Start only with the ESP32-CAM-MB board

[Sectorchan]

The Feature

I had on another ESP32-CAM project the issue that the board wont start due brownout detection. My current AI on the edge only runs with the ESP32-CAM-MB board, with 5V only it wont start.

I've found out that you have to disable the brownout detection when you are sure that the used power supply is from a good quality and stable over 500mA.

Since I've not forked or did anything here, I cant open a pull request and want to add this as a Feature Request here: In order to deactivate the brownout detection you have to:

#include "soc/soc.h"
#include "soc/rtc_cntl_reg.h"

and:

void setup() {
  WRITE_PERI_REG(RTC_CNTL_BROWN_OUT_REG, 0);
}

[caco3]

But the Brown-out-detection is an important feature which helps to detect insufficient power! Disabling it has no real benefit.

If you board only works without it, I would expect you have bad hardware.

[Sectorchan]

And the same esp32-cam board works with the same power supply but in addition with the esp32-cam-mb board without the brownout detection issue.

When you say this is a bad board, how can you or I identify this? Because if this is the case this is a fault and should be returned to the seller, but without any prove it makes hard to complain with the circumstance that with the -mb board works well.

[SybexX]

https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-troubleshooting-guide/

[Sectorchan]

I don't see a relation to my question with this link, it just said the same as already said here. How can you identify that the board is bad when you don't get the brownout message when using the same usb power supply for with the esp32-cam-mb board compared without the -mb board but with the same usb cable and supply?

[SybexX]

[Slider0007]

@Sectorchan Disabling brownout is already prepared in software, but it's not compiled in. You can compile your own version and disable brownout by only setting this definition.

https://github.com/jomjol/AI-on-the-edge-device/blob/7e5f6bf4a55c30a437ba8645e9e683d491c9e19b/code/main/main.cpp#L181

It's not recommended to disable brownout, because unrecognised voltage drops could lead to undefined device behaviour.

[Sectorchan]

Maybe still better instead to complain and discuss with the vendor of the board. Could be an advanced feature or similiar