Getting Started with Adafruit MEMENTO: Python Programmable DIY Camera Board

There have been many development boards recently built around the ESP32-S3. Most development boards come with a display, some also include cameras and buttons, and a few have speakers and microphones. Finding one that brings all these components together without compromising on quality has been the real challenge for makers and developers. Keeping all this in mind, we found a dev board that brings everything together in one module, the Adafruit MEMENTO.

CircuitDigest presents the Smart Home & Wearables Project Contest 2025! Win exciting prizes worth up to ₹7,00,000 and receive free development boards through our partnership with DigiKey. For registration, dive into contest details. 

This Adafruit MEMENTO tutorial provides complete guidance for both Adafruit MEMENTO Arduino and Adafruit MEMENTO Python programmable workflows using CircuitPython.With all these features, it makes a perfect choice for our upcoming Smart Home and Wearable Project Challenge, where you can win prizes of up to Rs. 7,00,000. You can also win a development board and some cool goodies just by sharing your project ideas. So don’t forget to check out the Smart Home and Wearable Project Challenge for more details.

Nonetheless, it's been difficult for makers and developers to find an Adafruit MEMENTO camera board that employs high-quality components without sacrificing quality. The Adafruit MEMENTO dev board provides a solution by housing a 5MP auto-focus camera, colour display, audio, and a plentiful amount of I/O with one stylish board. If you are doing Adafruit MEMENTO projects for the Internet of Things (IoT), doing computer vision experiments, or making art installations, this guide will explore everything from hardware pinouts to programming the Adafruit MEMENTO dev board. The Adafruit MEMENTO software ecosystem is designed to be utilised by everyone, from complete beginners to experienced software developers.

So, without waiting any longer, let’s dive into the actual development board.

What's Inside the Adafruit MEMENTO Package?

This package is quite simple, containing just one main Adafruit MEMENTO dev board. This package is quite simple, containing just one main Memento Dev Board. You can see the unboxing image below.

The board has scratch protection for its camera and display, along with four screw inserts at each corner. The PCB has a square design, placing the display, microphone, speaker, and some buttons on the front side, while the camera, SD card slot, all I/O connections, and an accelerometer are on the back. The boot and restart buttons, along with the Type-C input, are placed on the sides for easy access. All the components have been positioned with practicality in mind. Without a doubt, this board is perfectly made in every way. That was my first impression. Next, let’s take a detailed look at the features of this module.

Features of the Adafruit MEMENTO

The Adafruit MEMENTO camera board integrates professional-grade components into a compact development platform, making it ideal for IoT projects, photography applications, and computer vision experiments. To make this board outstanding and usable for most applications, it comes packed with a rich set of features:

On the software side, it can be programmed with both Arduino IDE and CircuitPython. Between CircuitPython and Arduino IDE, CircuitPython is definitely the easier one for coding and interfacing, making the board truly Python programmable for educational and rapid prototyping purposes.

Adafruit MEMENTO Projects: Real-World Applications

The versatility of the Adafruit MEMENTO camera board makes it suitable for numerous applications across different domains. Below are practical Adafruit MEMENTO projects you can build using either Adafruit MEMENTO Arduino or CircuitPython programming:

A practical Adafruit MEMENTO project combining 3D printing with IoT integration demonstrates the board's capabilities. 

Adafruit MEMENTO Pinout Guide: Complete Hardware Overview

Now that you know more about the features of the MEMENTO, let's move to the physical overview, where we take a look at the overall hardware and its pinouts in detail.

Above, you can see the front and back images of the MEMENTO  showcasing the comprehensive component layout that makes this board ideal for Adafruit MEMENTO projects.

LCD Display Specifications & Pin Configuration

On the front side of the MEMENTO, the LCD (1.54" 240x240 Colour TFT) takes up most of the space. This is useful for previewing camera images or creating your own user interface design. It uses the ST7789 driver, which is supported by both Arduino and CircuitPython.

