Portal Calendar: An ESP32 and Waveshare E-Ink Build

Portal Calendar: An ESP32 and Waveshare E-Ink Build. It displays the date on a Waveshare e-paper screen and can optionally replace decorative icons with forecast information.

PineMux Editorial 30 Sep 2026 2 min read

E-Paper & Displays

01 / Project overview

Portal Calendar is a published ESP32 calendar build inspired by the Portal games. It displays the date on a Waveshare e-paper screen and can optionally replace decorative icons with forecast information. The repository provides assembly details, firmware build instructions and revision-specific wiring notes.

02 / Materials & software

Waveshare 7.5-inch 800 × 480 display
supported ESP32
battery hardware and enclosure from the BOM

FROM THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
The rear view shows how the author fitted the electronics behind the display.
wuspy/portal_calendar · View original image

03 / Compatibility & setup notes

Waveshare driver revision 2.3 adds a PWR connection that earlier revisions lack. The game-inspired artwork has separate intellectual-property considerations from the firmware; consult upstream notices before redistribution.

FROM THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
A close view of the original ribbon-cable arrangement. Follow the upstream model-specific assembly instructions.
wuspy/portal_calendar · View original image

04 / Build the project

Follow the bill of materials for the display and controller combination.
Assemble the circuit using the wiring table for the exact driver-board revision.
Flash a supported release or build configuration, set the time options and add weather only after the calendar works.

05 / Check the result

Check date rollover, saved configuration and recovery after a power cycle. Evaluate battery life on your own refresh settings rather than treating the author’s estimate as a guarantee.

PineMux build note: Keep a record of the board revision, firmware version and first successful test. Follow the upstream guide for exact pins and commands.