You are now ready to upload firmware to the device.
Set CPU Frequency to 240MHz (WiFi/BT), Flash Frequency to 80MHz, and Flash Mode to QIO. In the Arduino IDE, select your board by navigating to Tools > Board and selecting AI-Thinker ESP32-CAM. With the FTDI board connected to the ESP32-CAM, connect the FTDI board to your computer with a USB cable. Once this is installed, it will be ready to connect to our ESP32-CAM Navigate to Tools > Board > Boards Manager, and search for esp32 by Espressif Systems.
Install the added board manager from the Arduino IDE Boards Manager. Enter the following URL in the field and select OK: With the Arduino IDE open, navigate to File > Preferences and locate the Additional Board Managers URLs field. Once the Arduino IDE is installed, install and set up the ESP32-CAM board. You can download the latest version of the Arduino IDE for Windows, Mac, or Linux from.
We will be using the Arduino IDE to program and upload code to the ESP32-CAM. Finally, we also need to connect GND and IO0 on the ESP32-CAM to set the board to programming mode. To program the board, we need to connect TXO on the FTDI board to U0T on the ESP32-CAM, and RXI on the FTDI to U0R on the ESP32-CAM. We need to connect GND on the FTDI board to GND on the ESP32-CAM, and VCC on the FTDI to 5V on the ESP32-CAM. To connect the FTDI breakout to the ESP32-CAM, we will use some breadboard jumper cables to make the connections. The ESP32-S found in our ESP32-CAM is manufactured by Ai-Thinker and uses the common ESP32-D0WDQ6 chip which is comparable to the ESP32-WROOM-32 from Espressif. While the camera sensor is old and only features a limited resolution it can be had for extremely cheap and is well supported. The ESP32-CAM features the low-cost 1/4" 2MP OV2640 camera which was released in 2005 and boasts a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 at 15fps, 800 x 600 at 30fps, or 352 x 288 at 60fps. The ESP32-CAM is a compact development board that includes a microSD card slot and camera ribbon cable connector. We will be looking at one such board, the ESP32-CAM which has been designed to include a small digital camera that can be streamed over the network along with performing basic onboard processing. Several custom boards featuring the ESP32 chip have been developed for a variety of applications.
The processor runs on 3.3VDC power and includes support for 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, and Bluetooth Low Energy. The ESP32 module includes 520KB of SRAM and is paired with 4- 6MB of external flash memory for programs. The microcontroller features a 32-bit Tensilica Xtensa LX6 microprocessor running at 240 MHz and an ultra-low power co-processor. The ESP32 was launched in 2016 and features a dual-core design with WiFi and dual-mode Bluetooth connectivity. The ESP32 is a series of low-cost, low-power chips developed by Espressif Systems and serve as the more powerful successor to the ESP8266.
The current champion of these connected microcontrollers is the ESP32 series.
These new microcontrollers allow us to create more advanced projects that feature integrated video processing and streaming all in a tiny low-power package which makes it perfect for low-cost IoT devices. We have been amazed by just how much is possible with these new microcontrollers including machine learning and audio/visual processing. These new microcontrollers were created to fill the demand for smart IoT devices and advanced maker projects. However, recently we have seen a new generation of microcontrollers emerge with increased performance and connectivity. The original Arduino Uno was released over a decade ago in 2010 and remains one of the go-to boards for maker projects with its extensive documentation and support.
We show you how easy it is to set up a portable web server and to perform object tracking using an ESP32-CAM with its digital camera and onboard processing.