Question about using multiple ESP32 devices as BLE proxies

[r3n3l33]

Hi,
first of all, thank you for your great work on the Mammotion integration. I have a question regarding the BLE setup that isn’t fully documented in the guide.

Is it possible to use multiple ESP32 devices as BLE proxies for the mower at the same time?
Specifically, I would like to know whether several ESP32 units can run the BLE configuration in parallel, and whether the mower supports multiple simultaneous BLE connections, or if only one ESP32 can maintain an active client connection while others act as passive scanners.

Any clarification on this would be very helpful.
Thanks in advance!

[mikey0000]

Mower supports one connection, my advice is to wire it inside the mower

[r3n3l33]

Hello, thanks for the info that’s very clever.
That was actually my idea: I tested switching between the ESPs using an automation when the BLE RSSI drops below –85 dBm. It worked once, but with a delay of a few seconds. After that, I lost connection, and it didn't switch over :-/

i use your yaml, -> Advanced Configuration Options with
This configuration gives you a switch to disconnect the constant BLE connection

Could this work if only one ESP is activated at a time? My phone can still connect when I switch it off. Why not the second ESP?

It’s unfortunate that multiple ESPs can’t be used at the same time.
So I will install an ESP32‑S3 directly inside the mower.

I have one more question:
Where inside the mower can I get a stable 5 V or 3.3 V power supply with enough current?
And how much current does the ESP32‑S3 require in your experience, especially when using an external antenna?

Luba 2 - 2024

[r3n3l33]

#@mikey0000

Here is the English translation of your report, tailored for a GitHub README or a community post.

---

My Experience Report: Stable Mammotion Luba Bluetooth Setup for 1000 m²

I wanted to share my experience on how I finally achieved a stable Home Assistant integration for my Luba. My property is approximately 1000 m², and I constantly struggled with connection drops or ESP32 devices interfering with one another.

After some trial and error with the standard configuration (based on @mikey0000's YAML), I completely refactored the setup. Here is what I learned and why it now works perfectly.

The Problem with the Standard Config

Initially, I tried to "hard-bind" the Luba to a single ESP32 using the ble_client and its MAC address. However, as soon as I added a second ESP32 as a range extender, they started a "tug-of-war." The logs were flooded with disconnect errors because both ESPs were simultaneously trying to grab an exclusive connection to the Luba.

My Solution: The "Pure Proxy" Approach

I moved the entire logic away from the ESP32 and handed it over to Home Assistant. The ESP32-S3s now act solely as "wireless antennas" (Bluetooth Proxies).

What I changed in the code:

• Removed the "hard-coding": I completely deleted or commented out the ble_client block, the mower_switch, and the on_boot scripts.
• Proxy-only mode: I only use bluetooth_proxy: active: true now.
• Naming Fix: This was crucial—I set name_add_mac_suffix to false. Previously, the ESPHome dashboard often showed my devices as "Offline" because the internal device name (modified by the MAC suffix) no longer matched the filename.

Field Test Results on 1000 m²

I am currently using two ESP32-S3s (one in the shed, one in the utility room inside the house).

• Intelligent Roaming: Home Assistant now decides completely automatically which antenna to use to communicate with the Luba. I no longer have to flip a manual switch—the system "thinks" for itself.
• Fast Handover: I closely monitored the transition between the two proxies. When the Luba moves from one coverage zone to the next, the automatic reconnect takes only about 2 to 3 seconds. This is negligible, and the sensors in HA remain stable.
• Range: Using 8 dBi external antennas on the S3 boards combined with the Proxy mode has given me seamless coverage across the entire property.

Final Verdict

If you are using multiple antennas, save yourself the trouble of complex on-device programming. The pure Proxy mode is significantly more robust. Once the Luba is set up in Home Assistant, it simply grabs the connection via whichever proxy has the best line-of-sight at that moment.

If you are planning a similar setup, I highly recommend this "lean" approach. Since the switch, my system has been running perfectly without a single manual intervention!

Proxy 1

`esphome:
  name: mammotion-proxy
  friendly_name: Mammotion BLE Proxy S3
  min_version: 2025.5.0
  name_add_mac_suffix: false

.#  on_boot:
.#    priority: -10
.#    then:
.#      - if:
.#          condition:
.#            switch.is_on: mower_switch
.#          then:
.#            - ble_client.connect: mower_ble_client

esp32:
  board: esp32-s3-devkitc-1
  variant: ESP32S3
  flash_size: 16MB
  framework:
    type: esp-idf
    version: recommended

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password

  ap:
    ssid: "Mammotion-Proxy Fallback Hotspot"
    password: "yourkey"

logger:

api:
  encryption:
    key: "yourkey"

ota:
  - platform: esphome
    password: "yourkey"

improv_serial:

bluetooth_proxy:
  active: true

esp32_ble:
  max_connections: 4

esp32_ble_tracker:
  scan_parameters:
    interval: 150ms  # Wie oft wird gescannt
    window: 100ms    # Wie lange wird gescannt (kleiner als Intervall!)
    active: true

.#ble_client:
.#  - mac_address: C8:FE:0F:74xx:xx
.#    id: mower_ble_client
.#    auto_connect: true
.#    on_disconnect:
.#      - if:
.#          condition:
.#            switch.is_on: mower_switch
.#          then:
.#            - ble_client.connect: mower_ble_client

.#switch:
.#  - platform: template
.#    name: "Mammotion Connection"
.#    id: mower_switch
.#    icon: "mdi:bluetooth"
.#    optimistic: true
.#    restore_mode: RESTORE_DEFAULT_ON
.#    on_turn_on:
.#      - ble_client.connect: mower_ble_client
.#    on_turn_off:
#      - ble_client.disconnect: mower_ble_client
`

Proxy 2

esphome:
  name: mammotion-proxy-2
  friendly_name: Mammotion Proxy Erweiterung
  min_version: 2025.5.0

esp32:
  board: esp32-s3-devkitc-1
  variant: ESP32S3
  flash_size: 16MB
  framework:
    type: esp-idf
    version: recommended

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password
  ap:
    ssid: "Mammotion-Proxy-2 Fallback"
    password: "yourkey"

logger:
  level: INFO

api:
  encryption:
    key: "yourkey"

ota:
  - platform: esphome
    password: "yourkey"

# WICHTIG: Hier nur der Proxy-Modus
bluetooth_proxy:
  active: true

esp32_ble:
  max_connections: 4

esp32_ble_tracker:
  scan_parameters:
    interval: 150ms
    window: 100ms
    active: true

binary_sensor:
  - platform: status
    name: "Proxy 2 Online Status"

[DreamT80]

Thank you for your effort! One question though: It seems like you have 2 esphome-sections in the "Proxy 2" YAML, doesn't that mean that the second section "wins", which then means that the "name_add_mac_suffix: false" gets overwritten, since it's in the first section?
The reason I ask is not to point out errors, but more that I want to understand.

[r3n3l33]

sorry my mistake. corrected yaml