Chips

🎉 Unique IDs for MeshCore Radios

NRF52840: This microcontroller is optimized for low-power protocols like Zigbee and Thread, making it ideal for devices requiring minimal energy consumption. Its efficient design ensures extended battery life, though its software support may be limited on certain platforms like ESPHome.

ESP32: Known for its robust Wi-Fi connectivity, the ESP32 is a versatile choice for a range of applications. It supports deep sleep modes, which significantly reduce power usage during idle periods. However, achieving optimal energy efficiency with the ESP32 may require additional software and hardware optimization.

Each microcontroller offers distinct advantages and trade-offs. While the NRF52840 excels in ultra-low-power scenarios, the ESP32 provides greater flexibility and compatibility.

-

https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/efficient-sensor-energy-battery/

NRF52840 is specified to use 1.5uA when deep sleeping with RTC wake-up, while esp32-c3 is 5uA, which sounds ok, but is not the whole story.

If you try to build something low-power with ESP32 you’ll find that it takes a lot of time and energy to go from deep sleep to being able to transmit, while the NRF SDK is designed with that in mind.

The NRF current consumption also includes the built-in voltage regulators — this works from 1.7v to 5.5v, with a regulated output for peripherals, so all it needs is a battery and some passives.

On the other hand the ESP32 is much more awkward — it needs 3-3.6v, so you’re going to need an external regulator, and a LDO with the required 500mA output current is going to have a significant quiescent current, and even then the voltages are awkwa