FrameOSWaveshare 4.01" (F) e-Paper
640×400 7-color ACeP e-ink display for FrameOS - specs, setup and driver details.
Official Waveshare store
Official store page for this device.
- Vendor
- Waveshare
- Model
- 4.01" (F) e-Paper
- Technology
- E-ink
- Colors
- 7 colors (ACeP)
- Resolution
- 640×400 px
- Size
- 4.01″ diagonal
- Interface
- SPI
- Platforms
- Raspberry Pi · ESP32-S3
- Status
- 🟢 Confirmed working
- FrameOS driver
waveshare.EPD_4in01f
Part of the FrameOS device database. Spotted an error, or tested this panel? Edit this page on GitHub - it's a markdown file.
The Waveshare 4.01" (F) e-Paper is a 4.01″ e-ink panel with a resolution of 640×400 pixels showing seven ACeP ink colors. ACeP ("Advanced Color ePaper") packs seven real ink colors into every pixel. A full refresh takes around 30 seconds, and the palette is softer than a backlit screen - ideal for photos and generative art with a paper-like look. Like all e-paper, it keeps the last image with zero power - the frame only wakes up to render.
See the Spectra 6 build video for a side-by-side look at color e-ink generations.
How it works
FrameOS ships a native Nim driver
(waveshare.EPD_4in01f) compiled straight into the binary that runs on your Raspberry Pi - no Python, no
vendor libraries. Each render pass draws your scene into a full-color image,
dithers it to the panel's palette, and pushes the result to the display over SPI.
Setup
- Connect the panel to the Raspberry Pi - plug the HAT onto the GPIO header, or hook up the separate driver board with the bundled ribbon cable.
- Add a frame in the FrameOS backend and select the Waveshare 4.01" (F) 640x400 7 Color driver.
- Save & deploy. The panel blinks through a refresh cycle and shows your scene.
Make sure the letter suffix on your panel's ribbon cable matches the driver - Waveshare reuses product names across revisions. More tips in the Waveshare buying guide.
Status
🟢 Confirmed working - tested on real hardware by the maintainers or the community.