Affordable Camera for Prusa Connect - ESP32 Camera - Chris's Basement 2024

We're back! Today we take a look at the ESP32 Camera for Prusa Connect. We'll take a look at the camera, flash the firmware, and Connect.
00:00 Introduction
02:17 Hardware
06:59 Flashing the Firmware
13:18 Connecting to the Camera
17:43 Finishing Up
19:51 Conclusion
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3pcs ESP32 CAM Development Board ESP32-CAM 8MP OV2640 Camera Module on Amazon:
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Power Supply for Raspberry Pi 3 on Amazon:
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Anker [3-Pack Powerline Micro USB Cable (3ft), Charging Cable on Amazon:
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Bingfu Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 8dBi RP-SMA Male Antenna on Amazon:
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LLPT Double Sided Thermal Tape on Amazon:
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10x3mm Magnets on Amazon:
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Link to Prusa Blog on the ESP32 Camera:
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Link to Camera Mount on Printables:
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Link to Articulated Arm on Printables:
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[@Michi_84]

Thank you for the video. When I read about it on the Prusa blog, I thought it was too complicated at first. But it seems to be quite simple when you look at it that way. I also ordered an ESP32 Cam with USB and the 6 resistors. I hope I can get it to work, then I can watch my MK4 printing via PrusaConnect! :)

[@ChrisRiley]

Glad it was helpful!

[@herr_rossi69]

I've been using the Esp32 cam for a few months now. It works perfectly most of the time and is perfectly fine. Only sometimes I have problems with the WiFi even though the router is close by.

[@ChrisRiley]

Nice, great that it's mostly working. I am going to be testing antennas for sure.

[@herr_rossi69]

@@ChrisRiley The problem is re-soldering the resistor so that the external antenna works. Damn small that thing.

[@tg_73]

Try to get one with a wide angle lens, I suggest at least 90 degrees. Most of the modules come with something around 68 degrees I think. I've had one for many months using an early version of the firmware. The narrow angle is annoying, particularly when the default print location for an XL is front left. You can also buy an additional wide angle camera module (just the camera with it's tiny ribbon cable), then swap it, if you have good eyesight and dexterity. Super cheap on Ali.

[@ChrisRiley]

Awesome, I would love to try that. Do you have a link to the wide cam?

[@bobkarnes823]

Now I have a project for the weekend, Great work as always!

[@ChrisRiley]

Thanks for watching Bob, always appreciated.

[@peterwalker5413]

Great video. Thanks for making it, or I would have never known. ❤😂

[@ChrisRiley]

Glad you liked it! ;)

[@andrewmoore5712]

Just got my XL and this worked great, Thank you Chris

[@ChrisRiley]

Great to hear!

[@mbdulka]

No clue why Prusa doesn't make this an accessory (at least) to buy out of the box, but great video thank you.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thanks for watching!

[@HReality]

This is great! I have a handful of these lying around. Now all I have to think of is an alternative, maybe using a 5v Buck converter and wiring it to the Prusa PS so it’s not relying on outside power. I just checked.. I got the 4 resistor model so won’t be ‘exactly’ like this but I’ll still make it work :)

[@ChrisRiley]

Awesome, yes, it can be done but there are extra steps I have some as well. The guide does a pretty good job at explaining it.

[@craigrogers8182]

Thanks! I've been waiting for you to do this. Now to find Mac instructions...

[@ChrisRiley]

Glad I could help! Mac is always a struggle for me. Maybe Bryan Vines can help us.

[@TerryGilsenan]

I have these on all my Prusa's. both MK3S+'s and MK4's. All running PrusaLink, and all PrusaLinks connected to PrusaConnect. I also installed neopixel and jq and I am showing printer state by querying the PrusaLink API, parsing the result and driving a ws281x LED strip accordingly..: Blue heating, White printing, Green Cooling, Orange paused, and red flash for ERROR.

[@ChrisRiley]

That's a great idea! Those are handy little cameras!

[@grininventor]

I really like the color coding for the printer state. Do you have a more detailed explanation (GitHub or something like that) ?

[@icenode]

Appreciate the video! I built one of these a few weeks ago but the wifi connection was unusabley poor. You can add a wifi antenna, but it involves some really fiddly soldering that I don't think I got right. It's frustrating Prusa still don't have an official solution available for such a basic thing.

[@ChrisRiley]

I hear you, I am hoping they will release something that works out of the box soon.

[@icenode]

@@ChrisRiley They mentioned in a blog comment that they are working on one, it's just taking a frustratingly long time. :) I should have added, an ESP32 camera is still a great, affordable solution, just as long as you have a good wifi signal near your printer - mine's sadly in the attic!

[@mrbilky]

This was great I did start out following another youtube vid not saying it was wrong just saying it did not work for me this was straight forward and to the point not sure what I'll use it for as I am currently happy with my cam setups on my 4 machines but like the option of another angle from the stock locations!

