@dronebot-workshop, It took me weeks to solder and troubleshoot and get it working. I used the FTDi and a breadboard to program it, setting the FTDI output to 5V and feeding it to 5V  input on the ESP32-CAM.  

The camera re-orientation was sorted by deleting the reference to .rotate90 at the end of line 354 in app.httpd.cpp. (Deleting back from the final curly bracket to the previous one). This rights the video but reduces its height. Might be able to delete (or modify)  "-40px" from the max height definition elsewhere in that line if it refers to the video element size. I had to "modify" the design to make it work because there was so little electricity coming out of the pwm line from IO12 when the webpage slider was at 90% speed. I just connected both enable pins to 5v so it has one speed- "fast". I wrecked an ESP board soldering the external aerial jumper, but the range with the internal aerial is just enough for playing indoors. A fantastic little thing and a superb video and explanation. Thank you very much.

Fritigern

@fritigern It sounds like you missed seeing Bill's corrective post at HERE

@jbo Hi I am just starting my esp32cam RC car, do you know the type of circuit board bill used in the video as they would make the project much tidier? I haven't even worked out the size I need but I think it may be about 4inch by 4inch as I need to cover the hole in the bottom of the truck3 I may put it in a plastic box to cover the hole and then put the circuit board inside, what size micro sd 16 32 64 will it take? 

I have the antenna to put on top of the truck.

Thank you for any help and suggestions.

@videogame95 

Hi @videogame95,

   I don't know anything about this project, but I just looked at Bill (@dronebot-worksop)'s blog write up, and as he says, he used 'perf boads'

I am sure these are widely available from lots of places ... the first one that came up in my Google search was at:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001704555851.html

but this is just to give you a guide ... not a recommendation of a particular supplier.

It looks like Bill used two sizes, so you just need to ensure you get the size(s) you want. Then tend to sell in packs, such as in the advert I copied,  as the value of an individual one is too low.

Good luck if you go ahead with the pproject.

Best wishes, Dave

@davee fyi @videogame95 Like Dave said, Bill used perf boards. You can buy collections of them on Amazon. Here are some pics of Bill using them. Here is an Amazon link Amazon

@videogame95 - Howdy, thanks for the message. As @DaveE and @zander say, an assortment pack of perfboard should work fine, aliexpress or amazon. They are more experienced than myself, but I just made sure the boards were double-sided, and it worked out great.

As I recall, this project used two perf boards, a smaller skinny one for the ESP-32CAM, and a main one for everything else. The more I watched the video (a lot!), the more I appreciated the reasons Bill did it that way. It sticks the camera up a little more, above the carpet, and orients it in the correct direction, but my favorite was that having it detachable meant I could reprogram the ESP-32CAM easily and as often as needed. Something to consider, though it sounds like you're off to a good start on your truck project. 

Regarding micro SD cards, I don't remember using them on this project. The video was sent over WiFi, viewed on my phone for the all-important goal of not running into the piano, and that was it. If I did want to record some stills or video, I would start with one of the other projects, get it working, and see what size card works. Cheers, John

@zander @videogame95 - Yes, as Ron notes, I'm AWOL recently, not posting, but looking in when I can. I've subscribed to this topic, so I see the updates. Good luck with your build!

@davee Thanks for that I've started the build due moving  soon note much to build . Thanks so much

Hi how did bill using the esp32 and Tb6612fng  labeling or work out wiring to solder on the back of the board

I've had go but had to start again messed up one one wire so it made next 3 wires in the wrong place I've also have trouble desordering. I was trying make motors on a wiring screw bloke and the powering on a screw bloke as well. if there an easy way to do  this . i will try again one wire at a time slowly.

Any help please 

Posted by: @videogame95

↑

 

if there an easy way to do  this . i will try again one wire at a time slowly.

Place all your parts where you want them on the front of the board. Now take a picture of them on the board. Use a photo utility to swap the photo left to right.

Now turn the board over and look where all parts' pins are. The photo now shows you exactly where each part and it's connection are so you can always tell which pin is for what part by matching its position on. the photo and board.

Connect wires now as needed.

@videogame95 All I can say is use as small a wire as possible, use a small wedge shaped soldering tip at 700F, use liquid flux and of course good quality solder, but most of all be patient.

Hi @videogame95,

  I find it very easy to get muddled when working on the back of a board as well. Some people seem to find the transposition easy, but I am not one of them, so I need to take more care and be more patient.

In addition, I tend to use 'little tricks' to make it easier, as described below.

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 As a minimum, I do pen and paper type sketches, with labelling, as viewed from the back.

Then, take a break, followed by triple checking the sketch, before you use it!

---------------

 When there is something like a DIL chip, or a microcontroller dev board with pins on a 0.1" spacing, I sometimes use the PC to 'draw' an outline picture of the named pins, from the underside view, and get the printer to print it on a 1:1 scale, so that it can be temporarily fixed in position. Sorry, this is one of those tasks, that I seem to do differently every time, so I don't have a simple 'recipe' to follow, but hopefully you get the idea, and can invent your own. You can use the 'scale' or 'zoom' to match the print to the actual device, though you might need to have a couple of 'trial and error' iterations to get it to fit.

-------------

Also, as you start to wire it up, keep your meter handy, especially when making the first connections. Make the first connection, and then use the meter to check the wiring continuity. Then, if you have made a mistake, it is only one wire to change. Repeat the 'add a wire, then immediately check it' process as required. Changing one wire is usually easy. Changing a dozen, because they are all one pin displaced, is a different proposition.

If it is quite difficult to physically route and connect a wire, consider 'tacking' the wire to the right pin. Then check with a meter. If it is correct, mark the pin (maybe with a Sharpie-style felt-tip pen?), then fix the wire properly.

------------

Ensure you have an adequate supply of your favourite beverage, e.g coffee. Take frequent breaks. When you 'return' from a break, double-check the connections made so far.   You are more likely to spot an error after a break, and if you take enough breaks, hopefully you will spot a mistake before it has caused a lot of other mistakes.

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Sorry, this is not a 'proper' answer to your question, but it is the best I can offer.

Good luck, Dave

@davee OR https://forum.dronebotworkshop.com/2021/build-an-esp32cam-robot-car/paged/4/#post-47935

Hi Ron @zander,

  Personally, whilst I agree @will's suggestion is novel (thanks for sharing, Will!), and in some cases appropriate, I think a reversed photo for devices with lots of pins, will still be quite error-prone, as it means counting pins, checking the data sheet and so on.

  As with many things, I don't see the ideas as competing, but rather as alternates to be chosen from, depending upon the circumstances. Although I have occasionally hand-wired circuits over several decades, I doubt if I have ever done two different circuits in an identical manner.

Maybe I'll do one using Will's suggestion in the future ... I think it might be useful for discrete components with 2-4 through hole connections, but I am more doubtful for a 74-series DIL chip.

Best wishes, Dave