FrameOSWaveshare 4.2" (V2) e-Paper
400×300 4-level grayscale e-ink display for FrameOS - specs, setup and driver details.
Official Waveshare store
Official store page for this device.
Manufacturer docs & datasheets
- Vendor
- Waveshare
- Model
- 4.2" (V2) e-Paper
- Technology
- E-ink
- Colors
- 4-level grayscale
- Resolution
- 400×300 px
- Size
- 4.2″ diagonal
- Interface
- SPI
- Platforms
- Raspberry Pi · ESP32-S3
- Status
- 🟡 Should work
- FrameOS driver
waveshare.EPD_4in2_V2
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 4.2" (V2) e-Paper is a 4.2″ e-ink panel with a resolution of 400×300 pixels showing 4-level grayscale. Grayscale e-ink renders dithered photos noticeably better than pure black-and-white panels, while keeping a quick refresh. Like all e-paper, it keeps the last image with zero power - the frame only wakes up to render.
How it works
FrameOS ships a native Nim driver
(waveshare.EPD_4in2_V2) 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 4.2" (V2) 400x300 4 Grayscale 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
🟡 Should work, not yet confirmed on real hardware. The driver shares its controller logic with panels that are confirmed working. If you have this display, tell us on GitHub or Discord and we'll mark it confirmed.