Comments on: ESP32-CAM AI-Thinker Pinout Guide: GPIOs Usage Explained https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/ Learn ESP8266, ESP32, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:35:48 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 By: Rick G https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1151239 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:35:48 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1151239 In reply to Rick G.

Nevermind – yorrrick April 16, 2022 at 2:51 pm stated they are. However, the reference link is a scam.

]]> By: Rick G https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1151236 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:19:32 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1151236 Is ESP32-Cam GPIOs 5V tolerant?
The programming setup shows a 5V FTDI connected to GPIO3 U0RXD. You don’t explicitly state GPIO3 is 5V tolerant only during programming. I would like to communicate with a 5V Arduino Nano via the serial ports. In all my other Espressif devices, I have a logic-level converter or 4K voltage drop resistor from Arduino 5V TX to Espressif device RX. Searching the Web I get “No, ESP32-CAM GPIO pins are not 5V tolerant; they operate at 3.3V ” but there numerous examples showing 5V serial communication.
Thanks for your examples! I find the ESP32 family confusing.

]]> By: nicolas https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1131537 Thu, 04 Dec 2025 03:14:18 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1131537 In reply to Sara Santos.

yo aplique un timer… necesitaba hacer que el esp32 cam enviara fotos a la microsd ya que estaria trabajando en zona rural… entonces almacena 100 fotos en la micro sd despues las borra la cosa es que tambien necesitaba usar un sensor de temperatura y humedad y un sensor de calidad de oxigeno. en resumidas cuentas el timer activa cada una de forma temporal deshabilita y habilita el pin 13 y 16 para distintas funciones, puede apagarse durante 3 horas con el mismo timer… es tan simple solo usar logica de programador.

]]> By: philippe https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1103005 Sun, 28 Sep 2025 17:45:26 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1103005 I have shared the code to
github.com/philippedc/ESP32-CAM—children-camera-with-TFT-display-SDCard

]]> By: Jim Henson https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1103000 Sun, 28 Sep 2025 17:40:04 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1103000 Is your sketch available, particularly the part for displaying the live video?

Thanks, Jim

]]> By: philippe https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1102997 Sun, 28 Sep 2025 17:30:26 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1102997 In reply to Jim Henson.

yes. with wifi, It is well displaying as long as I do not press the push-button to store the photo, or press the screen to review the stored photo.
The code aborts while any access to SDCard is required.
This problem does not appear if I use SPIFFS instead of SDCard.

]]> By: Jim Henson https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1102992 Sun, 28 Sep 2025 17:22:45 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1102992 In reply to philippe.

Do you have camera video displaying on the TFT display?

Thanks, Jim

]]> By: philippe https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1102676 Sat, 27 Sep 2025 22:11:45 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1102676 Hi, Many thanks Sarah for your contribution in understanding how to code in Arduino.
I wanted to build a kind of children camera and use a basic ESP32 CAM with a 2.8′ TFT display with its touchscreen and its own SDCard.
When I press a button a photo is taken and saved in SDCard or in SPIFFS when SDCard is not available.
When I press the touchscreen I can review/delete past photos taken…
Everything works fine as long as I do not use wifi. If I use wifi the device reboot as soon as the code tries to access the SDCard. If I leave out the SDCard the the code works fine with SPIFFS.
Here is the pins definition:

AI-THINKER ESP32-CAM
----------------------------
[POWER] | 5v 3.3v | [POWER]
[GND] | GND GPIO16 | <- TOUCH_CS
TFT_MISO -> | GPIO12 GPIO0 | <- to GND for flashing
TFT_MOSI -> | GPIO13 GND | [UNUSED
TFT_CS -> | GPIO15 Vcc | [UNUSED]
TFT_SCLK -> | GPIO14 GPIO3/RX | <- push-button
TFT_DC -> | GPIO2 GPIO1/TX | <- SD_CS
TFT backlight led -> | GPIO4 GND | [POWER] not GND!!!!
-----------------------------

I do not use SERIAL for console.
Note: I did not succeed to use GPIO0 for the pushbutton or any shipselect devices….
Question: Is it because I use GPIO1 for chipselect of the SDCard that causes trouble with wifi ? Serial TX interacts with wifi ?
Thanks

]]> By: Chris https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1066642 Wed, 09 Jul 2025 03:05:51 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1066642 p.s. you might need to pull the firmware-programming pin manually – not all serial programmers do that for you.

]]> By: Chris https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-ai-thinker-pinout/#comment-1066639 Wed, 09 Jul 2025 03:04:11 +0000 https://randomnerdtutorials.com/?p=94759#comment-1066639 This might help:
chrisdrake.com/cfb/ (it’s old – but worked on hundreds of boards in the past)
(or perhaps this: chrisdrake.com/esp32cam/ )

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