[nymiro]

Hello Luka! I really like your products. I am in a quest for a small e-ink display that might survive the rigours of being placed behind a car windshield. Is this an application that, in your opinion, can be handled with an e-ink display or will sun, extreme temperatures, etc destroy it. Is there any kind of hardened e-ink product out there? I hope it is ok to pick your brain on this. Thanks!

[luka-birsa]

So we do have quite a lot of experience running these screens in extreme environments - we've worked with a company called Mercury Innovation and built a fleet of traffic signs that have been running in scorching Australia non-stop for about 4 years now.

There are a couple of things you need to do: - Protect the screen against UV (there are protective foils and glass with integrated protection you can use). Failing to do so will cause permanent damage to the screen. This is a solved problem with loads of companies using EPD for external usage. - Make sure you respect the maximum temperature limits - the driving board should be aware of extreme (>50C temperatures) and prevent updates in those cases. There are special waveforms that extend the operating range to beyond that, but you will get only black and white updates.

Realistically EPD robustness is a solved problem. About 6/7 years ago we've launched a product based on epaper that was water tight and was intended to be used outside (permanent mounting on desks). We did not see any problems with display. And the parking signs have been running 4 years non stop any failures in the field.

[nymiro]

Thank you for taking the time to answer! I hope that in time eink displays will become more relevant, I really think that they are the best solution for many applications.