A real-world evaluation of ESP32’s suitability for use in wireless ad hoc networks

Embedded applications increasingly rely on wireless connectivity provided by low-cost microcontrollers like the ESP32, while WANETs enable the deployment of connected applications without the need for pre-existing infrastructure. Given the ubiquity of the ESP32, we examine its suitability for use in ad hoc scenarios. We developed a lightweight WANET based on AODV, and tested it under real-world conditions using 18 ESPs. We found our setup capable to form a simple ad hoc network offering functionality for unicast and reliable broadcast, when addressing two main issues: Broadcasts in dense topologies require proper desynchronization of transmissions between nodes, while sparse topologies unveil the need for consideration of link quality during route selection.