Connecting multiple ESP32 | ESP-NOW | WiFi | RPi

[neross]

Hello! I am fairly new to the microcontroller world, and therefore I have som unanswered questions I cannot find the answer to elsewhere.

My problem is that i would like to make a network with multiple esp32s. Most of these will send information to one master-esp32, which can also return information. The idea is that this master-esp32 will be connected to a Raspberry Pi with MQTT and Node-RED. But this means that I would need to use both ESP-NOW, between the ESP32s, and WiFi to connect to the RPi, which is not really possible.. I realise that this is a bit complex, and seems a bit unecessary, but is there a workaround? Can you connect two ESP32s by wire, so that one of them can connect to WiFi, then send wired information to the other ESP32, which further sends information to the other ESP32s in the network?

[ESP_Sprite]

But this means that I would need to use both ESP-NOW, between the ESP32s, and WiFi to connect to the RPi, which is not really possible..

Where did you get that from?

[neross]

Where did you get that from?

Well, now that you ask, I am not completely sure. I just recall reading somewhere that the WiFi module, BLE and ESP-NOW does not coexist very well, with datapackages being lost, because they use the same radio. But that might just be WiFi and BLE?

The goal is to have one ESP32 who reiceve and send data to multiple ESP32s in the network, using ESP NOW, while also sending and receiving data from the RPi using MQTT, over WiFi, as it will serve as a database for data and a "Dashboard" dashboard for several other operations.

[ESP_Sprite]

The thing with ESP32s only having one radio is true, indeed, and for some things like BT/BLE, coexistence means the radio needs to switch between BT and WiFi channels. However, WiFi and ESP-Now both use the same protocol, and if you use the same channel for both, there's no switching necessary.

[marcelstoer]

I have som unanswered questions I cannot find the answer to elsewhere.

Maybe this could be the answer to your question(s)? https://thingpulse.com/product/espgateway/ A gateway with two ESP32, one talking ESP-Now, the other talking WiFi (to the Pi).

Disclaimer: I am one of the ThingPulse co-founders.