CircuitPython eInk displayio Library Installation
To use displayio, you will need to install the appropriate library for your display.
First make sure you are running the latest version of Adafruit CircuitPython for your board. You will need the latest version of CircuitPython.
Next you'll need to install the necessary libraries to use the hardware--carefully follow the steps to find and install these libraries from Adafruit's CircuitPython library bundle. The introduction guide has a great page on how to install the library bundle for both Express and non-Express boards.
You will need to copy the appropriate displayio driver from the bundle lib folder to a lib folder on your CIRCUITPY drive. The displayio driver contains the initialization codes specific to your display that are needed to for it to work. Since there is more than one driver, you will need to copy the correct file over. Here is a list of each of the displays and the correct driver for that display.
Adafruit_CircuitPython_UC8151D
The newer 2.9" Tri-Color and flexible displays use the Adafruit_CircuitPython_UC8151D library. To easily get all the required files and libraries for the flexible, you can click the Download Project Bundle link at the top of the monochrome example code below. Just unzip, open the folder that corresponds to the version of CircuitPython you have installed, and copy the contents to the CIRCUITPY drive.


Adafruit_CircuitPython_IL0373
The older 2.9" Tri-Color breakout, the 2.9" Tri-Color and GrayScale FeatherWings, and the older flexible displays use the Adafruit_CircuitPython_IL0373 library. To easily get all the required files and libraries, you can click the Download Project Bundle link at the top of the appropriate example code below. Just unzip, open the folder that corresponds to the version of CircuitPython you have installed, and copy the contents to the CIRCUITPY drive.


Image File
To show you how to use the eInk with displayio, below shows you how to draw a bitmap onto it. First start by downloading display-ruler.bmp
Copy display-ruler.bmp into the root directory of your CIRCUITPY drive.
Monochrome Display Usage
2.9" 296x128 Monochrome Flexible Display
In the examples folder for your UC8151C displayio driver, there should be a test for your display which is listed here:
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2017 Scott Shawcroft, written for Adafruit Industries # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2021 Melissa LeBlanc-Williams for Adafruit Industries # # SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense """Simple test script for 2.9" 296x128 monochrome display. Supported products: * Adafruit Flexible 2.9" Monochrome * https://www.adafruit.com/product/4262 """ # pylint: disable=no-member import time import board import displayio from fourwire import FourWire import adafruit_uc8151d displayio.release_displays() # This pinout works on a Feather M4 and may need to be altered for other boards. spi = board.SPI() # Uses SCK and MOSI epd_cs = board.D9 epd_dc = board.D10 epd_reset = board.D5 epd_busy = None display_bus = FourWire(spi, command=epd_dc, chip_select=epd_cs, reset=epd_reset, baudrate=1000000) time.sleep(1) display = adafruit_uc8151d.UC8151D( display_bus, width=296, height=128, rotation=90, busy_pin=epd_busy ) g = displayio.Group() with open("/display-ruler.bmp", "rb") as f: pic = displayio.OnDiskBitmap(f) t = displayio.TileGrid(pic, pixel_shader=pic.pixel_shader) g.append(t) display.root_group = g display.refresh() time.sleep(120)
Configure and Upload
You will want to change the epd_reset
and epd_busy
to the correct values. If you are using the eInk Breakout Friend and wired it up as shown on the Wiring page, you will want to change it to these values:
epd_reset = board.D8 epd_busy = board.D7
If you are using the eInk FeatherWing Friend, you will want to change both of these values to None
:
epd_reset = None epd_busy = None
Save it to your CIRCUITPY drive as code.py and it should automatically run. Your display will look something like this:
Tri-Color Display Usage
2.9" 296x128 HD Tri-Color Breakout
In the examples folder for your UC8151D displayio driver, there should be a test for your display which is listed here:
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 ladyada for Adafruit Industries # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT """Simple test script for Adafruit 2.9" 296x128 tri-color display Supported products: * Adafruit 2.9" Tri-Color Display Breakout * https://www.adafruit.com/product/1028 """ import time import board import displayio from fourwire import FourWire import adafruit_uc8151d # Used to ensure the display is free in CircuitPython displayio.release_displays() # Define the pins needed for display use # This pinout is for a Feather M4 and may be different for other boards spi = board.SPI() # Uses SCK and MOSI epd_cs = board.D9 epd_dc = board.D10 epd_reset = board.D5 epd_busy = board.D6 # Create the displayio connection to the display pins display_bus = FourWire(spi, command=epd_dc, chip_select=epd_cs, reset=epd_reset, baudrate=1000000) time.sleep(1) # Wait a bit # Create the display object - the third color is red (0xff0000) display = adafruit_uc8151d.UC8151D( display_bus, width=296, height=128, rotation=270, busy_pin=epd_busy, highlight_color=0xFF0000, ) # Create