ConsentiumNow Library: Seamless ESP-NOW Communication for IoT Devices

The ConsentiumNow library provides seamless ESP-NOW communication between ESP32-compatible devices. It is a powerful tool designed to facilitate real-time, reliable data exchange for IoT applications using custom user-defined data structures. Built with simplicity and flexibility in mind, the library is lightweight yet robust, supporting a wide range of IoT use cases.

Key Features

• Lightweight and flexible ESP-NOW integration.
• Customizable data structures for specific applications.
• Supports one-to-one and one-to-many communication.
• Easy-to-use API for sending and receiving data.
• Highly efficient for low-latency IoT communication.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• Hardware: ESP32-compatible boards (minimum two for testing).
• Software: Arduino IDE configured for ESP32 development.
• Basic Knowledge: Familiarity with the ESP-NOW protocol and Arduino programming basics.

Installation

1. Clone this repository or download it as a ZIP.
2. Open the Arduino IDE and navigate to Sketch > Include Library > Add .ZIP Library.
3. Select the ConsentiumNow library ZIP file.

Alternatively, search for ConsentiumNow in Arduino libraries.

Usage Examples

1. Basic Sender

#include <ConsentiumNow.h> 
 
// Define the data structure 
struct SensorData { 
    float temperature;  // Temperature in °C 
    float humidity;     // Humidity in % 
}; 
 
// Create an instance of ConsentiumNow for sending 
ConsentiumNow<SensorData> consentiumSender; 
 
// Replace with the receiver's MAC address 
uint8_t receiverMac[] = {0x7C, 0x9E, 0xBD, 0x66, 0x7A, 0x0C}; 
 
void setup() { 
    Serial.begin(115200); 
    consentiumSender.sendBegin(receiverMac);  // Initialize sender 
    Serial.println("Sender initialized."); 
} 
 
void loop() { 
    SensorData data; 
    data.temperature = random(200, 300) / 10.0; // Random temperature (20.0 - 30.0) 
    data.humidity = random(400, 600) / 10.0;    // Random humidity (40.0 - 60.0) 
     
    consentiumSender.sendData(data); 
    Serial.printf("Sent Data - Temperature: %.2f, Humidity: %.2f\n",  
                  data.temperature, data.humidity); 
    delay(2000); // Send every 2 seconds 
}

2. Basic Receiver

#include <ConsentiumNow.h> 
 
// Define the data structure 
struct SensorData { 
    float temperature;  // Temperature in °C 
    float humidity;     // Humidity in % 
}; 
 
// Create an instance of ConsentiumNow for receiving 
ConsentiumNow<SensorData> consentiumReceiver; 
 
void setup() { 
    Serial.begin(115200); 
    consentiumReceiver.receiveBegin();  // Initialize receiver 
    Serial.println("Receiver ready to receive data."); 
} 
 
void loop() { 
    if (consentiumReceiver.isDataAvailable()) { 
        SensorData data = consentiumReceiver.getReceivedData(); 
        Serial.printf("Received Data - Temperature: %.2f, Humidity: %.2f\n",  
                      data.temperature, data.humidity); 
    } 
    delay(500); // Check every 500ms 
}

Multi-Sender to One Receiver

1. Configure the receiver to recognize multiple senders.
2. Use addPeer() to add the MAC addresses of each sender

void setup() { 
    consentiumReceiver.receiveBegin(); 
    uint8_t sender1Mac[] = {0x7C, 0x9E, 0xBD, 0x66, 0x7A, 0x0C}; 
    uint8_t sender2Mac[] = {0x24, 0x6F, 0x28, 0x18, 0x2B, 0x4A}; 
    consentiumReceiver.addPeer(sender1Mac); 
    consentiumReceiver.addPeer(sender2Mac); 
    Serial.println("Ready to receive data from multiple senders."); 
}

Custom Data Structures

Modify the struct to include additional fields based on your use case.

struct ExtendedSensorData { 
    float temperature; 
    float humidity; 
    int deviceID;   // Device identifier 
    long timestamp; // Timestamp in ms 
};

Use the custom structure in both sender and receiver implementations.

FAQs

1. How many devices can communicate simultaneously using ESP-NOW?

ESP-NOW supports up to 10 peers (devices) in station mode.

2. Can I encrypt the data sent using this library?

Currently, the library does not support encryption. Use HTTPS or secure layers for sensitive data.

3. How reliable is ESP-NOW for IoT applications?

ESP-NOW is highly reliable for short-range, low-latency communication, making it ideal for IoT.