It uses the following pins for communication:

User Interface Buttons & GPIO Expander Setup

There are a total of six buttons for the user interface in the Adafruit MEMENTO dev board. There are a total of six buttons for the user interface. These buttons are more than enough for most designs. One thing to note is that these buttons are not directly connected to the ESP32-S3. Instead, they use the AW9523 GPIO Expander. The pin mapping is:

Both the Arduino and CircuitPython PyCamera libraries have built-in support for these buttons, making them easy to use in Adafruit MEMENTO Arduino and CircuitPython projects.

Microphone & Speaker Configuration

On the front side of the  Adafruit MEMENTO camera board, above the four user buttons, is the analog MEMS microphone, labelled Mic on the board’s silkscreen. It can be used as a sensor to detect loud sounds for various Adafruit MEMENTO projects. It is not intended for recording video with audio.

The analog input from the microphone is connected to GPIO2. It’s accessible in CircuitPython with the board. MIC and in Arduino with 2. This component enables audio feedback in your Adafruit MEMENTO software applications.

ESP32-S3 Module: The Core Processor

Now, looking at the back side, you'll find the hero of the Adafruit MEMENTO dev board: the Espressif ESP32-S3 with 3.3V logic/power. It has 4MB of Flash and 2MB of PSRAM. This MCU comes with Wi-Fi and BLE, making IoT-related tasks much easier for Adafruit MEMENTO projects.

Below the TFT display, between two of the user buttons, is the speaker, also labelled Speaker in the silkscreen.

The output from the speaker is connected to GPIO46. It’s accessible in CircuitPython with the board.SPEAKER and in Arduino with SPEAKER.

Note: The speaker is muted via pin 0 on the AW9523 GPIO expander, so don’t forget to unmute it before expecting any sound!

Camera Module: OV5640 with Auto-Focus

Now, looking at the back side, you’ll find the hero of the dev board:  the Espressif ESP32-S3 with 3.3V logic/power. It has 4MB of Flash and 2MB of PSRAM. This MCU comes with Wi-Fi and BLE, making IoT-related tasks much easier.

Next, of course, our attention moves toward the camera module at the center of the board. Unlike other ESP32-CAM modules, this is no ordinary camera. It has a built-in motor that enables the auto-focus feature, making it perfect for professional Adafruit MEMENTO projects. And yes, it’s a 5MP sensor with a 72° field of view.

Below the camera connector, there is a jumper to provide 3.3V to the auto-focus motor. You can cut the jumper to disconnect DATA1 from 3.3V and disable auto-focus.

The camera uses the following pins for Adafruit MEMENTO dev board programming:

We already know there's a heavy demand for the peripherals we've seen above, so the Adafruit MEMENTO camera board includes the AW9523 GPIO Expander IC to provide additional GPIO pins. You can spot this IC near the camera, specifically to the left of the camera module.

The I2C address of the GPIO expander (AW9523) is 0x58.

Near the AW9523, there is a LIS3DH Accelerometer. It’s a triple-axis accelerometer that can detect orientation, shaking, or movement for motion-sensitive Adafruit MEMENTO projects. It communicates over I2C at address 0x19. Its interrupt (IRQ) pin is connected to GPIO3, which is accessible in CircuitPython with the board.IRQ and in Arduino with 3.

Storage & Expansion: SD Card and Stemma Ports

For user I/O in Adafruit MEMENTO dev board programming, there are two JST-PH connectors on the left side of the board, labelled A0 and A1. These are 3-pin JST connectors that can be used for sensors, NeoPixels, or analog input/output.

• A0 is connected to GPIO17 (accessible in CircuitPython with board.A0 and in Arduino with A0).

• A1 is connected to GPIO18 (accessible in CircuitPython with board.A1 and in Arduino with A1).

You don’t need to worry about voltage on these pins, as they can be configured to either 3.3V or 5V. By default, they provide 5V. Between the two connectors is a jumper labelled 5V3. This jumper can be cut and re-soldered to switch the VCC signal from 5V to 3V.

