camera
Communication Schema
✈️ Table of Pages
Below is a quick reference table of the main documentation pages.
| Page | Description |
|---|---|
| What Sets it Apart | Why you should just do it yourself and the cost |
| MVP | High level project goals and summary |
| Status Tracker | Feature progress table |
| Unit Testing | Test and coverage instructions |
| Build It Yourself | Clone & Docker setup guide |
| Firmware | Firmware API reference |
| Hub Guide | Hub API reference |
| Communication Methods | Communication and architecture |
graph TD
cam[ESP32 Camera]
usb[USB Camera]
localcam[Node LocalCam]
hub[FastAPI Hub]
db[(SQLite DB)]
ui[Vue Frontend]
cam -- REST / WebSocket --> hub
usb --> localcam
localcam -- WebSocket --> hub
hub -- REST --> ui
hub -- WebSocket relay --> ui
hub -- queries --> db
cam -- SD files --> hub
The ESP32 camera streams MJPEG frames over WebSocket. A USB webcam can use the optional Node localcam helper to send frames to the hub. The hub relays frames to the UI while serving a REST API and persisting data in SQLite. Cameras also report motion and status events over MQTT so Home Assistant can automate actions.
Wi-Fi credentials travel to the ESP32 over HTTPS and are stored encrypted on the SD card. Each camera can fall back to a secondary network or start its own AP if both connections fail, keeping the system accessible during outages.
Architecture Options
flowchart LR
subgraph Standalone
s_cam[ESP32 Cam] --> s_ui[Local UI]
end
subgraph Hub_Setup
h_cam[ESP32 Cam] --> hub[Hub]
hub --> h_ui[Central UI]
end
subgraph Hub_With_USB
usb[USB Cam] --> helper[localcam]
helper --> hub
end