Joey Castillo is a maker and developer behind the Open Book Project. This DIY project is an open-source creation with Raspberry Pi Pico support that allows users to create an e-book reader of their own from scratch. It features a custom PCB and e-ink display and a series of buttons that can change pages and navigate through digital books. Today we’re sharing a new update to the project, posted to Twitter, which features support for the Raspberry Pi Pico W.
We first covered this project in February of 2021, when Castillo announced its support for the Raspberry Pi Pico. The project had already been around for some time but used other boards like Arduino and Adafruit Feathers which use SAMD51 processors. The Pico support changed things by adding the power of the RP2040 into the mix.
(Image credit: Joey Castillo)
The new update maintains the RP2040 support but with a wireless twist. According to Castillo, he popped in a Pico W and discovered the new Pico board worked just as well without a hitch in its latest design. The GPIO for the Pico W is the same as the Pico, so it’s no surprise the integration went so smoothly. The addition adds room for new features that can take advantage of wireless support.
In addition to the Pico W support, Castillo also showed off two STEMMA/JST connector ports on the side for accessories. In the demo video, he used a potentiometer to control an LED that would work as a reading light. He also suggested future support for a microphone for voice control features or a foot pedal for better accessibility.
As we said before, this project is open source for anyone who wants to explore the code and PCB design files or even make the project themselves. You can find more details about how it works over at the official GitHub page.
If you want to see this Raspberry Pi project in action, you can check out the official project page or head over to Twitter for a few demo videos. Also, be sure to follow Castillo for more projects, as well as any potential updates on this one in the future.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
