Step 2: Open the CameraWebServer Example

Go to File → Examples → ESP32 → Camera → CameraWebServer. This is the full streaming server - you only need to change two things in it.

Step 3: Select Your Camera Model

At the top of the sketch, tell it which board you have by uncommenting one line:

Step 4: Enter Your Wi-Fi Details

Step 5: Board Settings

In Tools, set:

• Board: AI Thinker ESP32-CAM
• Partition Scheme: Huge APP (3MB No OTA/1MB SPIFFS)
• PSRAM: Enabled

The partition scheme matters. The default leaves too little program space and the build fails with a "text section exceeds available space" error that reads like a code bug but is not one.

Step 6: Wire and Flash

Wire the FTDI adapter to the ESP32-CAM:

• 5V → 5V
• GND → GND
• TX (FTDI) → U0R (board)
• RX (FTDI) → U0T (board)
• IO0 → GND - only while flashing

TX goes to U0R and RX goes to U0T - the lines cross. Connect IO0 to GND, plug in the FTDI, tap RST, then click Upload. When it finishes, disconnect IO0 from GND and tap RST to run.

Step 7: Find the Board’s IP Address

1. Open Tools → Serial Monitor and set the baud to 115200.
2. Tap RST. The board connects to Wi-Fi and prints its address.
3. Look for a line like Camera Ready! Use 'http://192.168.1.50' to connect.

Step 8: Open the Stream

1. On any device on the same Wi-Fi, open that http://<IP> address in a browser.
2. The control page loads. Scroll down and click Start Stream.
3. Live video from the ESP32-CAM appears.

The left-hand panel is the whole point of this example: resolution, quality, brightness, and special modes like face detection are all adjustable live. Drop the resolution if the stream is laggy - the ESP32 has limited bandwidth, and lower frame sizes stream far more smoothly.

Troubleshooting

• Brownout detector was triggered: underpowered. Use 5V (not 3.3V), and prefer a separate supply - many FTDI adapters cannot source the camera’s peak current.
• Camera probe failed (0x105): the ribbon cable is loose, or more than one CAMERA_MODEL_* is uncommented. Reseat the connector and re-check Step 3.
• Never connects to Wi-Fi: it is a 5 GHz network, or the credentials are wrong. The ESP32 only joins 2.4 GHz.
• Stream is slow or freezes: lower the resolution in the web panel, and move closer to the router.

Where to Go Next

• Run the on-device object detection guide to make the board recognise what it sees.
• Trigger a GPIO - a relay, buzzer, or servo - from the web server code.
• Save snapshots to the microSD slot instead of only streaming.