E-Reader with serial port on PCB

Slople · 10-14-2020, 10:08 AM

Hey there

this is my first post here

For a private hobby project, I am looking for e-readers which have an internal serial port on the PCB. I have already used Kobo minis in the past, which have one.
However, a device with Android would be much preferred. Does anyone of you know a device?
A color-e-paper-screen wouldn't hurt much either

I cannot buy dozens of e-readers and open them, just to see if there is a serial port or not

Thanks
Raphael

JSWolf · 10-14-2020, 12:26 PM

do a search for teardown and the models you are interested. You may find something.

Slople · 10-15-2020, 06:42 AM

Thanks for the tipp!

I always searched for "brandname PCB" and did not find much, much better now with "teardown"

I have found this for my favorite model: https://the-digital-reader.com/wp-co...r-internal.pdf

However, I don't think it has Android, or has it been hacked?

Slople · 10-15-2020, 07:05 AM

The Onyx boox poke 2 color could have been feasible too, but it's sold out and I don't know about a serial port, no teardown / pcb-view found. :-(

Slople · 10-20-2020, 04:10 PM

anyone any more help please? :|

Quoth · 10-21-2020, 02:04 PM

Why Android? The only plus on Android is cheap tablets and the Playstore. Otherwise it's inferior for a custom application to a real Linux. Android has too many bits of Linux missing and the entire point of it is the Java LIKE apps and the Android touch GUI.

pazos · 10-22-2020, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

Why Android? The only plus on Android is cheap tablets and the Playstore. Otherwise it's inferior for a custom application to a real Linux. Android has too many bits of Linux missing and the entire point of it is the Java LIKE apps and the Android touch GUI.

I see a lot of benefits for the OP to go with the android route:

1. There're plenty of tutorials to develop android apps.
2. Toolchains / SDKs are readily available on any major OS
3. Android has a powerful IPC via the binder, and makes communication with 3rd party apps or remote services a joy to program.
4. You can pretty much develop anywhere, using an emulator
5. Because of 3 you don't need to reinvent the wheel: want to display something nicely? you can both repurpose the browser that's available on 99'9% of android devices or wrap something fast on top of system webview.

Prototying an app on e-ink android is faster than building Qt sources for that platform (and adapting qpa plugins for IO). And Qt is pretty much the **only** thing that could make the app as powerful and easy to program as it can be with android frameworks.

Slople · 10-25-2020, 04:38 PM

There is one more argument for Android:

The perfect paragliding app for Android is already there and is the de-facto standard in competition flying: https://xctrack.org

So I'm still looking for a suitable e-ink-color device

bazz2004 · 10-27-2020, 08:43 AM

Slopie - "So I'm still looking for a suitable e-ink-color device"

I recently bought an Ectaco language learning tablet (colour lcd) and am puzzled that the company appears to be still in business. I am always dubious when reading GoodEreader articles and reviews but you might be interested to read the bit about Ectaco's disastrous ereader colour screen adventure.

https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...tten-e-readers

Apart from some suspect reviews saying it was the greatest thing since sliced bread customers were underwhelmed and the project flopped. Whether or not the Ectaco colour reader had a serial port or not I couldn't say. Probably not.

Slople · 10-28-2020, 04:56 AM

@bazz2004, I'm not sure I get what you wanted to tell me. So there is apparently a bad colour-lcd (not even e-ink) device out there?

Let me get the facts straight of what I'm looking for:

From most to least important:

1. e-ink display with perfect sunlight readability between 4" and 7"
2. Android >= 9
3. hackable serial port on the PCB
4. colour e-ink (or similar) display

ottischwenk · 10-28-2020, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slople

1. e-ink display with perfect sunlight readability between 4" and 7"
2. Android >= 9
3. hackable serial port on the PCB
4. colour e-ink (or similar) display

Why hackable serial port on the PCB and why color?
Im using my Boox Poke Pro (Android 6) with a BT GPS/Glonass device for car navigation.
The Boox Poke 2 has Android 9 and works in the same way.

bazz2004 · 10-28-2020, 06:18 AM

The Ectaco JetBook Color ereader does have an e-ink type screen but it didn't deliver any wow factor. It's likely you can likely still buy one. The Ectaco Lux 4 Pro I bought has an LCD colour screen but you are correct it's irrelevant and just confused the issue. I'm saying be careful before jumping in and buying any device particularly a colour one. Initial reviews are not to be fully relied on. Sorry to be pessimistic but I don't think you will find what you want.

Slople · 10-28-2020, 07:06 PM

The Onyx Boox Poke 2 Color looks just too perfect. If I would only see a PCB of it somehwere... can't find anything.
I need a serial port to hack some flying-related peripherals to it - as the saying goes "the man that knows wireless uses cables".

