XCAM turns small ESP32 cameras into field-ready ISR nodes.
XCAM is the local-first camera edge for XTOC Video ISR: stable RTSP, MJPEG, and snapshot URLs, browser setup, site-friendly naming, and optional camera-frame motion alerts that can report into the XTOC Sentinel workflow.
Why XCAM exists
A camera is only useful to a TOC when operators can find it, name it, view it, and trust its URL under pressure. XCAM gives small ESP32 camera boards a repeatable identity and a simple local video path for gates, yards, approaches, equipment rooms, drone benches, and temporary watch points.
Purpose-built for local operations
Each node lives on your LAN and exposes practical camera URLs without a cloud account, vendor portal, or subscription relay in the middle.
Fast multi-camera naming
Default identities are unique, then operators rename each unit to a location such as xcam-front-gate, xcam-yard-north, or xcam-motorpool-2.
Ready for the XTOC video board
XCAM feeds can be added to XTOC Video ISR using RTSP, browser-viewable MJPEG, or a still snapshot URL for quick visual verification.
From camera node to TOC view.
Flash the firmware, join the temporary setup WiFi, enter the permanent network settings, give the camera a location name, then copy the status-page URLs into the XTOC Video ISR workflow.
What XCAM gives you
Three useful camera surfaces
rtsp://<thing-name>.local:554/mjpeg/1for RTSP viewers and TOC boards.http://<thing-name>.local/streamfor browser-friendly Motion JPEG.http://<thing-name>.local/snapshotfor a still JPEG check.- IPv4 fallback URLs appear on the status page when
.localresolution is not available.
Browser configuration
- Set WiFi, access password, thing name, board type, and connection timeout.
- Tune frame size, frame duration, JPEG quality, PSRAM use, and frame buffers.
- Adjust camera controls such as brightness, contrast, saturation, gain, exposure, white balance, mirror, flip, and lens correction.
Motion alerts for XTOC Sentinel
- Samples camera frames and compares a compact visual digest.
- Uses configurable pixel delta, area threshold, consecutive hits, cooldown, and HTTP timeout.
- Posts an XTOC
T=11 SENTINELalert packet to the configured MANET bridge URL.
Small nodes, broad placement
- Works with ESP32-CAM class boards including AI-Thinker, ESP-EYE, ESP32-S3 camera boards, M5Stack camera variants, UnitCam, UnitCamS3, XIAO ESP32S3 Sense, TTGO camera boards, and similar targets.
- Fits low-cost fixed observation points where a full laptop, phone, or NVR is the wrong tool.
Designed for repeatable deployment
The setup path is intentionally boring: identify the unit, put it on the right network, give it a name the TOC understands, and record the stream URLs. That matters when you are deploying several cameras quickly.
xcam-<suffix> access point.
How it fits the X Suite
XCAM is not the command center. It is the camera edge underneath the command center, giving XTOC a simple way to discover, stage, and view local video sources without forcing every feed through a cloud service.
XTOC
Use Video ISR to collect and view camera feeds, stage drone or RTMP inputs, capture screencaps, and keep metadata beside the operational picture.
XCAM
Place small LAN camera nodes at the points that need eyes: entry routes, gates, storage, staging areas, road approaches, equipment tables, and temporary observation posts.
Sentinel alerts
When motion alerts are enabled, the camera can turn visual change into a structured Sentinel packet that XTOC can ingest over the configured local bridge.
Operational note
XCAM is intended for trusted local networks, field LANs, MANET segments, lab benches, and temporary operational setups. Anyone who can reach the camera URL on the network may be able to view the stream, so use network segmentation, physical placement discipline, and appropriate access controls for sensitive use.
FAQ
Does XCAM require the internet?
No. XCAM is built for local network use. Internet is not required for viewing the local stream once the device is configured on the LAN.
Does XCAM replace XTOC Video ISR?
No. XCAM is the camera node. XTOC Video ISR is the operator-facing board that stages and views feeds from XCAM and other sources.
What stream formats are available?
XCAM exposes RTSP, HTTP Motion JPEG, and HTTP JPEG snapshot URLs. The status page shows both .local names and IPv4 fallback paths when available.
Can XCAM send alerts?
Yes. When configured, motion alerts can send XTOC Sentinel packet text to the local MANET bridge URL.
Which boards are supported?
The firmware supports many ESP32-CAM class boards, including AI-Thinker ESP32-CAM, ESP-EYE, ESP32-S3 camera boards, M5Stack camera units, UnitCamS3, XIAO ESP32S3 Sense, and TTGO camera boards.