user61182: I am new to the ESP32 series of boards.I powered up my ESP32 Cam board using the Vcc pin supplying about 7.4V using two 18650 batteries only to find out later that was a completely incorrect way to power up the board.
Now I cannot get my board to flash. I am guessing that the SPI SRAM on my board is burnt because when I measure the Vcc at the SPI SRAM chip it doesn't read 3.3V as its supposed to.
Also there is continuity between the ground and Vcc of the SPI SRAM chip. And it heats up excessively when powered up using 5V.
However I read in the documents that the ESP32 has a few bytes of internal RAM in it.
I was planning to use the ESP32 Cam as an IP Camera for one of my projects.
I want to know if its possible to desolder the SPI SRAM chip (IPS1704) and somehow use the internal ram to get my job done or else if I have to buy a new board.
Thanks in advance

user38721: If there is continuity between 3.3V and GND your board is dead. Most likely (from my experience) the ESD protection diode on the ESP module is fried which leaves you no chance to repair it. Even if you could remove the shielding to change the diode, you have no chance to find out which components are damaged. Considering the cost of the whole device, repairing it doesn't seem to be worth the effort.
For your understanding:

reading less than 3.3V on the external RAM means you would also read the same voltage at the ESP's Vcc. It's not an indicator for the RAM being dead
the ESP32 has plenty of internal ram (some hundreds of kB remain for use of your sketch after subtracting what the RTOS uses)
the ESP32 (chip) has no internal flash, so there is always an external flash on the ESP module
the ESPcam has an additional SPI RAM assembled externaly to the module. The internal RAM is by far too small to do any useful image processing at any desired resolution, so using only the internal RAM does not work


61182: <p>I am new to the ESP32 series of boards.I powered up my ESP32 Cam board using the Vcc pin supplying about 7.4V using two 18650 batteries only to find out later that was a completely incorrect way to power up the board.</p>
<p>Now I cannot get my board to flash. I am guessing that the SPI SRAM on my board is burnt because when I measure the Vcc at the SPI SRAM chip it doesn't read 3.3V as its supposed to.</p>
<p>Also there is continuity between the ground and Vcc of the SPI SRAM chip. And it heats up excessively when powered up using 5V.</p>
<p>However I read in the documents that the ESP32 has a few bytes of internal RAM in it.</p>
<p>I was planning to use the ESP32 Cam as an IP Camera for one of my projects.
I want to know if its possible to desolder the SPI SRAM chip (IPS1704) and somehow use the internal ram to get my job done or else if I have to buy a new board.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance</p>
 38721: <p>If there is continuity between 3.3V and GND your board is dead. Most likely (from my experience) the ESD protection diode on the ESP module is fried which leaves you no chance to repair it. Even if you could remove the shielding to change the diode, you have no chance to find out which components are damaged. Considering the cost of the whole device, repairing it doesn't seem to be worth the effort.</p>
<p>For your understanding:</p>
<ul>
<li>reading less than 3.3V on the external RAM means you would also read the same voltage at the ESP's Vcc. It's not an indicator for the RAM being dead</li>
<li>the ESP32 has plenty of internal ram (some hundreds of kB remain for use of your sketch after subtracting what the RTOS uses)</li>
<li>the ESP32 (<strong>chip</strong>) has no internal flash, so there is always an external flash on the ESP <strong>module</strong></li>
<li>the ESPcam has an additional SPI RAM assembled <strong>externaly to the module</strong>. The internal RAM is by far too small to do any useful image processing at any desired resolution, so using only the internal RAM does not work</li>
</ul>
