Embedded Files
ESP32-Cam is a small and cheap Camera module with WiFi real-time streaming and control, with on-board micro SD card for images storage.
ESP32-Cam is a small and cheap Camera module with WiFi real-time streaming and control, with on-board micro SD card for images storage.
I wrote some Arduino code (C language) based on already available libraries and utilities, togheter with and Android App as controller client, written using the great blockly development environment MIT App Inventor 2.
There are several tutorials nd howtos on the Internet related to ESP32-Cam board description and programming (a good example here). This small board can be easily programmed uploading fi rmware written using Arduino IDE. The only needed support hardware is a PC and an USB serial programmer module (FTDI or CP2102-like TTL-USB converter).
At the end of this page you can find the hex binary file to upload to the ESP32-Cam board and the apk Android App installation file.
ESP32-Cam board initialization
ESP32-Cam board initialization
After uploading the firmware in the ESP32-Cam board and while the board is still connected to the PC via USB port, make an hardware reset of the board and you should get a message like the following in the serial monitor (I use Moserial in Ubuntu Linux)
After uploading the firmware in the ESP32-Cam board and while the board is still connected to the PC via USB port, make an hardware reset of the board and you should get a message like this in the serial monitor (I use Moserial in Ubuntu Linux).
The highlighted text is the IP address you need to set in the App to connect to Camera WiFi board (software Access Point), this can vary and depends on your setup.
Search for the 'ESP32-Cam' WiFi device on your smartphone and use the 'esp32cam' temporary password to connect. You can then change the password inside the App.
The Android App
The Android App
My Android App is based on the WebViewer AI2's component, in order to show streaming real-time video and preview captured and stored jpegs on the on-board SD card. Communication and files trasfer is via httpd (ESP32 Espressif's library for Arduino). A simple FTP server is also available.
Some simple Timelapse functions have been added as well.
The App will create folders on the SD card with a simple naming convention that is based on current date and time, both for manual Capture and Timelapse sequences as well.
Here is a screenshot of one of the several pages available in the App.
Download and install the apk on your smartphone, then run the App and follow the steps showed below.
After the blue welcome screen you should see the first 'Opts' tab. Follow the steps shown below.
- Tap on 'IP address' to set the Camera IP (see Camera setup chapter).
- Check the left flag to show value while you type and tap on Confirm.
- Now the Camera should be connected and ready.
- You can also check and change the ESP32-Cam access password.
- Go to 'Cam1' tab and tap on 'Stream'.
- Now you are in streaming mode. 'Stop' will stop the streaming and 'Capture' will save the current frame temporarily.
- If you want to save the captured frame on SD card, tap on 'Save' button.
- In tabs 'Cam2' and 'Cam3' you can find the other Camera settings (Face recognition still to be implemented ...)
Captured and saved images will be stored in SD card in [date]/CAPT-[time].jpg (e.g. 2020-08-12/CAPT-220546.jpg for a frame saved 2020, August 12th at 10:05:46 PM)
The '<|>' button will open the streaming frame widget at full size, in landscape orientation.
'other options' and 'SD card' tabs
- 'other options' tab
- Default values can be loaded at anytime
- Software reset the ESP32-Cam board
- Open an FTP server in the ESP32-Cam to access the SD card via FTP commands and close the Camera connection
- Connect and sync the Camera with the App in case of connection lost
- CNFG is a set of Configuration memory slots where you can store and retrieve different Camera settings
- CNFG 0 is reserved to store the current parameters so that they will be automatically reloaded at next startup
- CNFG save dialog example
- CNFG load dialog example
- Current Camera status check
- Tap on 'SD card'. Some functions are here available to access SD file system. Files and folders can be listed, deleted and/or renamed. This is the output of 'List all'.
- 'List folder' will list the content of the selected folder only.
- 'Delete folder'
- 'File manager' will show up files and folders for multiple selections. Be aware that it'll take time to list SD content if there is a big number of files stored in SD.
- 'View image' listing
- 'View image' allow you to select and visualize a jpeg file from the SD card (togheter with additional buttons to review the same folder images content).
Timelapse
- Tap on 'TL' button. This is a Timelapse section where you can set the time interval between shots (in seconds), the time duration of the complete sequence (hours, minutes and seconds), using a scale widget as well.
- 'Sequence' dialog (Start and optional interrupt)
- Current status of sequence
- Settings file saved for each sequence start
- View selected image frame
Images will be stored in a folder named [date]/[time] (e.g.: 2020-08-12/132652/TLPS-00001 means sequence started 2020, August 12th at 01:26:52 AM, first Timelapse frame)
Small Timelapse MP4 example. Rendered using ffmpeg on Linux with:
ffmpeg -r 60 -f image2 -i TLPS-%05d.jpg -vcodec libx264 -crf 10 -pix_fmt yuv420p lapse.mp4
lapse.mp4Google Sites
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