Batteryless E-paper Display

As technology advances, various energy harvesting methods have emerged, leading to a new era of batteryless sensors. The batteryless E-paper display proposed here is one such design. (Electronic paper, also known as electronic ink (e-ink) or intelligent paper, is a display device that mimics the appearance of ordinary ink on paper.)

It might be surprising, but it is no longer considered rocket science or science fiction. Fig. 1 showcases the prototype of a batteryless e-paper display.

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Many of you may have already seen or used batteryless e-ink displays (E-paper displays).

Also Check: E-paper Clock

Several companies are already selling them, a few of which can be checked here:

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1. 7.5inch NFC-Powered e-Paper

2. ynvisible e-paper displays with nfc energy harvesting

3. Good-display

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4. smarttag batteryless 2-90

5. Batteryless E-ink Aviation Luggage tag

6. Hipoink

e-ink Display

e-ink displays are a unique kind of display where once you update the screen, the displayed content remains even if you remove the power. Power is only needed when updating, and the required amount is minimal, which can be easily supplied by harvesting RF, solar, and various other forms of energy in the vicinity.

Also Read: What Is E-Paper Display? Advantages and Disadvantages

Most batteryless displays on the market today utilize near-field communication (NFC). They operate by harvesting energy from NFC. To update the details on the display, one can simply use a phone with NFC or an NFC display writer device. The updated screen remains visible even when the display is not powered.

Such displays are incredibly useful for batteryless sensor nodes, low-power wearable devices, price tags in clothing stores and market stalls, and marketing display screens. They can also serve as smart business cards and ID cards, allowing for updates whenever necessary.

There are numerous applications for these batteryless smart displays. Here, two versions of batteryless displays have been designed.

The first version explains how NFC-based battery displays can be designed.

The second version caters to those without access to PCB SMD soldering and manufacturing processes. This version describes a Wi-Fi-based batteryless display that uses a wireless coil for power during display updates. Here only the NFC-based batteryless display and Wi-Fi-based batteryless display will be delved into.

NFC-based Batteryless E-paper Display

If one wishes to create batteryless display identity cards, business cards, or tags without extensive SMT assembly, a modular-based design approach can be opted for. An NFC energy harvesting-based display driver module compatible with e-ink displays can be purchased. To embark on the NFC-based batteryless display, the components listed in Table 1 would be required.