Power Saving on WiFi Connection

[mrrosen]

We are trying to maximize battery life on our custom WiFi board which includes the ESP-WROOM-32 module. In our firmware, weve noticed that if the WiFi access point the board is setup to connect to is out of range, it tries to connect a number of times before reporting a failure. This time spent searching for the AP that isnt in range is significantly longer than the time it takes to complete the connection and tasks it has when it successfully connects to the AP; thus draining alot more power from the battery when it fails to connect to the AP than when it succeeds.

Im wondering if the number of retries in connecting to the AP is configurable somehow (its hard to tell diving in the IDF's esp_wifi drivers) and any other tricks to making connecting to APs that may or may not be in range more efficient. Ive considered a scan before hand but am unsure if thats a good approach. Any tips on saving power while running the WiFi or the SoC in general would be appreciated!