3 ms·

In case you're wondering and don't want to click around, the display is a standard Adafruit 5.83'' eInk panel: https://www.adafruit.com/product/6397 https://www

by dgellow 4mo ago

In case you're wondering and don't want to click around, the display is a standard Adafruit 5.83'' eInk panel: https://www.adafruit.com/product/6397 https://www.adafruit.com/product/6397

whatisthiseven 4mo ago
Anyone know what the refresh rate for these displays are, at least with the stock firmware? Reading the datasheets didn't help, though maybe I didn't know what to look for.
- Neywiny 4mo ago
  Assume slow
- gunalx 4mo ago
  Probable seconds per frame at least.
- embedding-shape 4mo ago
  Data sheet seems to say (Page 8 -https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-files/6397/P6397+C22261-001_datasheet_ZJY648480-0583AAAMFGN.pdf https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-files/6397/P6397+C2226...): > Image update time - 25 ºC - - 4 - sec I'm guessing you could probably push that somewhat by going beyond the specifications, would wager a guess how far though.
- claudex 4mo ago
  The datasheet says 4 seconds for the image update time. However, I didn't found the time for partial refresh.
- Rebelgecko 4mo ago
  Partial refresh on these can often be surprisingly fast, even when full refresh takes seconds
- mrheosuper 4mo ago
  The refresh rate of eink is kind of...muddy. It depends on temperature and target contrast. With the right waveform and voltage, you can push it pretty far(like 30hz+). The thing is, Eink's waveform is kind of secret afaik, everyone has different tuning.
  - fc417fc802 4mo ago
    As I understand it going faster typically skips steps that are necessary for maintenance of the panel. Fine for a while but if you don't periodically run a "proper" cycle the panel could eventually be permanently damaged.
    - birdsongs 4mo ago
      That's exactly it. I was a firmware engineer at reMarkable making the latest tablets. We had some secret eink sauce (propriety waveforms) to get the high refresh rates and colour contrast without a full flashing screen reset, but even then you need to run longer maintenance refreshes occasionally. Pixels are just vertical columns of viscous fluid with charged ink particles. A waveform is just voltage changes over time to these columns to shift the particles up and down. More black to the top = darker shade of grey. Colour (in the gallery display, at least) is the same, just with each CMY particle group having different charges and responses to different waveforms. Every once in awhile this vertical column gets messy with loose particles distributed through it (ghosting, muddy contrast) so performing a hard rail-to-rail voltage reset forces all the particles up and then down, and gives you a clean slate.
      - 20k 4mo ago
        Out of interest, what (vaguely) is the amount of time you need between maintenance refreshes?
        birdsongs 4mo ago
        It really depends on the state of the screen. It's easier with reading PDFs, for instance, when you can get away with a full refresh on page turns. Versus someone drawing on the screen with a lot of zooming and panning. People with the tablet would notice that when they stop a series of these actions that were back to back, the screen will "clean" itself after about 5 seconds of idleness.
darksim905 4mo ago
so probably waveshare or some other ODM? got it.
Lord_Zero 4mo ago
The real magic is the esp32, it talks to the steam box with Bluetooth. A Linux app sends metrics to the esp32 and it refreshes the display.
- preisschild 4mo ago
  Why would you use esp32/bluetooth though and not just SPI/i2c directly?
  - patja 4mo ago
    It seems like one of the design goals was separation/independence. It also doesn't need a battery if it is meant to be tightly coupled with the Steam Machine. Which is nice for opening it up to many alternate uses.
AceJohnny2 4mo ago
I wonder how they achieve the lighting effect from the banner picture? It doesn't look like the Adafruit panel has backlighting built-in, and there isn't anything added in the project.
- ZiiS 4mo ago
  They are very reflective; a light from near the camera could look like that, but could be seen as a misleading choice.
- petee 4mo ago
  I see some kind of illumination from below/behind the display. Being from Gamers Nexus, I'd be shocked if it was manipulated. Maybe just a really steep sidelite

by dgellow 4mo ago

In case you're wondering and don't want to click around, the display is a standard Adafruit 5.83'' eInk panel: https://www.adafruit.com/product/6397 https://www.adafruit.com/product/6397

whatisthiseven 4mo ago

Anyone know what the refresh rate for these displays are, at least with the stock firmware? Reading the datasheets didn't help, though maybe I didn't know what to look for.

Neywiny 4mo ago
Assume slow
gunalx 4mo ago
Probable seconds per frame at least.
embedding-shape 4mo ago
Data sheet seems to say (Page 8 -https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-files/6397/P6397+C22261-001_datasheet_ZJY648480-0583AAAMFGN.pdf https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-files/6397/P6397+C2226...): > Image update time - 25 ºC - - 4 - sec I'm guessing you could probably push that somewhat by going beyond the specifications, would wager a guess how far though.
claudex 4mo ago
The datasheet says 4 seconds for the image update time. However, I didn't found the time for partial refresh.
Rebelgecko 4mo ago
Partial refresh on these can often be surprisingly fast, even when full refresh takes seconds
mrheosuper 4mo ago
The refresh rate of eink is kind of...muddy. It depends on temperature and target contrast. With the right waveform and voltage, you can push it pretty far(like 30hz+). The thing is, Eink's waveform is kind of secret afaik, everyone has different tuning.
- fc417fc802 4mo ago
  As I understand it going faster typically skips steps that are necessary for maintenance of the panel. Fine for a while but if you don't periodically run a "proper" cycle the panel could eventually be permanently damaged.
  - birdsongs 4mo ago
    That's exactly it. I was a firmware engineer at reMarkable making the latest tablets. We had some secret eink sauce (propriety waveforms) to get the high refresh rates and colour contrast without a full flashing screen reset, but even then you need to run longer maintenance refreshes occasionally. Pixels are just vertical columns of viscous fluid with charged ink particles. A waveform is just voltage changes over time to these columns to shift the particles up and down. More black to the top = darker shade of grey. Colour (in the gallery display, at least) is the same, just with each CMY particle group having different charges and responses to different waveforms. Every once in awhile this vertical column gets messy with loose particles distributed through it (ghosting, muddy contrast) so performing a hard rail-to-rail voltage reset forces all the particles up and then down, and gives you a clean slate.
    - 20k 4mo ago
      Out of interest, what (vaguely) is the amount of time you need between maintenance refreshes?
      - birdsongs 4mo ago
        It really depends on the state of the screen. It's easier with reading PDFs, for instance, when you can get away with a full refresh on page turns. Versus someone drawing on the screen with a lot of zooming and panning. People with the tablet would notice that when they stop a series of these actions that were back to back, the screen will "clean" itself after about 5 seconds of idleness.

darksim905 4mo ago

so probably waveshare or some other ODM? got it.

Lord_Zero 4mo ago

The real magic is the esp32, it talks to the steam box with Bluetooth. A Linux app sends metrics to the esp32 and it refreshes the display.

preisschild 4mo ago
Why would you use esp32/bluetooth though and not just SPI/i2c directly?
- patja 4mo ago
  It seems like one of the design goals was separation/independence. It also doesn't need a battery if it is meant to be tightly coupled with the Steam Machine. Which is nice for opening it up to many alternate uses.

AceJohnny2 4mo ago

I wonder how they achieve the lighting effect from the banner picture? It doesn't look like the Adafruit panel has backlighting built-in, and there isn't anything added in the project.

ZiiS 4mo ago
They are very reflective; a light from near the camera could look like that, but could be seen as a misleading choice.
petee 4mo ago
I see some kind of illumination from below/behind the display. Being from Gamers Nexus, I'd be shocked if it was manipulated. Maybe just a really steep sidelite