How to maximize ESP-NOW range?
Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:06 am
I'm sending data every second from many ESP32s ("nodes") to a receiver ESP32 ("station"), and I'm trying to get the absolute maximum transmit length possible. Many sources on guides and Youtube claims to achieve range in the hundres of meters using "standard development boards", but I'm not quite there yet.
I get around 70 m range when the receiver is placed indoors but very close to a large window, and the transmitter is outside. It's not bad, but not what I need.
Here's what I'm doing initializing ESP-NOW on the transmitters ("nodes"):
And the receiver:
Am I missing something?
Is there anything else I can do?
I get around 70 m range when the receiver is placed indoors but very close to a large window, and the transmitter is outside. It's not bad, but not what I need.
Here's what I'm doing initializing ESP-NOW on the transmitters ("nodes"):
Code: Select all
// Configuring ESP-NOW
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_init());
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_event_loop_create_default());
wifi_init_config_t cfg = WIFI_INIT_CONFIG_DEFAULT();
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_init(&cfg));
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_storage(WIFI_STORAGE_RAM));
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_mode(WIFI_MODE_STA));
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_start());
// WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
// Set Long Range Mode
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_protocol(WIFI_IF_STA, WIFI_PROTOCOL_LR));
//Set the lowest espnow phy rate to maximum range
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_config_espnow_rate(WIFI_IF_STA, WIFI_PHY_RATE_LORA_250K));
// Init ESP-NOW
if (esp_now_init() != ESP_OK)
{
Serial.println("Error initializing ESP-NOW");
return;
}
// Set transmission power, max 84.
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_max_tx_power(84));
//Register callback to verify if data was sent successfully
esp_now_register_send_cb(OnDataSent);And the receiver:
Code: Select all
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_init());
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_event_loop_create_default());
wifi_init_config_t cfg = WIFI_INIT_CONFIG_DEFAULT();
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_init(&cfg));
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_storage(WIFI_STORAGE_RAM));
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_mode(WIFI_MODE_STA));
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_start());
// WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
// Set custom MAC
esp_wifi_set_mac(WIFI_IF_STA, localCustomMac);
// Set the Long Range mode
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_protocol(WIFI_IF_STA, WIFI_PROTOCOL_LR));
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_config_espnow_rate(WIFI_IF_STA, WIFI_PHY_RATE_LORA_250K));
// Initialize
if (esp_now_init() != ESP_OK)
{
Serial.println("Error initializing ESP-NOW");
return;
}
// Set transmission power, max 84.
ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_max_tx_power(84));
// Register for recv CB to get recv packet info
esp_now_register_recv_cb(OnDataRecv);Is there anything else I can do?