a display group for our screen objects g = displayio.Group() # Display a ruler graphic from the root directory of the CIRCUITPY drive with open("/display-ruler.bmp", "rb") as f: pic = displayio.OnDiskBitmap(f) # Create a Tilegrid with the bitmap and put in the displayio group # CircuitPython 6 & 7 compatible t = displayio.TileGrid( pic, pixel_shader=getattr(pic, "pixel_shader", displayio.ColorConverter()) ) # CircuitPython 7 compatible only # t = displayio.TileGrid(pic, pixel_shader=pic.pixel_shader) g.append(t) # Place the display group on the screen display.root_group = g # Refresh the display to have it actually show the image # NOTE: Do not refresh eInk displays sooner than 180 seconds display.refresh() print("refreshed") time.sleep(180)
You will want to change the epd_reset
and epd_busy
to the correct values. If you wired it up as shown on the Wiring page, you will want to change it to these values:
epd_reset = board.D8 epd_busy = board.D7
Save it to your CIRCUITPY drive as code.py and it should automatically run. Your display will look something like this:
2.9" 296x128 HD Tri-Color FeatherWing
In the examples folder for your IL0373 displayio driver, there should be a test for your display which is listed here:
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 ladyada for Adafruit Industries # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT """Simple test script for Adafruit 2.9" 296x128 tri-color display Supported products: * Adafruit 2.9" Tri-Color Display Breakout * https://www.adafruit.com/product/1028 """ import time import board import displayio import fourwire import adafruit_il0373 # Used to ensure the display is free in CircuitPython displayio.release_displays() # Define the pins needed for display use # This pinout is for a Feather M4 and may be different for other boards spi = board.SPI() # Uses SCK and MOSI epd_cs = board.D9 epd_dc = board.D10 epd_reset = board.D5 epd_busy = board.D6 # Create the displayio connection to the display pins display_bus = fourwire.FourWire( spi, command=epd_dc, chip_select=epd_cs, reset=epd_reset, baudrate=1000000 ) time.sleep(1) # Wait a bit # Create the display object - the third color is red (0xff0000) display = adafruit_il0373.IL0373( display_bus, width=296, height=128, rotation=270, busy_pin=epd_busy, highlight_color=0xFF0000, ) # Create a display group for our screen objects g = displayio.Group() # Display a ruler graphic from the root directory of the CIRCUITPY drive with open("/display-ruler.bmp", "rb") as f: pic = displayio.OnDiskBitmap(f) # Create a Tilegrid with the bitmap and put in the displayio group # CircuitPython 6 & 7 compatible t = displayio.TileGrid( pic, pixel_shader=getattr(pic, "pixel_shader", displayio.ColorConverter()) ) # CircuitPython 7 compatible only # t = displayio.TileGrid(pic, pixel_shader=pic.pixel_shader) g.append(t) # Place the display group on the screen display.root_group = g # Refresh the display to have it actually show the image # NOTE: Do not refresh eInk displays sooner than 180 seconds display.refresh() print("refreshed") time.sleep(180)
For the FeatherWing, you will want to change the epd_reset
and epd_busy
values to None
:
epd_reset = None epd_busy = None
Save it to your CIRCUITPY drive as code.py and it should automatically run. Your display should look like the Tri-Color Breakout output above.
Grayscale Display Usage
2.9" 296x128 Grayscale Display
In the examples folder for your IL0373 displayio driver, there should be a test for your display which is listed here:
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 ladyada for Adafruit Industries # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT """Simple test script for 2.9" 296x128 grayscale display. Supported products: * Adafruit 2.9" Grayscale * https://www.adafruit.com/product/4777 """ import time import board import busio import displayio import fourwire import adafruit_il0373 displayio.release_displays() # This pinout works on a Feather M4 and may need to be altered for other boards. spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI) # Uses SCK and MOSI epd_cs = board.D9 epd_dc = board.D10 display_bus = fourwire.FourWire(spi, command=epd_dc, chip_select=epd_cs, baudrate=1000000) time.sleep(1) display = adafruit_il0373.IL0373( display_bus, width=296, height=128, rotation=270, black_bits_inverted=False, color_bits_inverted=False, grayscale=True, refresh_time=1, ) g = displayio.Group() with open("/display-ruler.bmp", "rb") as f: pic = displayio.OnDiskBitmap(f) # CircuitPython 6 & 7 compatible t = displayio.TileGrid( pic, pixel_shader=getattr(pic, "pixel_shader", displayio.ColorConverter()) ) # CircuitPython 7 compatible only # t = displayio.TileGrid(pic, pixel_shader=pic.pixel_shader) g.append(t) display.root_group = g display.refresh() print("refreshed") time.sleep(120)
You will want to change the epd_reset
and epd_busy
to the correct values. If you wired it up as shown on the Wiring page, you will want to change it to these values:
epd_reset = board.D8 epd_busy = board.D7
Save it to your CIRCUITPY drive as code.py and it should automatically run. Your display will look something like this:
Page last edited January 22, 2025
Text editor powered by tinymce.