WIFI connection disappears

[LOST]

Hello,

Shortly after installing my NMEA4WIFI I noticed that if I put the AP and the connection to a network, the wifi disconnect after a few minutes, by removing the connection to the network, the AP was stable.

When crossing the Atlantic, the AP also started to disconnect (Nmea4wifi disappears from wifi list).

I opened the box thinking it was due to overheating.
After that the connection lasted longer.

I am currently in the Caribbean and with the heat the connection is cut very quickly.

The blue led is flashing but I have to do a reset for the wifi ssid to appear again.
if I blow on the esp32 chip the connection returns !

I'm using esp32 for a long time and never had any overheating,

The nmea4wifi's esp32 protection surface stays warm i think around 40°, i don't know about the chip has it is masked by a tin cage.

Have you ever heard of this problem ?

Regards
Christophe

[LOST]

Hello,

I removed the tin cage, and I can acces to the chipset surface, after few minutes of use the surface is very hot, can't keep the finger on it. I also checked the voltage (3.24v)

I tried to filter messages with the nmea4wifi exclusions to decrease cpu load but no changes.

Next step is to filter more messages comming from the actisense wich is converting nmea2K to nmea0183.

I will also try to find heatsink glu to attach a tinny copper homemade heatsink but finding glu is a challenge in Carribean.

If nothing above work as the multiplexer never go down, I will make a nmea4wifi with just one input and wifi, i have two esp32 a max232 and some optocoupler in stock.

I was also thinking about that
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... t%20errors.
to monitor temperature but i have no access to nmea4wifi source code

Best regards
CHRISTOPHE

[Luis Sa]

Hello Christophe,

I am sorry to know about your problem. There is something wrong. The multiplexer should not become so hot. I am sailing in Greece and we had 40 centigrade degrees and that does not affect the operation of the multiplexer. You should be able to touch any component with your finger without feeling it so extremely hot.

What is your unit? SMD or TH? I assume TH. Please check the voltage at the regulator. And also check the current coming from the battery. It should be less than 100mA. With a 12V battery the total power will be 1.2 watts.

I wait for your feedback. You can email me directly.

Regards, Luis

[dagnall]

Hello,

I removed the tin cage, and I can acces to the chipset surface, after few minutes of use the surface is very hot, can't keep the finger on it. I also checked the voltage (3.24v)
I was also thinking about that
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... t%20errors.
to monitor temperature but i have no access to nmea4wifi source code

Best regards
CHRISTOPHE

Christophe,
Dagnall here,
I help with some of the coding.
I was also interested in the internal temperature probe on the ESP32, but unfortunately, this feature was only present on early ESP32 production. it does not work on current production chips.. (see https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/issues/2422)
However, I can say that all my ESP32 (and I have about 5 multiplexers on the desk!) are all cool enough to touch easily.
I have used IR camera in the past to watch temperature and only see about 40c max. And although warm, they are not what I would call "hot". The only device that got "hot" was the 3v3 regulator on some early commercial ESP32 modules. Luis has redesigned this regulator for recent multiplexer designs to reduce that devices temperature.

Best regards
Dagnall

[LOST]

Hello Dagnall,

Thanks for your message, I MP with luis who propose me to exchange the Multiplexer.

Unfortunately I'm in Grenada and I will move to Trinidad this week, and the postal transport are problematic 40days to have a parcel from France to Grenada, it seems to be worth in Trinidad.

I will try to make a Nmea4wifi with only 1 nmea with the stuff I have on board, to navigate, waiting to go back to french Caribbean island to make the postal exchange or waiting for some friend coming to see me.

I saw after sending my last post that the esp32's internal sensor is obsolete.

I put a aluminium heatsink coming from a mosfet on the esp32 chipset, it's also get very hot after few minutes, and wifi go down, I need to find a fan now as it's not dissipating enough.

Best regards
Christophe