This project was inspired by this tweet from @kevcody. They used an Adafruit MagTag to help with Modern Problem #4836:

There are dishes in the dishwasher, but has it been run yet? Are the ones in there dirty or clean?

This is an excellent use of the MagTag's EPD display. By displaying either DIRTY or CLEAN, the current state of the dishwasher is known. In their approach, they used the MagTag's button to change the indication - with nice little icons to let you know button function.

We thought this idea would make a good example for using pin alarms in conjunction with deep sleep, which are new features recently added to CircuitPython. Instead of looping forever reading button state and consuming power, we can instead go to sleep and only wake up when needed. This will let your MagTag run for days, or even weeks, on a single battery charge.

Parts

Here are the parts you'll need for this project. You can get them individually:

Angled shot of Adafruit MagTag development board with ESP32-S2 and E-Ink display.
The Adafruit MagTag combines the new ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen even when power...
Out of Stock
Lithium Ion Polymer Battery 3.7v 420mAh with JST 2-PH connector and short cable
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This...
Out of Stock
Angled shot of four magnet feet.
Got a glorious RGB Matrix project you want to mount and display in your workspace or home? If you have one of the matrix panels listed below, you'll need a pack of these...
$2.50
In Stock

OR these items are also available together as a kit:

MagTag dev board with enclosure pieces, four magnet feet, and lipoly battery
The Adafruit MagTag combines the new ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen...
Out of Stock

And you'll need a USB cable to connect the MagTag to your computer to upload the code:

USB Type A to Type C Cable - approx 1 meter / 3 ft long
As technology changes and adapts, so does Adafruit. This  USB Type A to Type C cable will help you with the transition to USB C, even if you're still...
$4.95
In Stock

This guide was first published on Jan 12, 2021. It was last updated on Mar 28, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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