E Ink announced a collaboration with Realtek Semiconductor to unveil the second-generation System-on-Panel (SoP) electronic shelf label (ESL) reference design.

E Ink says that this new design is an innovation solution simplifies ESL development, significantly reducing the barrier to entry. Under identical display areas, the new-generation design achieves approximately a 30% reduction in thin-film transistor (TFT) size and a 50% decrease in flexible printed circuit (FPC) dimensions. This enables streamlined ESLs with slimmer borders perfectly suited for diverse retail environments.

The groundbreaking SoP technology integrates components directly onto ePaper, glass, or flexible substrates, combining integrated circuits, panels, and system design into a unified ePaper display solution. The second-generation SoP incorporates Realtek’s Bluetooth chipset using Chip-on-Glass (CoG) technology, creating the world’s first device embedding a Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) directly onto glass.

This advancement minimizes material usage, reduces product size, simplifies manufacturing processes, and delivers a more efficient, environmentally sustainable display solution.