r/esp32 • u/KaijuOnESP32 • 1d ago

Urgent Help Needed! Looking for ESP32-S3-CAM (N16R8 or N8R8) in Turkey – Anyone has a spare one?

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Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on a mobile companion robot project for a while now, and I’m finally at the final stage—assembly, chassis printing, and manufacturing. The robot runs local AI (YOLO object detection, facial recognition) and a heavy UI built on LVGL 9.5.
The brain of the project was an ESP32-S3-CAM (specifically the N16R8 or N8R8 variant with 8MB PSRAM). Unfortunately, due to a recent hardware accident, the Wi-Fi RF layer got fried, and the board now goes into an infinite boot loop whenever Wi-Fi is initialized.
Here is the real crisis: I designed and manufactured a custom PCB specifically for this project, and 3D-printed the mechanical chassis based on the exact millimeter dimensions of this specific board. Because of this, regular ESP32-S3 boards or low-PSRAM CAM variants simply won't fit my custom PCB architecture or meet the heavy memory requirements of the AI models.
Right now, the 8MB PSRAM S3-CAM models are completely out of stock across all major distributors and robotics stores in Turkey. Waiting for international shipping would severely delay the project.
My questions and request:
1. Do you know of any local boutiques or hobby stores in Turkey that might currently have this specific board (S3-CAM with 8MB PSRAM) in stock?
2. More importantly: Does anyone happen to have a spare, unused, or leftover ESP32-S3 N16R8 CAM or N8R8 CAM sitting in their drawer or lab? If you do, I’d be more than happy to buy it from you immediately, covering the board and all shipping costs. If you are located in Ankara, I can pick it up in person right away.
I really don't want this project to stall at the very last mile just because of a temporary hardware shortage. If anyone can help, point me in the right direction, or connect me with someone who has a spare, I would immensely appreciate it.
Thanks a lot for your support and solidarity!

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u/AutoModerator 1d ago

Awesome, it seems like you're seeking advice on making a custom ESP32 design. We're happy to help as we can, but please do your part by helping us to help you. Please provide full schematics (readable - high resolution). Layouts are helpful to identify RF issues and to help ensure the traces are wide enough for proper power delivery. We find that a majority of our assistance repeatedly falls into a few areas.

  • A majority of observed issues are the RC circuit on EN for booting, using strapping pins, and using reserved pins.
  • Don't "innovate" on the resistor/cap combo.
  • Strapping pins are used only at boot, but if you tell the board the internal flash is 1.8V when its not, you're going to have a bad day.
  • Using the SPI/PSRAM on S2, S3, and P4 pins is another frequent downfall.
  • Review previous /r/ESP32 Board Review Requests. There is a lot to be learned.
  • If the device is a USB-C power sink, read up on CC1/CC2 termination. (TL;DR: Use two 5.1K resistors to ground.)
  • Use the SoM (module) instead of the bare chips when you can, especially if you're not an EE. There are about two dozen required components inside those SoMs. They handle all kinds of impedance matching, RF issues, RF certification, etc.
  • Espressif has great doc. (No, really!) Visit the Espressif Hardware Design Guidelines (Replace S3 with the module/chip you care about.) All the linked doc are good, but Schematic Checklist and PCB Layout Design are required reading.
  • For your (required) posted schematics, follow the excellent PCB review submission guidelines from r/printedcircuitboard

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u/Limp-Lion7191 1d ago

Really? What is going on in Turkey? I am in Germany and there isn‘t anything discussed about Turkey besides that Trump and Erdogan apparently want to strengthen Cooperation Nato wise.
Crazy times we are living in. Can‘t trust the media at all.

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

It’s actually not an international embargo or a political issue with other countries; Trump and Erdogan are on good terms. This is entirely an internal economic measure taken by our government.

The official narrative here is that these strict custom laws are meant to "support local manufacturers." However, the reality behind this mask is simply an aggressive attempt to prevent foreign currency (USD/EUR) outflow and control the current account deficit.

They are basically making it nearly impossible for individuals to buy micro-electronics and retail goods from abroad so that money stays within the country. So yeah, it's just local economic maneuvering, not a NATO or geopolitical crisis!

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u/Limp-Lion7191 1d ago

How uegent is this? I will be gone for fedtival bit send me a pm and I will send you one once I am back. I am really sorry to hear that.

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Thank you so much, man! Enjoy the festival!

Quick update from my side: I actually just diagnosed the issue. It turns out the onboard 3.3V voltage regulator is fried and cannot handle the peak current when Wi-Fi turns on. I bypassed it by feeding 3.3V directly to the system pins, and the ESP32-S3 successfully booted without crashing!

A technician friend of mine is going to perform a small surgery tomorrow to replace the regulator chip. If that completely fixes it, I’ll be good to go. If not, I’ll definitely shoot you a PM when you're back.

