberry Pi project that displays the city and country where it is currently 5:00 p.m., updating every 15 minutes. It uses accurate timezone data and is a fun, lightweight build with potential for educational and practical applications.
LILYGO has announced a raft of new microcontroller development boards targeting different niches: a low-frequency LoRa board, an ultra-widescreen display board, a LoRa-equipped ePaper display board, and a CAN bus board. The boards are powered by the Espressif ESP32-S3 microcontroller.
Seeed Studio has revealed the TRMNL 7.5" DIY Kit, a 7.5-inch e-ink display kit compatible with Home Assistant and Arduino, offering a cost-effective solution for smart home enthusiasts. It includes a 7.5-inch 800x480 monochrome e-ink display, XIAO ESP32-S3 PLUS driver board, 2000 mAh rechargeable battery, and 10cm FPC extension cable. It is currently available for preorder for under $45.
