Another ESP32 Camera Board

[papa]

        Create Items for Channel Data

In the following, I added to an .items file & created new items for Node34. Customize to your situation.

    Go to openHAB's /conf/items folder & in a new or existing .items file, create the following entries:

String Node34Rssi "EC1_34_RSSI (db)[%s]" <network> (Nodes) { channel="mqtt:embedded-mqtt-broker:topic:mything:Node34Channel02" }

String Node34Version "EC1_34_Vrsn (db)[%s]" { channel="mqtt:embedded-mqtt-broker:topic:mything:Node34Channel03" }

String Node34IP "EC1_34_IP [%s]" <network> { channel="mqtt:embedded-mqtt-broker:topic:mything:Node34Channel10" }

Switch Act_Node34 { channel="mqtt:embedded-mqtt-broker:topic:mything:Node34Channel16" }

        Next, Linking Items to Their Channels

[papa]

        Linking Items to Their Channels

In the following, I instruct linking the RSSI item to the RSSI channel.  Do the same for the Version, IP, & ACT items/channels.

        In PaperUI/Configuration/Things, scroll to Node34ec (or your comparable Thing)

scroll to the Channel eCam1_34_RSSI & click on ( 0 ), its circle in a blue disc.

Complete the Link channel fields:
    Default
Select item to link from the drop down list: EC1_34_RSSI (Node34RSSI)      [click "Link"]

        Next, Add Linked Items to a Sitemap

[papa]

        Add Linked Items to a Sitemap

       & Display in a User Interface (UI)

        Go to openHAB's \conf\sitemaps folder &

add the following entries (or your comparables) to a new or existing .sitemap file (I used My.sitemap):

Image url="http://camera board's IP Address" refresh=1000

    [ Feb. 23, 2020 ^^ This easily worked with openHAB 2.5.1 & before.

        OH2.5.2 on seem to resist changing sitemaps.  See this post. ]

     Text item=Node34Rssi
     Text item=Node34Version
     Text item=Node34IP
     Switch item=Act_Node34 label="Cam Flash [%s]"

Make sure your Node is powered & connected to WiFi/MQTT.  In a browser tab, enter http://127.0.0.1:8080/basicui/app?sitemap=My 

    Your User Interface should display the current output from Node34.

            See the board's camera streaming. (Note: Only displays in one browser tab.)

       On the browser User Interface, click the Cam Flash switch & watch the ESP32-CAM flash & state change on the UI.

Later, you might delete some of these entries from showing in the sitemap, but (through rules), do things based on the items' states.

    Next, ESP32-CAM Pins Available for Other Functions

[papa]

        Powering a Programmed ESP32-CAM Board

                for Regular Use, Needed Parts

To free our FTDI device for other projects & to supply more reliable power to our ESP32-CAM Board, we can obtain the following:

      A USB cable (Micro-B type),

USB Micro-B breakout board

    a 5 volt power adapter (2 Amp may be best) that accepts a USB cable

2 female to female dupont cables (red & black?) to connect the breakout board to the ESP32-CAM board.

   Here are color-coded female to female dupont cables from a vendor that's worked well for me.

        Next, Powering an ESP32-CAM Board, Connections

[papa]

            Powering a Programmed ESP32-CAM Board
                    for Regular Use, Connections

       Wiring to power ESP32-CAM Board:

      << Forum members, click on pic for larger view

The ESP32-CAM (EC) board has male connector pins on 5v & GND.  Solder supplied male header pins to the USB Micro-B breakout board (BB), especially VCC & GND.  Use the female to female dupont cables (red & black ?) to connect EC's 5v to BB's VCC & connect EC's GND to BB's GND. Use a USB Micro-B cable to connect BB to a 5 volt power adapter.  Caution: EC's VCC pin is OUTPUT so do NOT use that pin for powering the ESP32-CAM.

        Next, ESP32-CAM Put into Service

[papa]

        ESP32-CAM Put into Service

            to Monitor a Sump Cistern

To the ESP32-CAM board, I connected a power supply as shown in the just previous post. I hung the board (camera facing down) over my sump cistern.

On a HABPanel, I created widgets linked to the items in this post.  That includes a switch widget linked to the switch item Act_Node34 whose state toggles the CAM board's bright LED on & off.

     

      On the HABpanel ^^, I also have an image widget with these settings. For your purposes, change the name & change the IP address to that of your CAM board.

When I click the Act_Node34 switch widget on the HABpanel, the CAM board's bright LED illuminates the sump cistern & I can view the cistern in the image widget.

PS At the beginning of this post, are hints to using an openHAB sitemap in a browser (instead of HABPanel).