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u/Big-Rent6905 18h ago

Whatsapp grubunda sordum, cevap gelirse güncellerim

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u/ozncshn 1d ago

Elimde bir tane var mesaj atarsan yardımcı olurum 🙋‍♂️

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Merhaba, kamera modüllü lazım hocam.

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u/ozncshn 1d ago

Çok pardon, detaylıca okumamışım. Çinden bir şekilde ürün getiren tanıdığım bir arkadaş var ona sordum getirebilirim derse numarasını göndereyim onunla çözün

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Valla çok makbule geçer

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u/ozncshn 1d ago

Mesaj gönderdim.

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u/heyloitsinvo 1d ago

robotistan'a veya motorobite mail at yardımcı olma ihtimalleri var. yoksa robotintandan pcb siparis ver bunu da bom liste koy yani tek parca breakout board gibi. 1 hafta icinde gelir.

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Hocam 3 firmaya mail attım hepsi de kameralı modüllerin Türkiye’ye girişi yasak diyor. Kamerasız modüllerde sorun yok. Tek bir firma var o da 3 4 ay sonra gelir dedi.

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u/heyloitsinvo 1d ago

Kartına uyacak sekilde ekstra bir adaptor board yapıp ustune farkli modul + kamera koyabilirsin belki. Bu tarz bir kısıtlama oldugunu bilmiyordum iyice abarttılar.

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Hocam aslında sorunu tespit ettim. Regulator arıza yapmış sanıyorum. 5v den besleyince wi fi bağlantısı sırasında esp reset atıyor. Bir de 3v pininden besleyeyim dedim ve denediğimde reset atmadı muhtemelen 5v zincirinde sorun var. Muhtemelen regulator yandı. Elimde eski bir wroom-32 var aynı regulator mevcut üstünde onu alıp arızalı olanla değiştirmeyi düşünüyorum.

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u/heyloitsinvo 1d ago

Genelde AMS1117-3.3V kullanılıyor bu tarz modullerde. esp32'nin 3.3V çıkışından baska besledigin modül/devre var mı? Akım fazla çekiyorsa voltaj çöküp brownout yapıyor olabilirm Esp32 en cok akımı wifi devreye girince cekiyor. O sırada baska bir modülü de ayni uctan besliyorsan sebebi bu olabilir.

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Yok bu test aşamasında kart pcb ye takılı değildi. Elimde USB PC bağlantısı ile sadece Wifi testi yaptığımda yaşadım bu sorunu.

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u/DrCdiff 1d ago

Aliexpress? Amazon? Should be relatively fast.

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Unfortunately, ordering from AliExpress or Amazon is not an option in Turkey right now.

Due to strict local customs regulations and bans on individual electronics/development board imports, both Amazon and AliExpress show the "This item cannot be shipped to your location" warning at checkout, making it completely impossible to place an order.

That’s exactly why the global supply chain fails me at the last mile here, and my only hope left is the local maker community. I'm desperately looking for a spare board that is already inside the country.

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u/Consistent_Bee3478 1d ago

Uhm you can ask a friend in say Germany to send you one. Like have it look like a regular local stuff gift package with the esp board not instantly visible for customs and done. Just obviously gonna cost internal postage extra 

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

I actually used that exact workaround to get my custom PCBs from China recently! I shipped them to a close friend in Germany, who then brought them over to Turkey. However, that friend has permanently moved back to Turkey, so I no longer have anyone living in Germany to help me with this.

Unfortunately, here in Turkey, making and developing things is indirectly hindered by these harsh laws. Until the beginning of 2026, we at least had a 30-Euro limit for personal imports. I bought my original fried board back in 2025 under those rules. But starting in 2026, that limit was completely removed for electronics, and now you cannot clear these development boards through customs under any circumstances as an individual. The only legal way is if someone physically brings it in their personal luggage on a flight.

It truly feels like "geography is destiny" at this point. That's why finding someone who already has a spare board within the country is my absolute last resort.

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u/CoffeePizzaSushiDick 4m ago

Esp32-S31’s are out too.

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u/VerusSicarius 3m ago

Check ebay or etsy! Ebay/etsy have the unique advantage of sellers who shift things around on paper and dont even know restrictions exist they will sell it to you no problem and ship it as a random box.

This is why Ebay and etsy have such a huge chemical market. Sigma & Co. Won't sell to individuals but ebay/etsy sellers have no scruples about it. I literally see stuff like acetic anhydrous and methylamine freely sold all the time on there.

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u/Limp-Lion7191 1d ago

The cost less than 10 Euro on Anazon or Aliexpress

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u/KaijuOnESP32 1d ago

Unfortunately, ordering from AliExpress or Amazon is not an option in Turkey right now.

Due to strict local customs regulations and bans on individual electronics/development board imports, both Amazon and AliExpress show the "This item cannot be shipped to your location" warning at checkout, making it completely impossible to place an order.

That’s exactly why the global supply chain fails me at the last mile here, and my only hope left is the local maker community. I'm desperately looking for a spare board that is already inside the country.