What we need for functionality
- ESP32-S3-CAM board with OV2640 camera module here
- Supported camera modules here
- Module board version here
- How to flash binary files to board from Linux/MAC/Windows here
- How to compile software in the Arduino IDE here
- How to reset the configuration to factory settings here
- Status LED here
- Schematic main board is here
- External FLASH LED here
- Power supply here
- External temperature sensor DHT22/DHT11 here
- Potential issue here
Basic information:
- Onboard RGB LED (most likely ws2812b)
- Option connecting external FLASH LED
- Micro SD card slot
- Internal or External WiFi antenna
- 16MB FLASH and 8MB external PSRAM
- 520 KB SRAM
- Excellent WiFi signal
- There is no official documentation for this module.
- Additional HW must be purchased for programming
This is a module with an ESP32-S3 processor. It is a dimensional copy of the ESP32-CAM board by AiThinker. The board has the same dimensions but features a more powerful ESP32-S3 processor and an RGB LED for illumination. The LED for illumination is likely of the WS2812B type. There is no official documentation or circuit diagram available for this board. The camera module consists of two boards: the main board with the WiFi MCU, camera, micro SD card slot, and LED for illumination, and a second board used for programming that has a micro USB connector. Board pineout it's not same as on the AiThinker ESP32-CAM.
It's necessary to use a camera version OV2640. If using a different camera, modification of the camera's pinout can be needed, or some camera settings may not work correctly. We recommend to use a camera module with a viewing angle of 120° or 160°.
These are currently known or tested camera modules:
| Camera chip | FOV | Resolution | Tested | Works | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OV2640 | 66° | 2MP | Yes | Yes | Recommended. Standard camera module |
| OV2640 | 120° | 2MP | Yes | Yes | Recommended |
| OV2640 | 160° | 2MP | Yes | Yes | Recommended |
However, for uploading the firmware, it's important to use this configuration of addresses and files:
ZIP file with build binary files: esp32-s3-cam.zip
- address 0x0 - ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bootloader.bin
- address 0x8000 - ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.partitions.bin
- address 0x10000 - ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bin
It is important to download the correct binary files! Each type of camera has its own ZIP archive with files for uploading the firmware.
You must use the console to upload the firmware on the MAC or Linux platform. First, ensure you have installed esptool for Python. You can find it on the manufacturer's website, ESPRESSIF, here.
And command for FLASH FW is here, where /dev/ttya0 is your serial interface for communication with the ESP32-cam board. This is the command for the first flash FW to MCU.
./esptool --chip esp32s3 -p /dev/ttya0 -b 921600 --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash --erase-all --flash_mode dio --flash_size 16MB --flash_freq 80m 0x0 ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bootloader.bin 0x8000 ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.partitions.bin 0x10000 ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bin
This command contains the parameter --erase-all, which erases the entire flash in the MCU. So, for just updating the firmware, it is necessary to remove the parameter --erase-all; otherwise, the MCU configuration will also be deleted. The basic command list can be found here
Here is the command for updating the firmware in the MCU without erasing the MCU configuration
./esptool --chip esp32s3 -p /dev/ttya0 -b 921600 --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash --flash_mode dio --flash_size 16MB --flash_freq 80m 0x0 ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bootloader.bin 0x8000 ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.partitions.bin 0x10000 ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bin
Launching the esptool application may be different in different operating systems
The driver should be installed automatically by Windows. SW for FW flash (Flash Download Tools) is here
In the first step, you need to open the application flash download tool, and select MCU version
Then, select the communication port. It's necessary to erase the FLASH using the ERASE button before the first firmware flash.
Board configuration in the Arduino IDE 2.3.2
- Tools -> Board -> ESP32 Arduino -> ESP32S3 Dev Module
- Tools -> USB CDC on BOOT -> Disable
- Tools -> CPU Frequency -> 240MHz (WiFi/BT)
- Tools -> Core debug level -> None
- Tools -> USB DFU on BOOT -> Disable
- Tools -> Erase all Flash Before Sketch Upload -> Disable (first flash, new board = enable. otherwise = disable)
- Tools -> Events Run On -> Core 1
- Tools -> Flash Mode -> DIO 80MHz
- Tools -> Flash Size -> 16MB
- Tools -> Jtag Adapter -> Disable
- Tools -> Arduino Runs On -> Core 1
- Tools -> USB Firmware MSC On Boot -> Disable
- Tools -> Partition scheme -> Minimal SPIFFS (1.9MB APP with OTA/190KB SPIFFS)
- Tools -> PSRAM -> OPI PSRAM
- Tools -> Upload Mode -> UART0 / Hardware CDC
- Tools -> Upload Speed -> 921600
- Tools -> USB Mode -> Hardware CDC and JTAG
- Tools -> Zigbee mode -> Disable
When flashing the firmware to a new, empty ESP32-S3-CAM Sense device for the first time, it is necessary to use the 'Erase' function.
This can be found under Tools -> Erase all Flash Before Sketch Upload -> Enable.
After the initial firmware upload to the MCU, it's necessary to disable this option. If you do not disable this option, your camera configuration will continue to be erased from the flash memory after uploading new firmware from the Arduino IDE.
It is necessary to enable support for the correct board version in the file mcu_cfg.h after line 16.
To reset the settings to factory defaults, follow these instructions:
- Connect PIN GPIO14 to ground.
- Plug in the power supply.
- Wait for 10 seconds.
- After 10 seconds, the FLASH LED will start flashing.
- Disconnect PIN GPIO14 from ground (but don't disconnect the power supply).
- After disconnecting GPIO14 from ground, the FLASH LED will stop flashing, and the MCU will automatically reboot.
- Now the MCU is in the factory settings.
On the board, there is a status LED that provides a visual indicator of the module's current status through blinking at defined intervals.
Upon module activation, the LED illuminates. After processor initialization, the LED exhibits different blinking intervals based on the current mode of the module
- Service AP Mode only: The LED blinks every 400 ms, indicating the module's availability in service AP mode.
- Connecting to WiFi AP: While connecting to a WiFi Access Point, the LED blinks at intervals of 800 ms.
- Connected to WiFi Network: Upon successful connection to a WiFi network, the LED blinks at intervals of 4000 ms, signaling a stable connection.
- Problematic State: If an issue or error occurs, the LED accelerates its blinking to every 100 ms.
The approximate boot time of the device is 15-20 seconds.
For this board, I was unable to find any official documentation or pinout. The following pinout was determined from PCB analysis.
Pinout
This board version have RGB FLASH LED on the board (most likely ws2812b). It is still possible to connect an external LED for illumination. The wiring is shown in the image below.
For the external LED is in the SW used GPIO pin 47.
However, a 5mm LED can also be connected directly. CAUTION: The digital GPIO output from the ESP32-S3-CAM board has a current limitation of a maximum of 40mA! Therefore, it is recommended to switch the LED using a transistor rather than directly through the GPIO pin. Improper use of the GPIO pin can lead to permanent damage.
The device requires a 5V power supply, with a maximum current consumption of 2A. Power is supplied via a micro USB connector when using the original programmer.
Below you will find the wiring diagram for the DHT22 or DHT11 sensor.
| Camera board | DHT22/DHT11 |
|---|---|
| 3.3V | VCC |
| GND | GND |
| GPIO20 | Data |
- Slow WEB page loading during first 1 minutes after MCU start