Implement Powersaving for esp32 devices (Heltec v3/v4)

[SaschaKt]

Please implement powersavingmode for esp32 devices, for router role (as a client it makes no sense when BT have to be On). My Heltec v3 and now v4 goes pretty well as a repeater with BT and WiFi turned off with Meshtastic and has only 10mA power consumption between packet reception and goes in wake-up to 30mA (not 110mA because of turned off BT and WiFi). It is traceable, routes the packets and admin goes pretty well too.

This would enable the possibility to install also esp32 devices as solar repeaters to meshcore

[Vasili-Sk]

i can confirm, no radio ESP32 is quite efficient, it uses barely any current in sleep mode.

[SaschaKt]

It Is efficient when you use the power savings, but not implemented in meshcore (in meshtastic it is implemented)

[Vasili-Sk]

Need some info from devs how they would like to see it, because i can understand how make it easy with interrupt/rtos based fw, just go sleep on idle task. but currently it is cycle that waits for radio/uart

[IoTThinks]

10mA for repeaters is really a wish for me.

My heltec v3 repeater uses 50mA.

It is desirable to reduce it.

[SaschaKt]

10mA for repeaters is really a wish for me.

My heltec v3 repeater uses 50mA.

It is desirable to reduce it.

30mA in idle is normal with WiFi/Bluetooth turned off. With currentpeaks when tx-ing let it be average 40-50mA. With powersaving under meshtastic it goes down to 10mA in idle. With 3000mAh Battery it can last for 5-7 days with many repeats (130 Nodes Online). The v3 is not so bad like many people tell

[Vasili-Sk]

you can get 8ma on c3 sleep mode with radio that have txco, wifi off, bt off

[IoTThinks]

To push things further, we may let esp32 to deep sleep and leave LoRa to listen.

When a LoRa packet comes, it will raise DIO0 and wake up esp32.

Likely can go down to 1.8mA (consumption of LoRa RX)

[IoTThinks]

Look like we already have the function.
enterDeepSleep will make the MCU to deepsleep and be waken up based on DIO1 (when receiving a LoRa packet).

So we can enter deepsleep after transmitting or after a while without activity.
I may try this in my repeaters first.

[Vasili-Sk]

it wont go lower than 8ma for most devices with TXCO, crystal uses a lot of power (~3mA) and device SX1262 in receive mode 4.6mA (by datasheet).
using pin interrupt is a good way to go, as i understand this is how meshtastic works

[IoTThinks]

it wont go lower than 8ma for most devices with TXCO, crystal uses a lot of power (~3mA) and device SX1262 in receive mode 4.6mA (by datasheet). using pin interrupt is a good way to go, as i understand this is how meshtastic works

6.6mA for Heltec v3 repeater in deepsleep.
To wake up when a LoRa packet comes.

[IoTThinks]

Well, for crowded areas, let me explore how to make use of modern or light sleep.
May be a bit harder. :D

[SaschaKt]

Well, for crowded areas, let me explore how to make use of modern or light sleep. May be a bit harder. :D

Hi. I'm testing your modification. We wrote today on your Facebook post. After waking up the displays go on like when starting and the uptime starts with 0. The clock is not forgotten. Is there not a light sleep Modus instead the deep sleep? Normally the light sleep should go about 10-15mA without BT and Wifi

More Feedback after testing and measuring:
In Sleep with installed battery and fully charged it goes down to 15,6mA. After wake up it goes till 130mA (plus tx burst for a moment) because of starting again charging the battery. After a while it goes down to 50mA because the battery stops charging (but 50mA seems to much for disabled BT and WiFi) till it goes down 2 minutes after wake up to 15,6mA. Flood advert is always sent out with the bin I flashed.

[IoTThinks]

Did you measure from usb-c port?

If you measure from usb-c port, then 15mA is correct as you need to power leds, uart chip, LDO...

If you measure from battery cable, it will be around 9+ mA only.
This is a correct way.
However, you need to have a power meter tool.

[Michel0001]

Test with ESP32-WROOM:
modify in ESP32Board.h

#if defined(CONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32S3)
by
#if defined(CONFIG_IDF_TARGET_ESP32)

ESP32-WROOM not wakeup with mask (1L << P_LORA_DIO_1) but ok with (1ULL << P_LORA_DIO_1)

esp_sleep_enable_ext1_wakeup((1L << P_LORA_DIO_1), ESP_EXT1_WAKEUP_ANY_HIGH);
by
esp_sleep_enable_ext1_wakeup((1ULL << P_LORA_DIO_1), ESP_EXT1_WAKEUP_ANY_HIGH);

Thanks for sharing, I can now power my ESP32 with a solar panel

For TBeam change in TBeamBoard.h:

  #define  P_LORA_DIO_0  26
  #define  P_LORA_DIO_1  33

by

  #define  P_LORA_BUSY   33
  #define  P_LORA_DIO_1  26

and in target.cpp:
RADIO_CLASS radio = new Module(P_LORA_NSS, P_LORA_DIO_0, P_LORA_RESET, P_LORA_DIO_1, spi);
by
RADIO_CLASS radio = new Module(P_LORA_NSS, P_LORA_DIO_1, P_LORA_RESET, P_LORA_BUSY, spi);

Why not apply it to the room server as well?

[IoTThinks]

I thought esp32-wroom is very old model.
I dont have esp32-wroom on hand so I dont include it in this PR.

T-Beam is using it?

Yes, if this PR is approved, we can do the same for room server.

Eventually, all repeaters, room servers and companions for all MCUs should have power saving feature.