While in my search for a cheap video monitoring system, I came across the ESP32-CAM.
This is a very tiny and cheap camera (OV2640) with a max resolution of 1600×1200, with an ESP32 as the main “controller” of this “system”. (for a price, less then 10 euro !)
You can simply download a “webcamserver” from the examples in the Arduino IDE (after installing the ESP32 library of course), and have a webcam server over wifi, up and running in no time.
![](https://www.digitalplayground.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/esp32_cam.jpg)
While “playing” with this module, I made 2 “modifications”, to have a better/more stable performance.
1. Replace the Arduino “webcamserver” with the Tasmota firmware.
(this gives for a higher framerate, and a cooler temperature of the PCB, and you can control the flashlight and other IO-pins)
2. make use of an external antenna,
(Just cut one trace, and solder another … directly, without resistor)
(So you can use this device further away from your WIFI router)
![](https://www.digitalplayground.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/tasmota.jpg)
Flashing the Tasmota firmware is not so complicated, but in any case, you can follow the step-by-step guide from Carlos Gomes here !
In case you need any further info about running Tasmota on ESP32, you can have a look here .
![](https://www.digitalplayground.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/antenna.jpg)
![](https://www.digitalplayground.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/tasmota_esp32.jpg)
To get the image on your computer, you can use VLC or Agent DVR.
Agent DVR is formerly know as iSpy, a windows application to monitor multiple cameras.
Agent DVR is free of use, and works on windows,mac,linux, and even on RaspBerry Pi !
You can download it from https://www.ispyconnect.com/
Furthermore, I still had an AZ-Touch laying around.
AZ-touch is a nice wall-mount device, with an 2.8″ ILI9341 touchscreen, and a place to put an ESP32 module in it. (they also have a version for RPI and Arduino MKR)
So, after a little fiddling with Arduino sourcecode, I managed to display the live-feed of the ESP32-Cam, onto the AZ-Touch !
I feel a project for a smart doorbell coming up 🙂
![](https://www.digitalplayground.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/az_touch_1.jpg)
![](https://www.digitalplayground.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/az_touch_2.jpg)
I also offer the Arduino sourcecode as a download here.
Make sure you fill in the necessary data in settings.h:
– SSID of our WIFI network
– password to connect to your SSID/WIFI
– host = IP-address of your ESP32-Cam
– site = URL-part where the JPEG still images reside on your ESP32-Cam
– port = communication port (mostly 80)
and that you install the libraries-folder in your arduino library folder, and that ESP32 plugin is installed.
(you need to be able to run the webcamserver example at least)