This week, I explored networking.
I started by milling and stuffing the board for the ESP32CAM. Since I could not find the right pin sockets, I used 5-pin sockets which spilled over but didn't affect anything.
I found an FTDI connector in the lab and hooked it up according to the example video on the website. Nothing from my ESP board was being registered. Quentin thought that I might have fried the chip. I tried about five different ESP32CAMs and none of them were picked up at all. I even ditched the board and connected the ESP32CAM directly using a breadboard.
I then decided to mill the D11-serial board instead of an FTDI. Quentin helped program the SAMD11C on it.
This still did not work. I left it for a while and decided to come back later. When I revisited, I made a new ESP board entirely: the ESP32WROOM.
With Leo's help, I connected a commercial FTDI and was finally able to see it appear on my computer. Using the example "WebServer"→"HelloServer" sketch, and after changing the ssid and password to the makerspace wifi, it worked!