Between A0 and A1, you’ll find a tiny connector labelled I2C on the silkscreen. This is a 4-pin Stemma QT connector perfect for connecting additional sensors to your Adafruit MEMENTO projects. The I2C lines have pull-ups to 3.3V.

• SDA – GPIO34
• SCL – GPIO33

In an Arduino, you can use this connector with a wire. In CircuitPython, you can use it with a board.SCL, board.SDA, board.I2C(), or board.STEMMA_I2C().

Towards the bottom-left corner on the back of the MEMENTO is the microSD card slot. It can be used to store images or animations on any SPI-capable microSD card, essential for most Adafruit MEMENTO camera board applications.

• SDCS (chip select pin) – connected to GPIO48. Accessible in CircuitPython with the board.CARD_CS and in Arduino with SD_CS or SD_CHIP_SELECT.
• SDCD (card detect pin) – connected to pin 9 on the AW9523.

Power Management & Battery Support

Along the top edge of the board are two buttons:

1. The Boot button, labelled Boot and Shutter on the silkscreen, is connected to GPIO0. Accessible in CircuitPython with the board.BUTTON and in Arduino with SHUTTER_BUTTON. Hold it while pressing reset to enter ROM bootloader mode for Adafruit MEMENTO dev board programming.
2. The Reset button, labelled RST on the silkscreen, is connected to the ESP32-S3 reset pin. Press once to restart your firmware, or press again after about half a second to enter bootloader mode.

To the right of the boot button is the NeoPixel. This addressable RGB LED works as a status LED (in CircuitPython and the bootloader) and can also be controlled with code in the Adafruit MEMENTO software. It’s connected to GPIO1, accessible in CircuitPython with board. NEOPIXEL and in an Arduino with PIN_NEOPIXEL or NEOPIXEL_PIN.

On the top-right edge of the board is the On/Off switch, labelled On on the silkscreen. This sliding switch cuts all power to the board, essential for portable Adafruit MEMENTO projects.

To the right of the switch is the power LED, a green LED that lights up whenever the board has power.

With this, we’ve completed the physical overview of the Adafruit MEMENTO camera board. Next, to make using the MEMENTO simpler, we’ll look at some official resources to get started with your Adafruit MEMENTO projects.

Official Adafruit MEMENTO Resources & Documentation

Unlike other Adafruit modules, this Adafruit MEMENTO dev board is also perfectly documented to get started. You can begin by referring to the Adafruit MEMENTO Camera Board.

In this comprehensive Adafruit MEMENTO tutorial, you will find: Overview, Pinouts, Installing CircuitPython, microSD Card Formatting, Notes, CircuitPython MEMENTO Starter Projects, Frames to GIFs, Arduino IDE Setup, Arduino MEMENTO Library Installation and Starter Projects, Factory Reset, and Downloads.

Hopefully, these resources will be all you need for Adafruit MEMENTO dev board programming. Next, let’s do a quick exploration of Memento using the Arduino IDE. If you wish, you can also go with CircuitPython for a more Python-programmable experience.

Adafruit MEMENTO Arduino Tutorial: Complete Setup Guide

With a dedicated board selection and library already available for this module, the first test program is quite simple.

Programming the Adafruit MEMENTO dev board using the Arduino IDE will allow you to take advantage of the vast libraries and community resources that support Arduino projects. This Adafruit MEMENTO tutorial will guide you through the complete setup for MEMENTO dev board programming using Arduino's familiar development environment.

Setting Up

There are three primary steps needed to set up the Arduino environment:
⇒ Step 1: Installing ESP32 Board Support for Adafruit MEMENTO

The first step in Adafruit MEMENTO dev board programming requires updating the ESP32 board library to ensure compatibility with the ESP32-S3 processor and all MEMENTO features.

⇒ Step 2: Installing Adafruit MEMENTO Software Libraries. The Adafruit MEMENTO software ecosystem includes specialised libraries that simplify camera control, display management, and hardware interfacing. along with all dependencies. Even if you already have most of them installed, enabling this option will update the existing ones or install the missing ones.

