LILYGO T-Camera S3 ESP32-S3 Board with OV2640, PIR Sensor & OLED

Specifications

• Microcontroller: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 (Dual-core, up to 240 MHz)

• Flash Memory: 16MB

• PSRAM: 8MB

• Camera Module: OV2640 (2 Megapixel)

• Display: SSD1306 I2C OLED

• Motion Sensor: PIR (Passive Infrared) Sensor

• Audio: Digital I2S Microphone

• Power Management: AXP2101 PMU

• Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) & Bluetooth 5 (LE)

• Interfaces: USB Type-C, JST-GH 1.25mm (Battery), JST 2.0mm 5-Pin (Expansion)

• Dimensions: 69mm (L) x 28mm (W) x 11mm (H)

Key Applications and Projects

• DIY Smart Doorbell: Using the PIR sensor to detect a visitor, snapping a photo with the OV2640, and pushing the image to a Telegram bot via Wi-Fi.

• Wildlife Trap Camera: Placing the board in a weatherproof enclosure in the woods, running off a battery, and logging photos of passing animals to a remote server.

• Machine Learning Nodes: Utilizing the ESP-WHO framework for localized face recognition or object detection without needing a cloud connection.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution) The AI Desk Assistant: Evolve this hardware beyond a simple security camera! Mount the T-Camera S3 on a 3D-printed stand on your desk. Train a lightweight TensorFlow Lite model to recognize specific hand gestures. You can program the board to watch you via the OV2640; when you hold up a "peace sign," the ESP32-S3 recognizes the gesture and sends an HTTP request to Home Assistant to turn on your studio lights. Use the OLED screen to display a friendly pair of digital eyes that blink and react when the PIR sensor detects you sitting down at your desk!

PACKAGE INCLUDED

• 1 x LILYGO T-Camera S3 Board (with OV2640, PIR, OLED)

• 1 x JST 1.25mm Battery Pigtail Cable

• 1 x JST 2.0mm 5-Pin Expansion Cable

• 2 x Male Header Pins (Unsoldered)

Downloads & Links

• LilyGo-Cam-ESP32S3 Github Link

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What microcontroller drives this board? It is powered by the Espressif ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 module, which is highly optimized for AI and machine learning tasks.

2. What are the specifications of the camera? It uses the popular OV2640 camera module, which supports a maximum resolution of 2 Megapixels (1600x1200) and JPEG output formats.

3. Does this board have PSRAM for image buffering? Yes, it features 8MB of PSRAM, which is absolutely critical for capturing and processing high-resolution images smoothly.

4. How does the PIR sensor work? The PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor detects changes in infrared radiation caused by moving warm bodies (like humans or pets). It is wired to IO17 and acts as a digital trigger (HIGH/LOW) when motion is detected.

5. Can I use the microphone for audio recording? Yes. The board features a digital I2S microphone (wired to DOUT IO41, SCLK IO40, WS IO42). You can use this for recording audio clips, measuring ambient noise levels, or wake-word detection.

6. What is the AXP2101 chip used for? The AXP2101 is a highly advanced Power Management Unit (PMU). It safely charges the LiPo battery and allows your software to individually turn power rails to the camera, screen, and sensors on or off to save battery.

7. Crucial: Why is my camera or screen not working out of the box? Because power is routed through the AXP2101 PMU, you must initialize the PMU in your code and command it to turn on the power rails for the camera and OLED. If you skip this step, the peripherals will remain unpowered and throw initialization errors.

8. What are the pins for the OLED display? The SSD1306 OLED uses the I2C bus, mapped to SDA (IO07) and SCL (IO06). Note that these are the exact same I2C pins used to communicate with the AXP2101 PMU.

9. How do I connect a battery? There is a JST-GH 1.25mm connector located between the PIR sensor and the USB port. A matching cable is included. Ensure your battery polarity matches the board markings.

10. What is the 5-pin port on the bottom for? This is a JST 2.0mm 5-PIN expansion port breaking out 5V, GND, 3V3, IO16, and IO15. It is highly useful for attaching external servos, relays, or serial sensors. A cable is included.

11. How do I put the board into bootloader mode manually? Hold down the "Boot" button, press and release the Reset button (located under the edge of the screen/camera module), and then release the "Boot" button.

12. Does it support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth? Yes, the ESP32-S3 features native 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth 5 (LE).

13. What settings should I use in the Arduino IDE? Select the "ESP32S3 Dev Module". Ensure you set "USB CDC On Boot" to Enabled, Flash Size to 16MB, and PSRAM to "OPI PSRAM".

14. Can I use the ESP32-CAM example sketch in Arduino? Yes, but you must select the custom camera pin definitions matching this specific board, and you must add the AXP2101 initialization code to the setup() block before calling esp_camera_init().

15. Is there a MicroSD card slot on this board? No. Due to the high integration of the camera, screen, PMU, mic, and PIR sensor, there is no physical space for an SD card slot. Images should be processed locally or sent over Wi-Fi.

16. What are the exact dimensions? The board measures 69mm in length, 28mm in width, and 11mm in thickness (measured from the PCB to the top of the PIR dome).

17. Why is the camera ribbon cable folded like that? The OV2640 module sits directly on top of the OLED display, so the flexible Kapton ribbon cable is folded backwards to connect to the FPC socket on the PCB beneath it. Be very careful not to crease or tear this cable.

18. Can I stream video from this board? Yes. You can run a web server on the ESP32-S3 that streams a MJPEG video feed to a web browser on your local network.

19. What logic voltage do the GPIO pins use? Like all ESP32 chips, the GPIO pins operate strictly on 3.3V logic.

20. Can I replace the camera lens? The standard OV2640 module usually comes with a fixed lens glued into the housing. While technically possible to swap if you buy a different OV2640 module, it is generally intended to be used as-is.