Slople · 10-29-2020, 05:02 AM

progress, Onyx answered, there is a serial port on all Onyx-devices apparently. However, see here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=334424

Cat_Turbo · 10-29-2020, 10:45 AM

Don't know if you only need the eink screen for your project or not, but if this is the case, here is maybe an alternative for that:
https://github.com/vroland/epdiy

It is a open source project which provides a driver board for eink screens, so that you can drive them with your own microcontroller board and scripts (by using e.g. the Arduino hardware abstraction layer)

10-14-2020, 10:08 AM	#1
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	E-Reader with serial port on PCB Hey there this is my first post here For a private hobby project, I am looking for e-readers which have an internal serial port on the PCB. I have already used Kobo minis in the past, which have one. However, a device with Android would be much preferred. Does anyone of you know a device? A color-e-paper-screen wouldn't hurt much either I cannot buy dozens of e-readers and open them, just to see if there is a serial port or not Thanks Raphael

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10-14-2020, 12:26 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,782 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	do a search for teardown and the models you are interested. You may find something.

10-15-2020, 06:42 AM	#3
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	Thanks for the tipp! I always searched for "brandname PCB" and did not find much, much better now with "teardown" I have found this for my favorite model: https://the-digital-reader.com/wp-co...r-internal.pdf However, I don't think it has Android, or has it been hacked?

10-15-2020, 07:05 AM	#4
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	The Onyx boox poke 2 color could have been feasible too, but it's sold out and I don't know about a serial port, no teardown / pcb-view found. :-(

10-20-2020, 04:10 PM	#5
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	anyone any more help please? :\|

10-21-2020, 02:04 PM	#6
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,004 Karma: 111111255 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Why Android? The only plus on Android is cheap tablets and the Playstore. Otherwise it's inferior for a custom application to a real Linux. Android has too many bits of Linux missing and the entire point of it is the Java LIKE apps and the Android touch GUI.

10-25-2020, 04:38 PM	#8
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	There is one more argument for Android: The perfect paragliding app for Android is already there and is the de-facto standard in competition flying: https://xctrack.org So I'm still looking for a suitable e-ink-color device

10-27-2020, 08:43 AM	#9
bazz2004 Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 14745 Join Date: May 2020 Device: Boyue Alita	Slopie - "So I'm still looking for a suitable e-ink-color device" I recently bought an Ectaco language learning tablet (colour lcd) and am puzzled that the company appears to be still in business. I am always dubious when reading GoodEreader articles and reviews but you might be interested to read the bit about Ectaco's disastrous ereader colour screen adventure. https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...tten-e-readers Apart from some suspect reviews saying it was the greatest thing since sliced bread customers were underwhelmed and the project flopped. Whether or not the Ectaco colour reader had a serial port or not I couldn't say. Probably not.

10-28-2020, 04:56 AM	#10
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	@bazz2004, I'm not sure I get what you wanted to tell me. So there is apparently a bad colour-lcd (not even e-ink) device out there? Let me get the facts straight of what I'm looking for: From most to least important: 1. e-ink display with perfect sunlight readability between 4" and 7" 2. Android >= 9 3. hackable serial port on the PCB 4. colour e-ink (or similar) display

10-28-2020, 06:18 AM	#12
bazz2004 Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 14745 Join Date: May 2020 Device: Boyue Alita	The Ectaco JetBook Color ereader does have an e-ink type screen but it didn't deliver any wow factor. It's likely you can likely still buy one. The Ectaco Lux 4 Pro I bought has an LCD colour screen but you are correct it's irrelevant and just confused the issue. I'm saying be careful before jumping in and buying any device particularly a colour one. Initial reviews are not to be fully relied on. Sorry to be pessimistic but I don't think you will find what you want.

10-28-2020, 07:06 PM	#13
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	The Onyx Boox Poke 2 Color looks just too perfect. If I would only see a PCB of it somehwere... can't find anything. I need a serial port to hack some flying-related peripherals to it - as the saying goes "the man that knows wireless uses cables".

10-29-2020, 05:02 AM	#14
Slople Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo	progress, Onyx answered, there is a serial port on all Onyx-devices apparently. However, see here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=334424

10-29-2020, 10:45 AM	#15
Cat_Turbo Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: PRS-T1;Onyx Boox M96 Plus (broken)	Don't know if you only need the eink screen for your project or not, but if this is the case, here is maybe an alternative for that: https://github.com/vroland/epdiy It is a open source project which provides a driver board for eink screens, so that you can drive them with your own microcontroller board and scripts (by using e.g. the Arduino hardware abstraction layer)