* Toggle Blutooth with Fn+b shortcut
Problem:
As many are aware, ESP32 devices are known for their high power consumption. For instance, the Heltec ESP32 V3 draws around 110mA when powered on with the screen active and connected to a phone via Bluetooth. The Bluetooth radio alone is responsible for approximately 50mA of that consumption. For keyboard-based standalone devices, which rarely need Bluetooth other than for changing settings, users were forced to keep Bluetooth on regardless of necessity. There was no way to toggle Bluetooth on or off without physically connecting the device to a computer via serial or using the admin channel, which required another node for access.
Solution:
I implemented a new feature that allows users to turn off Bluetooth on keyboard devices by pressing Fn+b and turn it back on when needed. This enhancement significantly improves power efficiency for these devices.
Result:
With Bluetooth off, the device now consumes only 55mA. When combined with Power Save mode, the consumption can drop as low as 11mA, a substantial reduction from the previous 110mA. Users can still easily reconnect to a phone using the shortcut when necessary, offering greater flexibility and extended battery life.
* Remove 1 reboot at least.
I was able to prevent a reboot using the disableBluetooth(); command, current tested at 47-55mA, it doesn't require a reboot to turn off, but it does need reboot to turn back on.
* Update CannedMessageModule.cpp
* Enabling Ve pin on T114
Problem:
The Ve pin was not enabled in the firmware, and it was supposed to control the power to the GPS via the GPS_EN pin. As a result, users were forced to rely on the 3.3V pin to power their additional peripherals, which caused a constant power draw from the battery, even when the node was in deep sleep mode.
Solution:
To resolve this, Todd_Hervert and I decided to remove the GPS power toggle after testing revealed that the GPS only consumes 1mA in soft sleep mode. This minimal power consumption allowed us to enable the Ve pin without causing significant battery drain. Additionally, we added a delay to the I2C initialization process, as the Ve pin requires a few milliseconds to stabilize, which could prevent some peripherals from booting up in time.
Result:
The GPS operates as usual, drawing only 1mA of power.
The keyboard and other peripherals attached to the Ve pin now power off correctly when the node is shut down.
The I2C check initiates without issues after the delay, allowing all peripherals to function smoothly.
* trunk format
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Co-authored-by: Tom Fifield <tom@tomfifield.net>
HarukiToredaandGitHub