⇒ Step 3: Understanding the Example Sketches
The Adafruit MEMENTO Arduino library includes two comprehensive example programs demonstrating core functionality. Access these examples through File → Examples → Adafruit PyCamera.

Once installed, navigate to the Examples folder. You’ll find two sketches:

Differences Between Pycamera_test and Memento_factory_test,

Proper board selection is critical for successful Adafruit MEMENTO dev board programming. If you have it, you can use these extra features. Otherwise, both examples provide the same basic camera functions, but Memento_factory_test includes extra testing features.

⇒ Step 4: Connecting and Selecting the Adafruit MEMENTO Board

Proper board selection is critical for successful Adafruit MEMENTO dev board programming.

1. Connect the MEMENTO Dev Board to your PC.
2. Hold the Boot button and press the Reset button once. This puts the board into upload mode.
3. In Arduino IDE, select:
   Board → ESP32 → Adafruit PyCamera S3

Now, click Compile and Upload. The code will be uploaded to your MEMENTO board.

Using the PyCamera

The Adafruit MEMENTO software includes comprehensive camera control features accessible through the built-in buttons and programmable through code. Understanding the PyCamera interface is essential for developing custom Adafruit MEMENTO projects.

By default, the captured image won’t be stored unless you insert an SD card.

Note: The Adafruit MEMENTO Arduino library supports both FAT16 and FAT32 filesystems, providing compatibility with cards up to 32GB capacity.

Once the SD card is inserted, you can take pictures by pressing the Shutter button at the top right.

And there are two extra features,

Colour Filter Effects

These filters are useful for artistic Adafruit MEMENTO projects, security applications requiring specific visual modes, or creative photography experiments:

Colour Filters – Use the Left and Right buttons to cycle through filters:

1. Normal/None
2. Black & White
3. Sepia
4. Negative
5. Greenish
6. Reddish
7. Bluish

The example programs demonstrate the Adafruit MEMENTO camera board's capabilities through intuitive button controls

The OV5640 camera sensor supports multiple resolution modes, allowing you to balance image quality against storage space and processing speed in your Adafruit MEMENTO projects.

Resolution Adjustment – Use the Up and Down buttons to change image resolution. Available options:

The resolution of the images can be adjusted in real time.

This Adafruit MEMENTO tutorial has been created through hands-on testing and verification of all features, pinouts, and programming procedures. 

This rich Adafruit MEMENTO tutorial has taken you from hardware specifications and pinout details to getting started programming the Adafruit MEMENTO dev board using the Arduino IDE. Whether you choose to begin with Adafruit MEMENTO Arduino development or the Adafruit MEMENTO programmable CircuitPython environment, this versatile camera board has professional features in a convenient package.

The combination of the ESP32-S3 processor, 5MP auto-focus camera, colour display, and rich connectivity makes the MEMENTO dev board a great choice for limitless Adafruit MEMENTO projects, from simple learning projects to sophisticated Internet of Things (IoT) camera systems. It is the reliability of the Adafruit MEMENTO software ecosystem, supported by extensive documentation and community support, that means your projects can begin quickly and smoothly scale in complexity. You could create security systems, wildlife cameras, time-lapse devices, or interactive art installations, and the Adafruit MEMENTO development board is a great place to start. Download the example code and explore the Adafruit MEMENTO software features, and you will be able to bring your vision to life in this powerful, well-documented development platform.

After a deep dive into the Adafruit MEMENTO, it's clear why we chose this board for this year's contest. It's not just another ESP32 camera module-it’s a way to combine your creativity and skills into a fun project. This article gives you a basic idea of its features, and we can’t wait to see your innovative ideas for this year’s contest! 

To help you get going, check out this sample project: IoT Window Bird Feeder with Camera. This project uses 3D printing along with IoT on Adafruit IO, making it a great source of inspiration.