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Getting Started with reTerminal E1004

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Introduction​

reTerminal E1004 is a 13.3 inch open-source full color ePaper display with up to 6-month battery life. Powered by ESP32-S3, it natively supports our SenseCraft HMI no-code UI platform for effortless dashboard creation, while supporting Home Assistant, Arduino and ESP-IDF for further development. With the E Ink® Spectra™ 6 full-color ePaper Display, it's perfect for digital frame, colorful dashboard visulization.

Features​

  • High-resolution，Beautiful and Ready-to-Use E Ink® Spectra™6 Color ePaper Display
  • No-Code UI Design & Deployment with SenseCraft HMI
  • Image Slideshows with Live Data Sync&Battery Lasts for Months
  • Adapting to decoration and display needs in different scenarios

Specification​

ItemDescription
Product NamereTerminal E1004
ProcessorESP32-S3 with 8MB PSRAM
Storage32MB Flash, support Micro SD card (Up to 32GB, 16GB included)
Display13.3" Spectra™ 6 Full Color ePaper
Resolution1200 x 1600 Pixels
Wireless Connectivity2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
SensorsTemperature, Humidity sensors
AudioBuzzer (Sound alert)
Battery5000mAh
Power InputUSB-C 5V / 1A
Working Temperature0-40°C
Dimensions376mm x 311mm x 40mm

Applications​

  • Low-power Electronic Photo Frame: Display high-resolution family photos or art with paper-like quality without worrying about daily charging.
  • Family Information Board: Keep track of calendars, notifications, weather, and news in a stylish, always-on format.
  • Home Automation Dashboard: Visualize real-time smart home data (temperature, humidity, air quality) via Home Assistant.
  • Smart Office Display: Show meeting room schedules, availability, or directional guidance.
  • Retail & Public Signage: Energy-efficient menus, schedules, or occupancy indicators.
  • Education & Prototyping: An ideal platform for learning IoT, embedded systems, and UI design.

Hardware Overview​

  1. ePaper Display: 13.3" E Ink® Spectra™ 6 full color ePaper display area.
  2. Touch Buttons: Capacitive touch buttons on the front bezel for screen refresh and page navigation (previous / next).
  3. Page Up / Down / Refresh Buttons: Physical buttons on the back for page turning and manually refreshing the ePaper display.
  4. Red Charging LED: Indicates the battery charging status.
  5. USB-C Data and Charge Port: For charging the device and data transmission.
  6. Power Switch: To turn the device power on or off.
  7. Green Status LED: Indicates the current operational or system status.
  8. Reset Button: For resetting the device.
  9. Boot Button: Used for entering boot / firmware download mode.
  10. Expansion Port: 2 × 4 pin header providing VDD, GND, UART, I2C, GPIO, and ADC connections for external sensors, modules, or peripherals.
  11. Stand Mounting Inserts: Threaded inserts on the back for securing the device onto its stand.

Getting Started​

The reTerminal E1004 comes pre-loaded with firmware that supports SenseCraft HMI, a no-code platform that allows you to design and deploy personalized dashboards effortlessly.

Preliminary​

Step 1. Unbox your reTerminal E1004 and ensure all components are included:

  • reTerminal E1004 device
  • USB-C cable
  • Quick start guide
  • screwdriver
  • screws
  • Metal support stand (supports both portrait and landscape orientation)

Step 2. (Optional) Attach the metal support stand to place the device in either portrait or landscape orientation:

Locate the metal stand included in the package. The stand uses the threaded inserts on the back of the reTerminal E1004 — you can mount it vertically for portrait orientation or rotate it 90° and mount to the alternate set of inserts for landscape orientation. Use the included screwdriver and screws to secure the stand. Once attached, place the reTerminal E1004 on a flat surface; the stand will support it in the chosen orientation.

Step 3. (Optional) Replace or remove the microSD card.

The reTerminal E1004 comes with a pre-installed 16GB microSD card, so in most cases you do not need to insert one yourself. If you want to swap it for a different card or take the card out, refer to the video below for guidance.

note

The reTerminal E Series ePaper Display only supports MicroSD cards up to 32GB in Fat32 format.
The 32GB SD card is formatted as exFAT by default. After formatting it to FAT32, it can be successfully mounted and used to store images.

Step 4. (Optional) Install USB drivers if needed:

Depending on your operating system, you may need to install USB drivers to ensure proper communication with your reTerminal E1004:

  • Windows 11 systems typically include the driver by default
  • For Windows 10 and earlier versions, you may need to download and install the CH341 driver from WCH official website

Power On​

Step 1. Power on the device by sliding the power switch to the ON position. The power switch is located on the back of the unit.

Step 2. On first boot, the device will display product information and network setup instructions.