[@ChrisRiley]

Awesome, hopefully this one is helpful.

[@MakerMindNexus]

Another great video good sir.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thank you kindly

[@awilliams1701]

I seriously don't understand why prusa doesn't support a USB camera. I figured USB is USB and so I bought a USB-C camera from day one and it just collects dust. I might give this a try especially since I'm about to move the mk4 upstairs into the printing room. I'm almost done with my first MMU3 project. It's a diorama of Senko. It was definitely never intended to be FDM printed. LMAO So it's been a challenging print. After that I'll be moving the printer along side the mk3. And the mk3 needs to get the MMU upgraded as well. I might consider getting a mk3.5 now. The mk4 kind of makes me ignore the mk3. The 3.5 is a lot faster. I'm hoping it's higher quality too. Quality is the main reason why I don't bother. I may have my 2x sunlu S4 dryers side by side. And then a printer on either side of the dryers. That will give me 4 colors for each printer or 3 for 1 and 5 for the other. lol I'll probably never need to use my other dryers again. I can't imagine I'll ever need 10 colors at the same time. lol But with the printer upstairs, I won't be able to monitor it anymore. (unless I want to go upstairs all the time, which I don't)

[@ChrisRiley]

We might still see them be able to support a USB cam, you never know what updates they will come up with.

[@ethancohen6005]

I don't understand why prusa doesn't just build a camera into the printer. Plenty of other companies do, and from sourcing these parts ourselves, we know how affordable they are

[@ChrisRiley]

@@ethancohen6005 I think we will see them work that in at some point, even just one that does snapshots.

[@Sergiodj453]

Very detailed explanation! Even I can do this LOL😂

[@ChrisRiley]

Lol! Thanks Sergio!

[@earthman2005]

Hey Chris, Thanks for your outstanding work but after following your instructions and purchasing your recommended parts, I can not get the thing to connect to a wifi even though it's right beside me. I've tried different versions of the firmware but no go. Could you put a direct link to the firmware that you know works for sure please? I feel that might be the issue or Amazon sent me 3 duds.

[@ChrisRiley]

Sorry to hear that, these are the exact 3 files I use and haven't had any problems with. github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-ESP32-Cam/releases/download/v1.0.3/ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bin github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-ESP32-Cam/releases/download/v1.0.3/ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bootloader.bin github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-ESP32-Cam/releases/download/v1.0.3/ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.partitions.bin Please let me know how it goes.

[@WildcatCustom]

Awesome video and idea! It looks like the file have changed (new release) and they are no longer named anything close to the ones shown in the video. I am speaking of the .bin files. There is still a ESP32_PrusaConnectCam.ino.bin but the others are gone or named differently. How can I be sure I'm getting the correct ones and the order they should be in?

[@ChrisRiley]

Thanks! Check the previous repo, then you can use the interface to upgrade later if you need to. github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-ESP32-Cam/releases/tag/v1.0.3

[@jericho347]

Can you hook more than one camera up with this method? Would like 2 camera angles for my xl

[@ChrisRiley]

Yes! Just configure 2 of these, then you can add them both in Prusa connect.

[@williamerskine6035]

Great information Chris (which you always deliver)! I'm inspired, but can the firmware setup of the camera, etc. be accomplished on a Mac as well?

[@ChrisRiley]

Thank you! I'm sure it can, I just don't know anything about mac, I wish I knew how to point you in the right direct. My friend Bryan Vines does all that good Mac stuff.

[@user-vb2jq8ej7n]

Hey Chris, great video as always. I was wondering how good the stream is when using WiFi. I know with my Pi's I get the occasional flicker and it's not so good when the bed is moving fast. I really need something good for my Mk3.9

[@ChrisRiley]

Thank you! They are a little slow, if you get flicker with the pi, it would probably be a bit worse with these. They are really only good for snapshots.

[@25252525etrexft]

Prusa needs to move over to klipper which would allow to make it easier to add a simple usb webcam. The hardware would be cheaper for the company and customers as well.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thanks for your insight!

[@woodwaker1]

Thanks Chris! I have three of these and never figured out how to get them to work, will give this a try, Can you hook up more than one?

[@ChrisRiley]

Hey Dave, Yes, you can pretty much add as many as you want. They will all have different keys that you will copy from Prusa connect.

[@hitf5]

*says mounted inside my Prusa XL enclosure...no big deal* Wait, what? How do you already have the enclosure?

[@woodwaker1]

I have a Sumo enclosure, works pretty well, and was less than half of the PRUSA.

[@ChrisRiley]

I test all the Prusa stuff. :)

[@hitf5]

@@ChrisRiley Are you allowed to talk about it yet? Don't keep us in suspense! Shipping queue is already like months...none of us will actually see one until like 2025...

[@ChrisRiley]

@@hitf5 I can talk about it! I could do a walkthrough video.

