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RASPBERRY PI

₹5,000 – ₹15,000

3 – 6 Hours

Partial Kit

e-Ink-based IoT Touch Switch

Learn how to build a power-efficient IoT touch switch using a Raspberry Pi and an e-Ink touch display for a smart home application.

Originally published on ElectronicsForU

View original tutorial

Parts You'll Need

This project is sourced from another site, not written by us — this list is our best match of their components against what we stock, not a verified bill of materials. Always check the original blog (linked above) for the actual parts list before buying.

Raspberry Pi 3 - Model B+ 1.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core Processor with 1 GB Ram (Original) Rs. 9,810.00
10pcs 5mm RED Diffused Light Emitting Diodes - LEDs Set Rs. 39.00
5V 1 Channel Relay Module Rs. 87.00
Jumper Wire 10 Pin Male To Male 20cm Rs. 45.00
MB102 Adjustable Breadboard Power Supply Module (3.3V & 5V) for Arduino & Raspberry Pi Rs. 139.00
400 Points Mini Solderless Prototype PCB Breadboard High Quality Rs. 89.00
Jumper Wire 10 Pin Male To Female 20cm Rs. 45.00

Selected: Rs. 0.00

We don't carry yet: E-Paper Display
Solid State Relay / Triac / Dimmer
Enclosure / Box / Case

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How It Works

The e-Ink-based IoT Touch Switch system centers around a Raspberry Pi 5 running Raspbian OS, which acts as the central processing unit and controller for the smart home interface. The user interacts directly with the system via a Waveshare e-Ink Touch Display HAT mounted to the Raspberry Pi. This display communicates using protocols like SPI for the graphical e-Ink screen and additional GPIO/I2C lines for touch inputs, managed through Python 3 libraries such as gpiozero, RPi.GPIO, spidev, and the specific Waveshare Touch e-Paper HAT library. When a user touches the screen, the event is captured by the Python application running on the Pi. The software then triggers digital logic signals to control auxiliary indicators like status LEDs and, crucially, switches a high-voltage or low-voltage load via a TRIAC and solid-state relay configuration. Connection wires link the peripheral components to the board's GPIO pins, while a dedicated 5V power supply safely energizes the entire digital logic circuit, enabling seamless, low-power smart home control from an ultra-low power display medium.

Why Build This

Design and prototype an ultra-low power smart home wall switch interface using bistable e-Ink display technology that draws minimal static energy.

Integrate high-level Python software libraries with complex hardware peripherals, including touch-sensitive HATs and solid-state power switching components.

Gain practical engineering experience interfacing digital low-voltage single-board computer logic with robust power-switching components like TRIACs and solid-state relays.

Real-World Application

Energy-efficient smart home automation wall switches and low-power control panels.

Skills You'll Learn

SPI communication protocol

GPIO pin control

Python-based hardware interfacing

touch display integration

solid-state relay and TRIAC switching logic

power supply management

Safety Precautions

Exercise extreme caution when working with AC mains voltage and TRIAC-based solid state relays to prevent electrical shock or fire hazards.

Technology Tags

E-INK

TOUCH SWITCH

IOT

PYTHON

RASPBERRY PI

TRIAC

SOLID STATE RELAY

GPIO

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use an e-Ink display instead of a standard LCD or OLED for a touch switch?

e-Ink displays are bistable, meaning they consume power only when the image is actively changing. This makes them exceptionally energy-efficient for static smart home control panels that remain on a wall continuously.

What is the role of the TRIAC and solid-state relay in this circuit?

The TRIAC and solid-state relay components act as electronic switches that allow the low-voltage, low-current digital signals from the Raspberry Pi safely to control high-power loads or AC mains appliances.

Do I need any special software dependencies installed on the Raspberry Pi 5?

Yes, the project requires Raspbian OS, Python 3, pip, and specific hardware libraries including gpiozero, bcm2835, WiringPi, RPi.GPIO, spidev, and the Waveshare Touch e-Paper HAT library to handle both the screen rendering and touch inputs.

Gallery

This page is part of Kitkraft's Project Hub — a curated collection of electronics & robotics projects gathered from the maker community to help students and hobbyists discover and learn to build. Kitkraft does not claim authorship of the original project, and makes no representation as to the accuracy, completeness or safety of third-party source material. The summary and "How It Works" explanation above are AI-generated, rewritten with reference to the original tutorial — not a reproduction of it. Full credit and a direct link to the original source are provided above. If you're the original creator and have a concern about how your work is represented here, please contact us and we'll address it promptly.

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