Step 3. The green user LED will light up for approximately 3 seconds, indicating the device is powered on and initializing. 30 seconds of no operation of the device, in order to ensure the power, the device will automatically enter the sleep mode, the LED light will automatically turn off.

tip

So, we need to complete the next steps of configuring the network during this time. When the device goes to sleep, you will not be able to find the device's hotspot. If this is the case, you can wake up the device by pressing the Refresh touch button on the front bezel, or the Refresh physical button on the back of the unit.

Network Setup​

Step 1. Connect to the device's Wi-Fi access point from your smartphone or computer. The AP name will appear on the screen (no password required). The network credentials are reTerminal E1004-{MAC Address}.


Step 2. Once connected, your phone should automatically redirect to the Wi-Fi configuration page. If not, open a browser and navigate to 192.168.4.1.


Step 3. Select your local Wi-Fi network and enter the password, then click "Connect".

note

The reTerminal E Series ePaper Display only supports 2.4GHz WiFi networks, not 5GHz or other bands.

Step 4. Upon successful connection, the device will emit a confirmation beep and display a pairing code screen.

Connecting to SenseCraft Platform​

Step 1. Visit SenseCraft HMI in your web browser and create an account or sign in.

SenseCraft HMI 🖱️

Step 2. In the left sidebar, click Device to enter the Device page, then click the + New Device button in the upper-left corner.

Step 3. Name your device and enter the pairing code displayed on your device's screen and click Create.

Step 4. Once paired, the device will display a message prompting you to create your first dashboard.

Firmware Update​

After the device is successfully added to your SenseCraft account, the platform will automatically check the firmware version. If a newer firmware is available, you will be prompted to update.

You can also check the firmware version manually at any time:

Step 1. On the Device page, find your reTerminal E1004 to view its details, and note the current firmware version.

Step 2. In the left sidebar, click Tools and open the Firmware Flasher tab to see the latest firmware version available for this device.

Step 3. If the current version is older than the latest one, follow the 3-step flow on the Firmware Flasher page to update:

  1. Select your device — plug the reTerminal E1004 into your computer via the USB-C cable, make sure the power switch is ON, then click Select and choose your device from the list.

  2. Select firmware — choose the latest firmware from the release options dropdown.

  3. Flash — click Flash and wait for the update to complete. Enable Full Flash only if you want to reset the device to factory state (all data, settings, and designs will be wiped).

note

  1. Updating the firmware ensures optimal performance and access to the latest features.

  2. It is not possible to flash the firmware properly when the device is in the shutdown or sleep state. If you select the correct port for your device but never see the flash firmware progress, you may need to wake up the device by pressing the Refresh button on the unit and try again.

  3. Do a standard Flash to keep your setup: Wi-Fi, deployed designs, and pictures are preserved. Do a Full Flash to start fresh: all data, settings, and designs are wiped (factory state).

Display Content on Your reTerminal E1004​

Once your device is paired, you can start using it to display whatever you like. We recommend SenseCraft HMI — a no-code cloud platform that lets you design and deploy content to your reTerminal E1004 in just a few clicks.

SenseCraft HMI has its own dedicated Wiki with full tutorials and feature documentation. For in-depth guides (account setup, firmware flashing, advanced editor usage, deployment, etc.), please refer to:

Since this article is a product Getting Started, we will not repeat the same content here — the following only shows how to quickly display something on your reTerminal E1004.

Home — Start From a Community Template​

The fastest way to get something on your screen is to start from a ready-made template. On the Home page of SenseCraft HMI, you will find a large and continuously growing collection of templates contributed by the community — dashboards, clocks, weather panels, quote walls, calendars, photo frames, and more. Browse the gallery, pick whichever design you like, and deploy it to your reTerminal E1004 with one click.

Workspace — Manage and Design Your Own Content​

The Workspace page is where you manage all pages and content shown on the currently bound device. From here you can:

  • Create and arrange your own design pages from scratch
  • Upload images and organize them into slideshows
  • Combine text, widgets, shapes, data, RSS feeds, web content, and more in a single drag-and-drop editor
  • Deploy the final design wirelessly to your reTerminal E1004

Once your design is saved, click Deploy to Device, select your paired reTerminal E1004, and the content will be transmitted wirelessly to the device. The ePaper display will update to show your design.

note

Due to the nature of E Ink technology, the screen refresh may take a few seconds to fully update the image and clear any ghosting.

For everything else — detailed editor operations, tips, and release notes — refer to the SenseCraft HMI Wiki.

Operating the Device​

Refresh Button​

The refresh button is located either as the leftmost button on the lower front of the device, or on the back of the device at the position shown in the image above. It serves several functions:

  • Single Press: Manually refreshes the display and checks for new content from the SenseCraft platform. The buzzer will beep once to confirm the action. This button is also commonly used to wake up the device. You can use this button to wake up a device when it has gone to sleep and a dashboard refresh command is usually not immediately available to the device.

