1.3 Camera Web Server

Stream live camera video over Wi-Fi with the ESP32-S3’s built-in web server.

Overview

This example turns the board into a wireless IP camera. It initializes the OV3660 camera, connects to Wi-Fi, and starts an HTTP server that streams live MJPEG video — viewable in any browser on the same network.

What You’ll Learn

  • Initializing the camera with the esp_camera library

  • Connecting the ESP32-S3 to a Wi-Fi network

  • Running an embedded HTTP server for video streaming

  • Understanding ESP32-S3 camera pin mapping (DCMI interface)

Before You Begin

Complete the setup steps in Preparation before continuing.

Note

Use the recommended Arduino IDE settings in Recommended Board Settings unless this lesson says otherwise.

Open the example sketch from the code package:

LAFVIN-ESP32-S3-Multimedia-Kit-main/1.Arduino/3.CameraWebServer/3.CameraWebServer.ino

This example uses the onboard camera module. No external wiring is required — the camera connects directly to the board through its dedicated camera interface.

Important

You must edit the ssid and password variables at the top of the sketch to match your Wi-Fi network before uploading.

Upload and Test

  1. Connect the board with a USB Type-C data cable.

  2. Open 3.CameraWebServer.ino in Arduino IDE.

  3. Set your Wi-Fi SSID and password in the sketch.

  4. In the Tools menu, select ESP32S3 Dev Module as the board and choose the correct serial port.

  5. Click Upload.

  6. Open Serial Monitor, set the baud rate to 115200, and wait for the IP address to appear:

    WiFi connected
Camera Ready! Use 'http://192.168.1.100' to connect

  7. Open a web browser on any device connected to the same Wi-Fi network and enter the IP address. You will see a live camera stream page with controls.

If you see Camera init failed, double-check the camera module is firmly seated in its connector.

How the Code Works

Camera Initialization

The sketch sets up the camera with a pin configuration table for the ESP32-S3 Eye model:

#include "esp_camera.h"

camera_config_t config;
config.pin_pwdn  = -1;    // Not used
config.pin_reset = -1;    // Not used
config.pin_xclk  = 15;
config.pin_sccb_sda = 4;
config.pin_sccb_scl = 5;
config.pin_d0  = 11;   // Y2
config.pin_d1  = 9;    // Y3
// ... D2–D7 mapped to GPIOs 8, 10, 12, 18, 17, 16

config.frame_size = FRAMESIZE_QVGA;     // 320x240
config.pixel_format = PIXFORMAT_JPEG;
config.fb_count = 2;                    // Double-buffered

esp_err_t err = esp_camera_init(&config);

Wi-Fi Connection

WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
}

Web Server

The HTTP server captures camera frames on demand and streams them as MJPEG to connected clients. Frame capture uses esp_camera_fb_get() to grab a JPEG buffer from the camera, which is served directly over HTTP.

In the provided sketch:

  • The camera model is auto-detected or set to CAMERA_MODEL_ESP32S3_EYE

  • PSRAM is enabled for double-buffered frame handling

  • The web server runs in its own FreeRTOS task, so loop() can remain empty

Try This Next

  • Change FRAMESIZE_QVGA to FRAMESIZE_UXGA (1600x1200) for higher resolution (requires more bandwidth)

  • Experiment with flash control if your camera module has an LED