the last microreader you will ever need to buy
most e-readers are sealed boxes. when the screen breaks, you buy a new one. when the software hits a wall, you wait for an update that may never come. when the manufacturer stops supporting it, your device becomes e-waste.
de-link is built on a different premise. the PCB is open-source and hand-solderable. the enclosure is 3D-printable. the software is yours to modify. every component that can break can be replaced individually, for a few dollars, without filing a support ticket.
want a bigger screen? get a new GoodDisplay 24-pin panel and print a new case. same PCB, new form. that is the whole point.
de-link runs crosspoint reader from day one — a community-maintained e-reader firmware with epub parsing, page rendering, fonts, and settings built in. not locked to any device, not maintained by a single company.
flash it over USB-C in minutes. modify it if you want. or write your own firmware from scratch. no bricks. no manufacturer restrictions. no locked bootloaders.
pip
v1.0 — where it becomes real
pip is v1.0 of the de-link platform. the PCB design is almost finished. every lesson from the pre goes in: smaller footprint, thinner profile, lower BOM cost, tighter layout. full KiCad production files will be released publicly on launch.
alongside the hardware release, build guides, component sourcing tutorials, and community-contributed firmware will be available to help you get a working device as quickly as possible. the goal is to make de-link the easiest open e-reader to actually build, not just the most capable on paper. de-link is also developed in collaboration with freeink.org to keep e-ink reading open, affordable, and free of platform lock-in.
you do not need to be an experienced hardware person to build pip. the design, the BOM, and the guides that ship with it are aimed squarely at beginners — 0805/SOT-23 hand-soldering, no exotic tools, no prior PCB assembly experience required. real work has gone into keeping it that way, and that stays true for every builder, whether or not unit sales ever happen.
unit sales of pip are not promised. sourcing e-paper screens in bulk is genuinely difficult right now. the microreader market has grown significantly over the past year, and panel suppliers are not easy to access at small quantities without significant upfront commitment.
that could change. with enough support through patreon or ko-fi, it becomes more realistic to negotiate with suppliers and commit to a small production run. but the order of operations is fixed: the open design, build guides, and sourcing files go to the community first, before any unit ever ships for sale. sales are the last step, not the goal.
the best path right now is building your own — or splitting a batch with a few friends. a 5-piece PCBA run keeps per-unit component cost at the prices below. full Gerbers and assembly files will be published to the GitHub repo, free for anyone, when the PCB is final.
support the project
if you want pip to exist, the best thing you can do is follow the project, join the community, and support development directly.
pip is close. drop your email to hear the moment hardware news, build guides, and sourcing files go public — the open files reach the mailing list and community first, before anything else. no spam, unsubscribe anytime.