ESP32-CAM WebSocket Streaming Server

A real-time camera streaming server for ESP32-CAM that provides WebSocket-based video streaming with Firebase integration for the SmartHaus IoT ecosystem.

Features

• Real-time video streaming via WebSocket
• Firebase Realtime Database integration for device management
• Web-based status interface for monitoring
• Automatic device registration with IP address
• Connection monitoring and auto-restart functionality

Setup

Prerequisites

• PlatformIO IDE
• ESP32-CAM (AI-Thinker model)
• Firebase project with Authentication and Realtime Database enabled
• USB-to-Serial adapter for programming

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/rul3zero/SmartHaus.git
   cd SmartHaus/esp32cam

2. Copy the secrets template and configure your credentials

   cp include/secrets.h.example include/secrets.h

3. Configure Firebase and WiFi

   • Edit include/secrets.h with your actual credentials:
     • WiFi SSID and password
     • Firebase Web API key
     • Firebase Auth user email and password
     • Firebase Realtime Database URL
   • Follow the detailed setup instructions in the secrets.h.example file

4. Build and upload using PlatformIO

   pio run --target upload

Database Structure

The ESP32-CAM writes to and reads from these Firebase paths:

{
  "devices": {
    "esp32cam_001": {
      "ip_address": "192.168.1.100",
      "ws_port": 81,
      "status": "online",
      "last_updated": "2025-08-27 14:30:25"
    }
  },
  "test": {
    "connection": "Hello from ESP32-CAM"
  }
}

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Hardware Configuration

Camera Settings

• Frame size: VGA (640x480)
• Format: JPEG
• Quality: 12 (adjustable)
• Frame rate: ~10 FPS

Pinout (AI-Thinker ESP32-CAM)

PWDN:  GPIO32    RESET: -1         XCLK:  GPIO0
SIOD:  GPIO26    SIOC:  GPIO27     
Y9:    GPIO35    Y8:    GPIO34     Y7:    GPIO39    Y6:    GPIO36
Y5:    GPIO21    Y4:    GPIO19     Y3:    GPIO18    Y2:    GPIO5
VSYNC: GPIO25    HREF:  GPIO23     PCLK:  GPIO22
FLASH: GPIO4

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Usage

WebSocket Streaming

Connect to:

ws://[ESP32_IP_ADDRESS]:81/ws

Web Interface

Access device status at:

http://[ESP32_IP_ADDRESS]/

API Endpoints

• GET / — Device info page
• GET /status — JSON status

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Firebase Integration

• Uses Firebase Email/Password authentication for device status and commands.

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Tech Stack

• PlatformIO/Arduino — Development framework
• ESP32-CAM — Hardware
• Firebase — Auth & Realtime Database
• WebSockets — Video streaming
• WiFi — Connectivity

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Client Applications

Works well with SmartHaus-App