ESP32-S3-ETH Web Camera with Enhanced Features

This project extends the Waveshare ESP32-S3-ETH Web Camera with additional features including:

1. Automatic Streaming - Stream starts automatically when accessing the web interface
2. GPIO Control - Digital and analog I/O control via REST API
3. Network Configuration - API for reading and setting network parameters
4. NeoPixel Control - Control the onboard RGB LED

Hardware Requirements

• Waveshare ESP32-S3-ETH Board
• OV2640 Camera Module (included with the board)
• Ethernet cable for network connection
• USB-C cable for programming and power

Installation Requirements

1. Arduino IDE (version 2.0 or newer recommended)
2. Arduino CLI (for command-line compilation)
3. ESP32 Board Support Package (version 2.0.5 or newer)
4. Required Libraries:
   • Adafruit NeoPixel (for RGB LED control)

To install the required libraries:

1. Open Arduino IDE
2. Go to Tools > Manage Libraries...
3. Search for "Adafruit NeoPixel" and install it

Board Setup

1. Connect the camera module to the camera connector on the ESP32-S3-ETH board
2. Connect the Ethernet cable to your network
3. Connect the USB-C cable to your computer

Compilation and Upload

Using Arduino IDE

1. Extract the ZIP file
2. Open the project folder in Arduino IDE
3. Select the correct board: Tools > Board > ESP32 Arduino > ESP32S3 Dev Module
4. Set the following board options:
   • USB CDC On Boot: Enabled
   • CPU Frequency: 240MHz
   • USB DFU On Boot: Enabled
   • Flash Mode: QIO 80MHz
   • Flash Size: 16MB
   • Partition Scheme: Huge APP (3MB No OTA/1MB SPIFFS)
   • PSRAM: OPI PSRAM
5. Connect your ESP32-S3-ETH board via USB
6. Click Upload

Using Arduino CLI

arduino-cli compile --fqbn esp32:esp32:esp32s3 \
  --build-property "build.partitions=huge_app" \
  --build-property "upload.maximum_size=3145728" \
  --build-property "build.flash_mode=qio" \
  --build-property "build.flash_freq=80m" \
  --build-property "build.flash_size=16MB" \
  --build-property "build.psram_type=opi" \
  --build-property "build.cpu_frequency=240" \
  --build-property "build.usb_cdc_on_boot=1" \
  --build-property "build.usb_dfu_on_boot=1"

Usage

1. After uploading, the device will connect to your network with static IP 192.168.178.65
2. Access the web interface at http://192.168.178.65
3. The camera stream will start automatically
4. Use the web interface to control camera settings and view the stream

API Endpoints

Camera Endpoints

Endpoint	Description
/stream	Camera video stream
/capture	Capture a single image
/status	Get camera status
/control	Control camera parameters

GPIO Control

Endpoint	Description	Example
/gpio/do?pin=[pin]&state=[high/low]	Set digital output	/gpio/do?pin=20&state=high
/gpio/ai/read?pin=[pin]	Read analog input	/gpio/ai/read?pin=0
/gpio/ao/set?pin=[pin]&value=[0-255]	Set analog output (PWM)	/gpio/ao/set?pin=16&value=128
/gpio/do/all?pins=[pins]&states=[states]	Control multiple digital outputs	/gpio/do/all?pins=16,17&states=high,low
/gpio/overview	Get overview of all GPIO pins	/gpio/overview

Network Configuration

Endpoint	Description	Example
/network/config/get	Get current network configuration	/network/config/get
/network/config/set	Set network configuration	/network/config/set?dhcp=false&ip=192.168.178.65&gateway=192.168.178.1&apply=true
/restart	Restart the device	/restart

NeoPixel Control

Endpoint	Description	Example
/neopixel/set?color=[hex]&brightness=[0-255]	Set NeoPixel color and brightness	/neopixel/set?color=FF0000&brightness=128
/neopixel/off	Turn off NeoPixel	/neopixel/off

Safe GPIO Pins

The following GPIO pins are safe to use for digital/analog I/O:

• 0, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 43, 44

Pins used by the camera and Ethernet are automatically protected from misuse.

Analog Input Pins

The following pins can be used for analog input:

• 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Network Configuration

By default, the device uses a static IP configuration:

• IP: 192.168.178.65
• Gateway: 192.168.178.1
• Subnet: 255.255.255.0
• DNS1: 8.8.8.8
• DNS2: 8.8.4.4

You can change these settings using the network configuration API. The settings are stored in EEPROM and persist across reboots.

Example to set DHCP mode:

http://192.168.178.65/network/config/set?dhcp=true&apply=true

Example to set static IP:

http://192.168.178.65/network/config/set?dhcp=false&ip=192.168.1.100&gateway=192.168.1.1&subnet=255.255.255.0&apply=true

NeoPixel Control

The onboard NeoPixel RGB LED is connected to GPIO 21. You can control its color and brightness using the NeoPixel API endpoints.

Example to set red color at half brightness:

http://192.168.178.65/neopixel/set?color=FF0000&brightness=128

Example to turn off the LED:

http://192.168.178.65/neopixel/off

Camera Settings

You can control various camera settings through the web interface or via the /control API endpoint:

Parameter	Values	Description
framesize	0-13	Resolution (0=QQVGA, 10=UXGA)
quality	0-63	JPEG quality (0=best, 63=worst)
brightness	-2 to 2	Image brightness
contrast	-2 to 2	Image contrast
saturation	-2 to 2	Image saturation
special_effect	0-6	Special effects (0=none, 1=negative, etc.)
hmirror	0/1	Horizontal mirror
vflip	0/1	Vertical flip

Example to set resolution to VGA and quality to 10:

http://192.168.178.65/control?var=framesize&val=5
http://192.168.178.65/control?var=quality&val=10

Project Structure

• ETH_Web_CAM_[timestamp].ino: Main Arduino sketch file
• app_httpd.cpp: HTTP server implementation and request handlers
• camera_index.h: Web interface HTML (compressed)
• network_config.h: Network configuration implementation
• neopixel.h: NeoPixel control implementation
• utilities.h: Utility functions
• partitions.csv: Partition table for ESP32-S3
• update_zipped_html.py: Script to update the compressed HTML

Modifying the Web Interface

If you want to modify the web interface:

1. Edit the CameraWeb.html file
2. Run the update_zipped_html.py script to compress the HTML and update camera_index.h
3. Recompile and upload the project

python update_zipped_html.py CameraWeb.html camera_index.h

Troubleshooting

1. Camera not working: Make sure the camera is properly connected and the ribbon cable is seated correctly.
2. Network connection issues: Check your Ethernet cable and network settings.
3. GPIO control not working: Verify you're using pins that are safe for GPIO control (see list above).
4. Compilation errors: Make sure you have installed all required libraries and are using the correct board settings.
5. Cannot access web interface: Verify the IP address by checking your router's DHCP client list or the serial monitor output.

Advanced Usage

Custom GPIO Projects

You can use the GPIO API to control external hardware connected to the ESP32-S3-ETH board. For example:

• Connect LEDs to digital output pins
• Connect buttons or sensors to digital input pins
• Connect analog sensors to analog input pins
• Control motors or servos using PWM (analog output)

Integration with Home Automation

The REST API makes it easy to integrate with home automation systems:

• Use the camera stream in Home Assistant
• Control GPIO pins from Node-RED
• Monitor sensor values from custom dashboards

License

This project is based on the Waveshare ESP32-S3-ETH Web Camera example and is provided under the same license terms.

Acknowledgments

• Based on the ESP32 Camera example by Espressif
• Enhanced with additional features for the Waveshare ESP32-S3-ETH board