Why You Should Consider the Feature-Packed ESP32-CAM for Your Next Project

The ESP32-CAM might be the perfect candidate for your next DIY electronics or smart home project.

There are many microcontroller boards available to the hobbyist, but do you know about the ESP32-CAM, an often overlooked board that packs a tremendous amount of value in a very small space?

The ESP32-CAM has as its heart an ESP32-S System-on-Chip (SoC) made by Espressif. Being an SoC means the ESP32-S chip contains an entire computer—the microprocessor, RAM, storage, and peripherals—all packed into a single chip. The capabilities of the chip by itself are quite astounding, but the ESP32-CAM development board brings even more features into the mix. Let's examine the components one at a time.

The Microprocessor

The ESP32-S contains two 32-bit cores running at a staggering 240MHz! Contrast this with a typical starter board, like the Arduino Uno, that has a single 8-bit core running at 8MHz and you will understand why the ESP32-S is capable of heavy-duty tasks like video processing or even artificial intelligence, tasks that the Arduino can't even touch.

Related: What is a Processor Core?

The RAM

Memory is paramount for complex tasks. With the ESP32-S you get a full 320 kilobytes of onboard memory, far more than the puny 2 kilobytes on the Uno. This is enough memory for sophisticated graphics or audio processing.

The Storage

All the features we mentioned amount to nothing if you don't have ample storage for your programs and data. The ESP32-S chip also shines here, having 4,096 kilobytes of on-chip storage vs the 32 kilobytes on the Uno. The ESP32-CAM, in particular, sweetens the deal by adding a micro SD card. This allows for limitless expansion and makes it a great little board for data loggers or image capture.

Related: What Is a System-on-a-Chip?

The Peripherals

A computer is only as good as its ability to interact with the real world. To do so, a computer relies on its peripherals. Let's take a look at the peripherals on the ESP32-S chip.

The Wireless Radio

The first-class radio chip in the ESP32-S allows for communication via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making any ESP32 based board perfect for taking your projects into the world of Internet-of-Things (IoT), allowing you to build web-enabled or smart-phone controlled projects. The Bluetooth capability also opens up many interesting possibilities, such as the ability to send audio to a Bluetooth speaker or to allow data entry via a Bluetooth wireless keyboard or mouse.

Related: What is Bluetooth? Common Questions, Asked and Answered

The Sensors

The major selling point of the ESP32-CAM, as opposed to other ESP32 development boards, is that it has a camera module that allows for video projects such as a video doorbell and a nanny cam. With the on-board processing power of the dual-cores on the ESP32-S, even facial recognition becomes a possibility!

Here is an example of a 3D printed camera case for the ESP32-CAM designed by Electronlibre:

Aside from the camera, the ESP32-S chip brings to the table three interesting sensors. There is a "secret" built-in Hall effect sensor that can be used to detect a nearby magnetic field. This could potentially be pressed into service as a magnetic trigger for a puzzle box!

Another interesting feature is the capacitative touch sensors, which allow you to trigger actions simply through the touch of your hands; in an interesting twist, the capacitative touch sensors can also be used for detecting water.

Last, but not least, there is an analog-to-digital converter that can be used to read electrical signals from analog devices such as potentiometers or ambient light sensors!

The Blinky Lights

The ESP32-CAM has a white LED. It is meant for use as a flash for the camera, but can also be used for general illumination, as a strobe-light, to send Morse code, or whatever your project calls for. On the rear, there is a small red LED that can be used as a status indicator.

The General Purpose Pins

For more advanced hardware hackers, the ESP32-S chip has powerful general-purpose I/O (input/output) ports that allow communication with other devices. These pins can be used as serial ports or I2C buses, and with some clever programming, can even generate television signals, as shown in the following project:

On the ESP32-CAM, a good number of the pins are shared with the camera and SD card and cannot be used alongside those features, but there are four free general-purpose I/O pins for your projects. If your project does not make use of the camera, and your project needs more pins, simply remove it to free up several more for general use.

Related: How UART, SPI, and I2C Serial Communications Work

Selecting the Right ESP32-CAM Variant

One possible reason the ESP32-CAM did not catch on as a DIY board was that it lacked a built-in USB port, making it somewhat difficult to program. To program it, you had to buy something like an FTDI 3.3V USB-to-serial cable and then wire it up just right.

Furthermore, once the programming was done, you needed to connect to a dedicated 5.5V or 3.3V power supply. These steps made the ESP32-CAM somewhat unfriendly for beginners. However, nowadays, there are two great solutions to this problem.

The ESP32-CAM With the ESP32-CAM-MB

Today, you can find several vendors that offer the bare ESP32-CAM board in combination with a small add-on daughterboard called the ESP32-CAM-MB. You stack the ESP32-CAM on the daughterboard to add a micro USB connector that can be used for programming as well as for power.

This setup is modular, meaning you can use a single daughterboard to program any number of ESP32-CAM boards, provided your projects incorporated some other power source for the programmed ESP32-CAM boards.

The ESP32-CAM-CH340

If you prefer an all-in-one solution, the ESP32-CAM-CH340 is the new kid on the block. It is a slightly larger version of the ESP32-CAM that puts the micro USB connector and the USB-to-serial converter chip on the board itself. While this version adds a great deal of convenience, it does cost a little bit more and is a bit larger, taking up more space in your projects.

Reviewing All That You Get With the ESP32-CAM Module

So to recap, here are the capabilities of the ESP32-CAM that allow it to be a fantastic addition to your DIY toolkit:

• A powerful, dual-core processor
• Loads of onboard RAM and program storage
• An external micro SD slot for expansion
• A wireless radio for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Several sensors:
  • A camera
  • A Hall-effect (magnetism) sensor
  • Capacitative touch sensors
  • An analog-to-digital converter
• A bright white illumination LED and a red indicator LED
• Four general-purpose I/O pins (more if you remove the camera)
• Three options for programming and powering the boards

All these capabilities come in at a cost of under $10, making the ESP32-CAM an excellent platform for all your future projects!

About The Author