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E-ink is a display technology that forms images using charged pigment particles rather than a backlight. Once a reading is drawn on the screen, it stays visible indefinitely without consuming any power – only the moment of changing the image uses energy. This makes it practical on sensors running on AA batteries for years.
The trade-off is refresh speed: E-ink takes seconds to update, making it unsuitable for fast-changing displays. For a temperature and humidity sensor that updates every 10 minutes, this is irrelevant.
- Zero power consumption to hold a static image
- Readable in direct sunlight with no glare
- Wide viewing angle compared to LCDs
- Typical refresh: 1-4 seconds per screen update
- Battery life on sensors with E-ink screens is consistently higher than equivalent LCD models