flash a ESP32-CAM to make a smart camera (esphome 3a)
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ESPhome is software that can add a program to (or “flash firmware to”) an ESP chip. This chip is at the core of many automation projects. The software connects things up inside Home Assistant running on a Raspberry Pi. The instructions below show how to make the firmware (a file) that gets an ESP32-CAM camera connected to Home Assistant.
I use an ESP32 to monitor how much heating oil is in my tank – see the oil level project; how much electricity I’m using through the day in a meter reader project. I’m working on a way to know when someone is going to press the doorbell. You’ll find a cookbook with more projects at ESPhome
Compile the ESPhome code into firmware
What we’re trying to do is to add our code to the ESP chip and replace what’s currently there. We first copy and paste this code into the ESPhome interface and add our wifi password and network settings. We can also add a wifi signal meter. We can re-edit this code for future projects.
# ITEMS IN BOLD NEED EDITING
substitutions:
devicename: cat_camera
esphome:
name: ${devicename}
platform: ESP32
board: esp32dev
#Enable logging
logger:
# Enable a connection to the Home Assistant API
api:
password: "YOUR Home ASSISTANT API password"
ota:
password: ""
wifi:
ssid: "YOUR_SSID"
password: "YOUR WIFI PASSWORD"
manual_ip:
# Set this to the IP you want for the ESP
static_ip: 192.168.1.171
# Set this to the IP address of the router. Often ends with .1
gateway: 192.168.1.1
# The subnet of the network. 255.255.255.0 works for most homes
#Author by airijia.com board: esp32dev
esp32_camera:
external_clock:
pin: GPIO0
frequency: 20MHz
i2c_pins:
sda: GPIO26
scl: GPIO27
data_pins: [GPIO5, GPIO18, GPIO19, GPIO21, GPIO36, GPIO39, GPIO34, GPIO35]
vsync_pin: GPIO25
href_pin: GPIO23
pixel_clock_pin: GPIO22
power_down_pin: GPIO32
name: ${devicename} cam
resolution: 800x600
# Flashlight CHECK PIN
output:
- platform: gpio
pin: GPIO4
id: gpio_4
light:
- platform: binary
output: gpio_4
name: ${devicename} light
# The following can be omitted
- platform: restart
name: ${devicename} restart
sensor:
- platform: wifi_signal
name: ${devicename} wifi signal
update_interval: 600s
- platform: uptime
name: ${devicename} uptime
How to ‘flash’ or put this code into a ESP32-CAM – words and video
- Identify the VCC, GND, TX and RX on the ESP32-CAM
- Use female-to-female Dupont jumper leads to connect the ESP32-CAM to a FTDI UART board set at 3.3v.
- Add the code to the ESPhome ‘node’. Validate and compile the code into a binary file on your PC.
- Connect GPIO0 to GND with a Dupont lead as you plug the FTDI into a USB socket on your computer. You might also need to press the button on the ESP32-CAM.
- Use Esphome-flasher to upload the binary file to the ESP32-CAM.