How it works

The node.js script uses puppeteer (Headless Chrome Node API), to take a screenshot of the local running MagicMirror site (localhost:808) and saves it.
You can change the size of the screenshot and the MagicMirror port in the config.js file.

Then the script executes a the eInk Python script from the ePaperPython folder and updates the eInk screen.
This is the original Python script from Waveshare.

Requirements

• Raspberry Pi with Raspbian
• Waveshare 7.5 epaper display (affiliate link)
• running MagicMirror (serveronly)

Resources

• 3d printable frame
• Installations-Tutorial (deutsch)
• MagicMirror Module List

Install dependencies

• Update packages and install Git, Chrome Browser

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y git chromium-browser

• Install Node.js and npm

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_11.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

• Install PM2 (process manager for Node.js)

sudo npm install -g pm2
// Starting PM2 on Boot
pm2 startup
// pm2 start node serveronly
// pm2 save

Setup

• Clone/copy the project files to your system.

git clone https://github.com/BenRoe/rpi-magicmirror-eink.git

• Move to the project folder

cd rpi-magicmirror-eink

• Install Node.js dependencies (inside the rpi-magicmirror-eink folder)

npm install

• Copy all files & folder from magicmirror-files/css to your MagicMirror css folder.

cp -a magicmirror-files/css/. ~/MagicMirror/css

• Copy the prepared MagicMirror config.js to MagicMirror config folder.

cp magicmirror-files/config.js ~/MagicMirror/config/

• Start the script with PM2 and run it in the background

pm2 start index.js --name "eink-update"
pm2 save

Todo

• 3d print case
• support more waveshare epaper display sizes
• white background/black font mode (invert image with jimp (image.invert();))

Ressources

• Cherry bitmap font by marin converted to ttf with Bits'N'Picas
• The project uses the Original Library written by Waveshare. It can be downloaded here.