  • Long Press (future functionality): Will activate voice input mode.

The left and right buttons allow you to navigate between multiple pages if your dashboard contains more than one page:

  • Left Button: Navigate to the previous page

  • Right Button: Navigate to the next page

Network Reset​

If you need to connect to a different Wi-Fi network:

Step 1. Press and hold both navigation buttons (left and right) simultaneously for 2 seconds.

Step 2. The device will enter Wi-Fi configuration mode, and you can follow the Network Setup steps again to connect to a new network.

LED Indicators​

  • Red LED:

    • Off: Fully charged or not charging
    • Always on: charging

  • Green LED:

    • On for 3 seconds at boot: Device is powering on

Battery Operation​

When operating on battery power:

  • The device will automatically enter low-power mode between refreshes

  • Battery life depends on refresh frequency (typically 3-month on a full charge with default settings)

  • The device will display a low battery icon in the top-right corner when the battery level is below 20%

tip

If you want to write some code by yourself to read battery voltage, it will be more precise to add 10ms delay before analogRead() function.

Expansion Pins​

The reTerminal E1004 features an 8-pin expansion header (J2) that provides connectivity options for adding external sensors, modules, or other hardware to extend the functionality of your device. This expansion header exposes several ESP32-S3 GPIO pins and communication interfaces, making it a versatile connection point for your DIY projects.

Expansion Header Pinout​

The expansion connector (J2) is a 2×4 header (part number ST-FH-254-0148-2×4P) that provides 8 pins arranged in two columns. The pin position notation below uses Lx for the left column and Rx for the right column (numbered from top to bottom, as shown in the image above):

PinLabelESP32-S3 PinTypeDescription
L1I2C2_SCLGPIO40GPIO / I2C SCLGPIO or I2C clock signal
L2I2C1_SDAGPIO39GPIO / I2C SDAGPIO or I2C data signal
L3GND-GroundCommon ground reference
L43V3-Power3.3V power supply for external devices
R1RX1GPIO42GPIO / UART RXGPIO or UART receive (RX) signal
R2TX1GPIO41GPIO / UART TXGPIO or UART transmit (TX) signal
R3ADCGPIO6GPIO / ADCGeneral purpose I/O with analog input capability
R4GND-GroundCommon ground reference

Troubleshooting​

Q1: Device Won't Power On​

  • Ensure the power switch is in the ON position
  • Connect the USB-C cable to charge the device
  • Check if the red LED is always on (indicating charging)
  • If using battery power, ensure the battery is properly connected and charged

Q2: Can't Connect to Wi-Fi​

  • Verify you're entering the correct Wi-Fi password
  • Ensure your Wi-Fi network is operational
  • Check if your Wi-Fi router supports 2.4GHz networks (5GHz is not supported)
  • Try positioning the device closer to your Wi-Fi router

Q3: Display Not Updating​

  • Press the refresh button to manually trigger an update
  • Verify the device is connected to Wi-Fi (no disconnection icon in the corner)
  • Check your SenseCraft account to ensure the dashboard is properly deployed
  • If the problem persists, try restarting the device
  • If the device still does not respond after restarting, re-flash the corresponding firmware on the SenseCraft HMI platform and check whether the device can refresh normally

Q4: Network Connection Lost​

  • The device will automatically attempt to reconnect to known networks
  • When reconnected, the Wi-Fi disconnection icon will disappear
  • If unable to reconnect, follow the Network Reset procedure above

Q5: Cannot Find Serial Port (COM) on macOS​

If your Mac doesn't recognize the reTerminal via USB, follow this compact guide to install the CH340/CH340K driver:

Step 1. Download and Install the Driver Download the driver from the official WCH page and run CH34xVCPDriver.pkg.

tip

If macOS blocks the installation, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to find the blocked WCH software, and click Allow.

Step 2. Enable Driver Extension (Critical) Open the CH34xVCPDriver app from Launchpad, click Install, then go to System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Driver Extensions. Toggle CH34xVCPDriver Extensions to ON (blue).

Step 3. Connect and Verify Ensure the device power switch is ON and use a data USB-C cable (not charge-only). Open Terminal and run:

ls /dev/tty.wch*
# Expected output: /dev/tty.wchusbserialxxx

If you see the device path in the output, the driver is correctly installed and your reTerminal is ready for use!

Resources​

Tech Support & Product Discussion​

Thank you for choosing our products! We are here to provide you with different support to ensure that your experience with our products is as smooth as possible. We offer several communication channels to cater to different preferences and needs.

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