Introduction: How to Use the ESP32 CAM for Beginners

By
About: Hey guys! I'm a 5th grader making Instructables.Follow, favourite and comment on my Instructables to make my dream come true! Contact me for any problems. :)

I was some months ago searching things like "How to make camera using ESP32" or "Beginners guide on ESP32 CAM" because I got myself a ESP32 CAM AI Thinker model.I was getting really furious because the articles were varying, the instructions were vague, etc.So here I present what I hope is a clear guide to using the ESP32 CAM module for beginners.

Supplies

Supplies you need to make this project-

1.ESP32 CAM module

2.Female to Female Jumper Wires

3.Arduino Board(Nano or UNO)

Software-

1.Arduino IDE

Step 1: Introduction to the ESP32 CAM

The ESP32 CAM is one of the family of ESP32.Its by far the most exciting to work with, as it has various features like Face Recognition, SD memory card, etc.It does have pros and cons, though, and I'll list them here:-

Pros

1.The camera is very cheap, and is jam-packed with features for its price.

2.Features bright LED, useful for working in dark conditions.

3.Features SD memory card slot, used for storing footage.

Cons

1.Does not have USB port for programming, makes a huge pain to program.

2.Camera quality is not that good, even at highest resolution.

3.Makes it hard to attach external antennae without removing tiny components.

Step 2: Preparing the Arduino IDE for Programming

Okay, so here's the gist: Arduino IDE is built to program Arduino Boards, not ESP32.We need to program it correctly so that it can work with our ESP32 CAM module without throwing weird errors.So lets get started!

Steps

1.Go to Boards and search ESP32.Install the one by Espressif Systems.

2.Go to Tools in the top bar and get down to Board.You should see a new option called esp32.

3.Select "ESP32 Wrover Module".You're officially done with the Board setup.

You can refer to the pictures for more help.

Step 3: ESP32 Circuit

Attach everything according to the pictures.Select the right board!

Step 4: Programming the ESP32

Okay, so this part is a bit complicated.Do exactly as I say or you'll completely duck up the whole project.

Steps

1.Download ALL the files from this page.(by all I mean ALL!)

2.Store them in a folder named "CameraWebServer_edited_2323", without the quotes.

3.Open the .ino file.

4.Connect the circuit to your computer using the USB cable.

5.See where I have given some fake Wifi credentials.Change it with your own.

6.Click Upload

After its finished, disconnect the the wire connecting the jumper U01 to GND on the ESP32 CAM.

Connect the circuit back to the computer and you should see a message containing a IP address in the Serial Monitor.

Attachments

Step 5: How to View the Footage:Live!

Copy the IP you received earlier.Paste that into your browser and you should see a website appear.Click Start Stream and bingo! You just finished building your first ESP32 CAM project!