The Modos Paper Monitor is a developer kit and open-hardware e-paper monitor made for quick, low-latency performance with up to a 75Hz refresh rate. This makes it suitable for It stands out from typical e-paper displays. It supports both 6-inch and 13-inch monochrome screens powered by the same FPGA-based controller, which also works with other panels, so users may reuse or play about with various e-paper displays.
Major features include an open-source FPGA “Caster” controller, hybrid grayscale modes, regional updates, multiple dithering options, and compatibility with a wide range of e-paper panels. Unlike commercial closed systems, Modos promotes open standards and customisation, making it useful for building low-power displays, e-paper monitors, custom devices, and prototyping new applications where readability, sunlight visibility, and eye comfort are important.
We have learn about e-paper displays in our previous article, which we have covered recently. Feel free to look into it.
Modos Open Hardware E-Paper Monitor Specifications:
- Microcontroller: STM32H750 (USB communication, firmware upgrades, standalone apps)
- Controller: Caster FPGA gateware running on Xilinx Spartan-6 LX16 FPGA
- Memory: DDR3-800 framebuffer
- Display support: 6.0-inch to 13.3-inch e-paper panels (monochrome and colour filter)
- Screen resolution: up to 1600 × 1200 (13.3-inch), 1448 × 1072 (6.0-inch)
- Refresh rate: up to 75 Hz
- Video input:
- USB Type-C DisplayPort Alt-Mode (PTN3460 decoder)
- microHDMI / DVI input (ADV7611 decoder)
- Interfaces: HDMI, USB Type-C
- E-paper power supply: up to 1 A peak current on ±15 V rail
- Modes:
- Update modes: Binary, 4-level grayscale, 16-level grayscale
- Hybrid grayscale mode: fast binary + refined grayscale rendering
- Dithering: hardware Bayer, blue-noise, and error-diffusion dithering (no added latency)
- Latency: <20 µs processing delay
- Adapters included: Glider Mega Adapter for 4.3″ to 13.3″ panels (various pinouts)
The Modos Paper Monitor / Dev Kit offers full open-source software support with compatibility across Linux, macOS, and Windows. It gives a C API via which developers may customise driving policies for several uses, manage user-defined modes, and execute regional updates. Rust, Python, and C all support programming, therefore enabling engineers, developers, and hobbyists flexibility. The onboard STM32H750 microcontroller controls firmware updates, guaranteeing simple improvements and ease of maintenance. Design files, source code, and exhaustive documentation are all free to view. For cooperation and support, GitHub is supported by an engaged community on Discord, Mastodon, Bluesky, Matrix, and Twitter.
Through its crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply, which runs until September 18, 2025, the Modos Paper Monitor / Dev Kit is presently available. Depending on the setup, Pricing starts at $199 for the 6-inch kit and goes up to $599 for the 13-inch model. Availability will start once the campaign is over and rewards are sent to supporters, since it is still in the funding phase.
Niladri Chowdhury 
Puja Banerjee 