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T-Camera Plus S3 Quick Start ​

Required Libraries ​

LibraryVersionSource
esp32-cameraLatestGitHub
U8g2LatestGitHub
XPowersLibLatestGitHub

Arduino ​

  1. Install VS Code and the PlatformIO IDE extension
  2. Clone the repository:
    bash
    git clone https://github.com/Xinyuan-LilyGO/T-Camera-Plus-S3.git
  3. Open platformio.ini and select your example
  4. Click ✓ to build, connect via USB-C, click → to upload

Arduino IDE ​

1. Install ESP32 Board Support ​

  1. Open Arduino IDE → File → Preferences
  2. Add to "Additional Board Manager URLs":
    https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json
  3. Go to Tools → Board → Boards Manager, search esp32, install esp32 by Espressif Systems

2. Board Settings ​

SettingValue
BoardESP32S3 Dev Module
Upload Speed921600
USB CDC On BootEnabled
CPU Frequency240 MHz (WiFi)
Flash ModeQIO 80 MHz
Flash Size16 MB (128Mb)
Partition Scheme16M Flash (3MB APP/9.9MB FATFS)
PSRAMOPI PSRAM

3. Upload ​

Connect via USB-C, open an example, and click Upload.
If upload fails: hold BOOT, press and release RST, then release BOOT to enter download mode.


Examples ​

ExampleDescription
CameraWebServerStream video over Wi-Fi via browser
PIR_CameraTrigger capture on PIR motion detection
FactoryFull factory test

Peripheral Examples ​

Camera (OV2640) ​

cpp
#include "esp_camera.h"

// T-Camera Plus S3 camera pin definitions
#define PWDN_GPIO_NUM  -1
#define RESET_GPIO_NUM -1
#define XCLK_GPIO_NUM  15
#define SIOD_GPIO_NUM  4
#define SIOC_GPIO_NUM  5
#define Y9_GPIO_NUM    16
#define Y8_GPIO_NUM    17
#define Y7_GPIO_NUM    18
#define Y6_GPIO_NUM    12
#define Y5_GPIO_NUM    10
#define Y4_GPIO_NUM    8
#define Y3_GPIO_NUM    9
#define Y2_GPIO_NUM    11
#define VSYNC_GPIO_NUM 6
#define HREF_GPIO_NUM  7
#define PCLK_GPIO_NUM  13

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  camera_config_t config;
  config.ledc_channel = LEDC_CHANNEL_0;
  config.ledc_timer   = LEDC_TIMER_0;
  config.pin_d0 = Y2_GPIO_NUM;  config.pin_d1 = Y3_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d2 = Y4_GPIO_NUM;  config.pin_d3 = Y5_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d4 = Y6_GPIO_NUM;  config.pin_d5 = Y7_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_d6 = Y8_GPIO_NUM;  config.pin_d7 = Y9_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_xclk  = XCLK_GPIO_NUM; config.pin_pclk  = PCLK_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_vsync = VSYNC_GPIO_NUM; config.pin_href  = HREF_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_sccb_sda = SIOD_GPIO_NUM; config.pin_sccb_scl = SIOC_GPIO_NUM;
  config.pin_pwdn  = PWDN_GPIO_NUM;  config.pin_reset = RESET_GPIO_NUM;
  config.xclk_freq_hz = 20000000;
  config.pixel_format = PIXFORMAT_JPEG;
  config.frame_size   = FRAMESIZE_QVGA;
  config.jpeg_quality = 12;
  config.fb_count     = 2;
  esp_err_t err = esp_camera_init(&config);
  if (err != ESP_OK) {
    Serial.printf("Camera init failed: 0x%x\n", err);
    return;
  }
  Serial.println("Camera ready");
}

void loop() {
  camera_fb_t *fb = esp_camera_fb_get();
  if (fb) {
    Serial.printf("Captured %u bytes\n", fb->len);
    esp_camera_fb_return(fb);
  }
  delay(2000);
}

OLED Display (U8g2) ​

cpp
#include <U8g2lib.h>
#include <Wire.h>

// 0.96-inch SSD1306 OLED I2C
U8G2_SSD1306_128X64_NONAME_F_HW_I2C u8g2(U8G2_R0, U8X8_PIN_NONE);

void setup() {
  u8g2.begin();
}

void loop() {
  u8g2.clearBuffer();
  u8g2.setFont(u8g2_font_ncenB08_tr);
  u8g2.drawStr(10, 30, "T-Camera Plus");
  u8g2.sendBuffer();
  delay(1000);
}

FAQ ​

Q: Upload keeps failing?
A: Hold BOOT, press and release RST, then release BOOT to enter download mode.

Q: What is the difference from T-Camera S3?
A: T-Camera Plus S3 adds a battery management unit (IP5306 PMU) and a larger battery connector compared to the standard T-Camera S3.

Q: Camera init failed?
A: Verify PSRAM is set to OPI PSRAM in Arduino IDE settings. Also confirm the correct camera pin definitions for your board.