Esp32cam

Project ESP32-CAM
Cheap webcams with Wifi, what could possibly go wrong?
Status	In progress
Contact	noopwafel, bertrik
Last Update	2021-07-31

Introduction

It's an ESP32 board with a camera, running a web server, so it acts as an inexpensive webcam.

Hardware

• http://wiki.aithinker.com/esp32-cam
• bertrik ordered this board on AliExpress

To install the camera:

• flip the black part of the camera connector 90 degrees so it points up
• place the camera connector, contacts towards the PCB, camera facing up
• gently slide the connector in place (about 2 or 3 mm of travel), e.g. pushing with the screw driver onto the rigid part of the camera connector towards the white part of the PCB connector
• flip the black part of the connector back into the flat position.

Pins (ESP32 cam to USB serial converter):

• ESP-32 5V to USB serial 5V
• ESP-32 GND to USB serial GND
• ESP-32 UAR to USB-serial TX
• ESP-32 UAT to USB-serial RX
• ESP-32 IO0 looped to ESP-32 GND (they are next to each other), you can use a jumper or a dupont wire. CLOSED for flashing, OPEN for running.

Software

• maybe https://github.com/m5stack/m5stack-cam-psram ?
• https://github.com/donny681/ESP32_CAMERA_QR
• Step by step video guide to getting it up and running with Arduino IDE and the Expressif CameraWebServer example
• https://github.com/geeksville/TenDollarWebcam

platformio

The CameraWebServer example can be compiled as a platformio project: https://github.com/bertrik/CameraWebServer

To build the code, clone the git repo above, cd into it, then type

 pio run

To upload it to the board (put a jumper between IO0 and GND):

 pio run -t upload

To watch the debug output (remove the jumper):

 pio device monitor

Platformio can be installed on a Debian Linux system as follows:

 sudo apt install python-pip
 sudo pip install platformio
 pio upgrade