Badger 2040 review: a Raspberry Pi e-paper badge

The device comes fully assembled, so all you need to do is turn it on and load up the latest version of the software from Pimoroni’s GitHub page. Installation is a case of holding down the BOOT button to mount RP2040 onto the destkop, and copying the UF2 file to the mounted storage.

There’s an app

There is a clock app, ebook app (pre-loaded with Wind in the Willows), an image app, interactive list app, badge app, along with a QR code, info, and help information displays. 

As with many projects, the fun begins when you start exploring what you can do with Badger 2040 in a coding environment. Pimoroni’s documentation is, as typical, excellent, including a Getting Started with Badger 2040 guide. The tutorials take you through writing ‘Hello Badger’ to the screen and customising the default apps. This is done by exploring a range of text files in Thonny (using View > Files). Images can be converted using Pillow and the convert.py file

An optional accessory kit includes a AAA battery holder and batteries, Velcro square, lanyard, and cable. You can also power Badger 2040 by connecting a lithium battery to the JST-PH connector.

Moving on from the default Badger OS and test projects, Badger 2040 has a Qwiic/STEMMA QT port for connecting breakouts with a JST‑SH cable and STEMMA QT adapter. With this, you can explore integration with a variety of sensors, breakout boards, and accessories.

Verdict

8/10

Badger 2040 is a fun accessory that integrates nicely with Raspberry Pi thanks to its RP2040 base. Simple to set up, but a lot of potential for integration with your projects.

SPECS

Screen: 2.9-inch black and white e-ink display (296 × 128 pixels)

Processor: RP2040 (dual Arm Cortex-M0+ running at up to 133MHz with 264kB of SRAM); 2MB of QSPI flash supporting XiP

I/O: Five front user buttons; Reset and boot buttons; White LED USB-C connector for power and programming; JST-PH connector for attaching a battery (input range 2.7 V – 6 V)