Arduino Nano ESP32: Overview, Features and Applications

The Arduino Nano ESP32 represents a significant evolution of the classic Arduino Nano board, upgrading it with WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities based on the ESP32-S3 chip. At its core is a dual-core 240MHz Xtensa LX7 microprocessor providing both processing power and wireless connectivity.

This compact board measures only 18 x 43 mm but packs full-featured WiFi 4 (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth 5.0 LE thanks to the embedded antenna in the ESP32-S3 module. The microcontroller includes 384KB ROM and 512KB SRAM along with plentiful peripherals for system control.

Specifications of the ESP32-S3 chip

For interfacing, 14 GPIO pins are provided as well as 8 analog inputs, hardware SPI, I2C, UART, and more communication options. The familiar Nano board layout enables easy connection to breadboards or embedding into small spaces. USB-C handles both power supply and programming over a USB CDC serial connection.

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• Microcontroller: ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 running at up to 240MHz

• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n supporting up to 150 Mbps

• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 LE

• 14 digital I/O pins, 8 analog input pins

• USB-C connector for power and programming

• Breadboard-friendly design

• Ultra-low power modes

Here are some alternatives to the Arduino Nano ESP32:

• NodeMCU ESP32: This is an open-source IoT platform that is programmed using Lua scripting language for quick prototyping.

• ESP32-CAM: This is a small ESP32 development board with a 2 MP camera for IoT projects.

• Wemos D1 R32: This development board is compatible with the Arduino Uno R3 interface, but comes with an ESP32 module for more powerful performance.

• SparkFun ESP32 Thing: Designed to make ESP32 easier to use, this development board integrates ESP32 with a rich set of peripherals.

• Adafruit HUZZAH32 - ESP32 Feather Board: This is Adafruit's version of the ESP32 development board and is compatible with the Feather family of peripherals, making it ideal for battery-powered IoT devices.

• Compact IoT devices and wireless sensors

• Wearable electronics and small robots

• Wireless home automation and controls

• Battery-powered gadgets and remote sensing

• Educational microcontroller projects with WiFi

• Prototyping basic WiFi-connected systems

- Making a Time Lapse Camera using Arduino Nano ESP32

Components Needed:

• Arduino Nano ESP32

• Camera module - Something like an OV2640 or other mini camera module

• MicroSD card module/shield

• MicroSD card

• Power supply - LiPo battery and charger or USB power bank

Circuit:

• Connect the camera module to the Arduino using SPI or parallel bus. Verify the pinout in the camera datasheet.

• Attach the microSD card module using SPI pins (D11-D13)

• Power the board either using the LiPo connected to the Vin pin or a USB power bank to the USB-C port.

Software:

• Install ESP32 board support in Arduino IDE

• Install the Arduino SD library to communicate with the SD card

• Install the Arduino FS library to save files to the SD card

• Install the camera library to control the camera module (e.g. ArduCAM)

• In the setup() function initialize the SD card and camera

• Calculate the interval time between captures based on the total timelapse duration needed.

• In the loop(), capture an image from the camera and save it to an SD card with the incremental file name

• Use deep sleep between captures to conserve battery life

• Calculate the total elapsed time and stop capture after the required duration

• Retrieve the images/video from the SD card to the computer and compile them into a timelapse video using video editing software.

Software workflow

Additional functionality:

• Add a real-time clock module to timestamp images

• Use WiFi to upload images to cloud storage

• Implement a web interface to configure timelapse parameters

• Add a display to show system info/stats

Sample Code:

#include <WiFi.h>
#include <ESPAsyncWebServer.h>
#include <SPIFFS.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_Sensor.h>
#include <Adafruit_BME280.h>
#include <SD.h>
#include <ArduinoJson.h>
#define CAMERA_PIN 4
#define INTERVAL_MS 5000 // Capture frame every 5 seconds
#define FILE_NAME "/image%04d.jpg" // File name format for captured frames
const char* ssid = "YourWiFiSSID";
const char* password = "YourWiFiPassword";
AsyncWebServer server(80);
Adafruit_BME280 bme;
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  
  // Connect to Wi-Fi
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(1000);
    Serial.println("Connecting to WiFi...");
  }
  Serial.println("Connected to WiFi");
  // Initialize SD card
  if (!SD.begin()) {
    Serial.println("Failed to initialize SD card");
    return;
  }
  Serial.println("SD card initialized");
  // Initialize camera module
  pinMode(CAMERA_PIN, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(CAMERA_PIN, LOW);
  delay(1000);
  // Initialize BME280 sensor
  if (!bme.begin(0x76)) {
    Serial.println("Failed to initialize BME280 sensor");
    return;
  }
  Serial.println("BME280 sensor initialized");
  // Start capturing frames periodically
  setIntervalCapture();
  
  // Start server
  server.on("/", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest *request){
    String html = "<html><body><h1>Time-Lapse Camera</h1>";
    html += "<p>Temperature: " + String(bme.readTemperature()) + " &#8451;</p>";
    html += "<p>Humidity: " + String(bme.readHumidity()) + " %</p>";
    html += "<p>Pressure: " + String(bme.readPressure() / 100.0F) + " hPa</p>";
    html += "</body></html>";
    request->send(200, "text/html", html);
  });
  server.begin();
}
void loop() {
  // Handle server requests
  server.handleClient();
}
void captureFrame() {
  digitalWrite(CAMERA_PIN, HIGH); // Activate camera
  delay(1000); // Allow time for camera to capture frame
  digitalWrite(CAMERA_PIN, LOW); // Deactivate camera
}
void setIntervalCapture() {
  unsigned long previousMillis = 0;
  unsigned long currentMillis;
  
  while (true) {
    currentMillis = millis();
    
    if (currentMillis - previousMillis >= INTERVAL_MS) {
      previousMillis = currentMillis;
      
      // Capture frame and save to SD card
      captureFrame();
      saveFrameToSDCard();
    }
    // Handle server requests
    server.handleClient();
  }
}
void saveFrameToSDCard() {
  static int fileIndex = 1;
  char fileName[20];
  sprintf(fileName, FILE_NAME, fileIndex);
  
  File file = SD.open(fileName, FILE_WRITE);
  if (!file) {
    Serial.println("Failed to open file");
    return;
  }
  
  // Write captured frame to file
  // Replace the following line with your camera module's code to capture the frame
  file.print("Sample frame data");
  
  file.close();
  Serial.println("Frame saved to SD card: " + String(fileName));
  
  fileIndex++;
}

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