[@mastermin6677]

I can't found ESP_camera Wifi after finish flash

[@Michi_84]

I have set up the ESP32 Cam so far. But I occasionally hear a whistling or sometimes a scratching or rattling noise from the circuit board (like an old hard drive). When I click through the menu in the CAM's web interface, the noises get louder. Is this normal or is the hardware I bought just bad? Bought on Amazon from diymore. If I set the resolution to 1600x1200, I also get extreme image errors when I click on "Start Stream" via the web interface.

[@ChrisRiley]

I haven't heard any interference from mine like this, but I'm not surprised. I wonder if you tried to ground the antenna if it would go away?

[@PatJones82]

Hey Chris, Thanks for the video. I used your links to purchase the 6-resistor model with the power board as a set, so I know I have the right items. Followed your directions and the PDF to the letter and all seems perfect...except no wifi. After I flash the firmware, it does not broadcast the SSID to connect to the camera module after flashing firmware. I tried a 2nd camera module set with the same result. I triple checked to make sure I have thee CH340 driver installed, using the correct Com port, and that I've downloaded the correct bin files. I've tried the entire process sever times with no success. Just not getting any WIFI broadcast from the camera module. Any ideas?

[@ChrisRiley]

What version of firmware are you trying? I was using this one, give it a try if this isn't the one you tried. github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-ESP32-Cam/releases/tag/v1.0.3

[@PatJones82]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes, that is the firmware version I’ve tried. I’ve tried others as well. I’m wondering at this point if I got a bad or counterfeit batch of esp32’s. Two of the three I got don’t ever offer an SSID. The last one occasionally provides the SSID after many tries, but even then, after joining my home WiFi and using it, I power it off and back on again and have to join the eap32 SSID and then rejoin it to my WiFi network again. It doesn’t save it for some reason. I dunno. I’ve programmed many ESP32’s to control led’s and never had an issue. Not sure what’s going on.

[@RenatoYamamoto481]

same here followed the tutorial 3 times to make sure i was doing it right even the firmware i got the one he used but no wifi

[@PatJones82]

@@RenatoYamamoto481 Sorry to hear you have the same issue. I finally figured out that I NEVER see the wifi on my home PC. But after about the third or 4th firmware upload attempt, I might see it on my iPhone. But only one time out of 3-4. I would then connect to the ESP using my phone, set the home wifi settings and get the camera working. Then I was happy... until I shut the damn esp32 off. When turning it back on, it sometimes connects to home wi fi and sometimes not. It's about 4 feet from my router so the signal is not the issue. 3-10 reboots later and it MIGHT connect to my home WIFI. So frustrating. I gave up on mine. Tossed all three in the trash. I'm hoping I got a bad batch, but still, I'll think twice before ordering more from Amazon. Give another device a try like a tablet or phone to see if you see the wifi there.

[@RenatoYamamoto481]

@@PatJones82 i got so frustrated yesterday and i found this it kinda works but without the pursaconnect

[@Rmilyard]

When plug in ESP32-CAM not seeing in Device Manager.

[@ChrisRiley]

It could be a lot of things, like a bad cable or a driver issue. Is it the one with 6 resistors?

[@cristianopersi7953]

Thank you worked fine.

[@ChrisRiley]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@larryrobreno9062]

Purchased one through your link and followed the steps. I'm not seeing the esp32 wifi on my computer. Is there another way of setting up the wifi? ?

[@ChrisRiley]

I don't know of another way to do it. Your computer can see the cam and flash it correct?

[@larryrobreno9062]

@@ChrisRiley Yes I followed all the steps but when I go to look for the AP on the laptop to configure the wireless part. I do not see it. I tried a few times.

[@larryrobreno9062]

#rd times the charm all works fine now. Great videos. Thanks again

[@patrikfranzen4459]

Thanks

[@ChrisRiley]

Thanks so much!

[@svsv9]

Is there a ribbon cable to put camera outside the module? I need to put the camera in some specific place and the pcb separately.

[@ChrisRiley]

Unfortunately, it's fixed to the camera.

[@ChrisWard74]

Does Prusa Connect work with a MK3S+ or will this camera work with Octoprint.

[@ChrisRiley]

MK3 works with Prusa connect, but you need a raspberry pi to run it.

[@crashkg]

Thanks for your informative videos they are great. Is you password really "password" ;-)

[@ChrisRiley]

You're welcome! For the basement test wifi it is! :)

[@johnhmccauley]

Which glue did you use to attach the magnets?

[@ChrisRiley]

Here you go! On Amazon (aff) 20 gm Loctite 1360784 Loctite Contact Adhesive geni.us/JYxuY

[@RenatoYamamoto481]

i may be slow, but i cant in the name of the lord find that pdf

[@ChrisRiley]

storage.googleapis.com/prusa3d-content-prod-14e8-wordpress-blog-prod/2024/03/4268e263-gen_prusa-connect-prusalink_1636_en_2024-04-25-2.pdf

[@RenatoYamamoto481]

@@ChrisRiley thank you