Low wifi signal powering off 5V
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:28 pm
I am experiencing similar issues to the user in this thread, but none of those fixes seemed to work:
https://esp32.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=21386
Some further details on my specific problem/application:
I'm working on an LED project using a esp32 with WLED running on it as the controller. I have had terrible luck getting a stable connection across my apartment from the router (maybe 10-15 meters). I need to have it almost < 10ft away for it to show up reliably.
To troubleshoot I am running without any led strips or peripherals hooked up as to minimize current draw and other variables.
In the non working case I have this psu (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0852 ... UTF8&psc=1) plugged into maybe 1 meter of 18 gauge wire (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DD ... UTF8&psc=1) which is then plugged into a breradboard. Then two 6 inch jumper wires going to Vin/GND of the esp32 from the breadboard (this model: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B19 ... UTF8&psc=1)
The power led comes on and I can connect to it directly via AP mode, or plug it into a usb adapter very close to the router and see it on my router page, but not in my setup across the room.
What I did find was when I used my small adjustable USB PSU (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V5 ... UTF8&psc=1) and crank that voltage up a tad to about 5.5V it started appearing in the router table even from across the apartment.
Measuring the Vin pin on the non-working setup I noticed the voltage at close to just 4V, not the 5V the PSU reads when nothing is connected. Would this low voltage be the reason behind the terrible wifi range?
What is causing it? Shouldn't that 10A psu be plenty beefy to power a small u-processor like this?
FWIW I recall a similar issue with another board I used when doing my ceiling lights, where moving the dev board right next to the PSU output solved the issue. (Unfortunately moving the esp is not ideal in this current case).
You'd think something designed with a usb port for power/data would be able to run just itself from 5V? Maybe not?
Wondering if anyone has any thoughts/explanations?
Adding a 10uF cap across the power near the board seemed to raise the voltage I was seeing there to about 4.2V but still no great results.
I ordered a different 2 different flavors of dev boards to try as a last result (one with an external antenna)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0811 ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0811 ... UTF8&psc=1 / https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R2 ... UTF8&psc=1
Wonder if a simpler solution would be to add a boost converter to my 5V output to bump it up to ~9V (still need the 5V run there to power the led strips).
Thanks for any help/advice!
https://esp32.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=21386
Some further details on my specific problem/application:
I'm working on an LED project using a esp32 with WLED running on it as the controller. I have had terrible luck getting a stable connection across my apartment from the router (maybe 10-15 meters). I need to have it almost < 10ft away for it to show up reliably.
To troubleshoot I am running without any led strips or peripherals hooked up as to minimize current draw and other variables.
In the non working case I have this psu (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0852 ... UTF8&psc=1) plugged into maybe 1 meter of 18 gauge wire (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DD ... UTF8&psc=1) which is then plugged into a breradboard. Then two 6 inch jumper wires going to Vin/GND of the esp32 from the breadboard (this model: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B19 ... UTF8&psc=1)
The power led comes on and I can connect to it directly via AP mode, or plug it into a usb adapter very close to the router and see it on my router page, but not in my setup across the room.
What I did find was when I used my small adjustable USB PSU (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V5 ... UTF8&psc=1) and crank that voltage up a tad to about 5.5V it started appearing in the router table even from across the apartment.
Measuring the Vin pin on the non-working setup I noticed the voltage at close to just 4V, not the 5V the PSU reads when nothing is connected. Would this low voltage be the reason behind the terrible wifi range?
What is causing it? Shouldn't that 10A psu be plenty beefy to power a small u-processor like this?
FWIW I recall a similar issue with another board I used when doing my ceiling lights, where moving the dev board right next to the PSU output solved the issue. (Unfortunately moving the esp is not ideal in this current case).
You'd think something designed with a usb port for power/data would be able to run just itself from 5V? Maybe not?
Wondering if anyone has any thoughts/explanations?
Adding a 10uF cap across the power near the board seemed to raise the voltage I was seeing there to about 4.2V but still no great results.
I ordered a different 2 different flavors of dev boards to try as a last result (one with an external antenna)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0811 ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0811 ... UTF8&psc=1 / https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R2 ... UTF8&psc=1
Wonder if a simpler solution would be to add a boost converter to my 5V output to bump it up to ~9V (still need the 5V run there to power the led strips).
Thanks for any help/advice!