Result and general impression …
In our Homematic HM-Dis-EP-WM55 test you can see very clearly from the programming where the strengths and unfortunately also the weaknesses of the E-Paper display of Homematic are.
We have mixed feelings about the Homematic E-Paper Display and unfortunately cannot give a clear recommendation to buy. On the one hand, the E-Paper Display offers a permanent display, for example to show a status such as windows closed, shutters down, lights in the house switched off. On the other hand, the data traffic and power consumption is so high with frequently changing conditions that no reasonable use is possible, for example, as a temperature display, temperature difference display, exact status of windows or doors. At least not if frequent transmission such as changing the display every time the windows and doors are opened and closed is desired. Daily polling or individual polling at the touch of a button is not a problem if programmed accordingly, but its use in continuous operation is quite limited. The field of application therefore determines the suitability in practice.
On one point at least, we can make a clear recommendation and that is the price savings that can be made with the Homematic HM-Dis-EP-WM55 kit, because as long as you have basic knowledge of soldering, you can save the 20 Euro surcharge of the assembled product compared to the kit with little effort. And it’s also fun 😉
All in all we would have wished for a slightly longer battery life – even with frequent transmissions – but we see clear advantages for small status changes due to the permanent e-paper display. Because an e-paper display keeps its display even without power. Also for this reason, a somewhat larger display would certainly have been possible without any problems. The legibility of the black and white display is, however, extremely good and is not comparable to the older LCD technology.
If the display size of the eQ-3 E-Paper Display is not enough for you, we will soon present a completely different solution in a larger project. And if you don’t need a permanent display, you can use the O-LED Display kit HM-Dis-WM55 *Ad to get a similar Homematic product, which we have also been testing for quite some time and will soon publish in the test. Basically the Homematic products are a great thing, because you can convert your house or apartment to a smarthome without much effort thanks to 868.3 MHz radio transmission and hobbyists even save money thanks to the optionally available kits.
Discuss in our forum and share experiences about the E-Paper Display …
Here you can buy the Homematic E-Paper Display as kit at a reasonable price. *Ad