Switching Between Two ESP-CAM Boards on a Single TFT Display via SPI
Hey guys i’m working on a project where I need to connect two ESP-CAM dev boards to a single TFT display via the SPI bus. My goal is to display the video feed from either camera on the TFT display, selectable via a button press. I'm aware that this can be achieved using ESP-NOW with three ESP32 boards (two cameras and one for the display), but I'm looking to maintain the high frame rate achievable through direct SPI bus connection. Is it possible to share the SPI bus between the two ESP-CAM boards and switch between them seamlessly? If so, what would be the best approach to accomplish this?
Solution:Jump to solution
Yes @Daniel kalu , it's possible to share the
SPI bus between the two ESP-CAM boards, but you'll need to manage the SPI bus and the CS lines carefully. One approach is to use a multiplexer or an analog switch to select which camera is connected to the TFT display at a time. This allows you to keep both cameras connected but only one active on the bus, Another method is to manually control the CS line, ensuring only one ESP-CAM is communicating with the TFT at any given time....2 Replies
Solution
Yes @Daniel kalu , it's possible to share the
SPI bus between the two ESP-CAM boards, but you'll need to manage the SPI bus and the CS lines carefully. One approach is to use a multiplexer or an analog switch to select which camera is connected to the TFT display at a time. This allows you to keep both cameras connected but only one active on the bus, Another method is to manually control the CS line, ensuring only one ESP-CAM is communicating with the TFT at any given time. This way, you can maintain a high frame rate and switch between cameras with minimal delay. Implementing a software solution to handle the bus arbitration would be essential for seamless switching.Using a multiplexer or manually controlling the CS line both seem like viable options to ensure the SPI bus is managed correctly. I'll explore these approaches to see which one best fits thanks for this 🙏