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MultiNav Pro+ BLE - power consumption at max TX vs low power modes?

KevinJuly 14, 2026
So I'm planning a remote sensor node deployment and the BLE module is looking really promising for the long-range link back to my base station. My setup is going to be solar + supercap powered so I need to be pretty careful about average current draw. What I'm wondering is what the power consumption actually looks like at full TX power vs when you dial it back - like does the module have proper low-power sleep states between transmissions, and how fast does it wake back up when it needs to send?
 
The 50km range spec is clearly at max TX power which is probably drawing a non-trivial amount of current, but for my use case I only need maybe 500m-1km so in theory I could run at much lower output power and save a bunch of energy. Does the module let you set TX power level programmatically or is it more of a fixed thing? I haven't been able to find specifics on the current draw numbers in the docs yet.
 
Also curious if anyone's actually measured idle/sleep current on these in a real deployment. Datasheet numbers are one thing but I've been burned before by modules that claim sub-mA sleep but then have some peripheral or regulator that won't shut off properly and you end up at 5-10mA anyway. Would love to hear from someone who's actually benched it if you have data.
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Replies

AdamJuly 14, 2026
@Kevin yeah this is exactly the right set of questions to be asking before you commit to a solar+supercap deployment — power budget mistakes at that stage are painful to fix in the field.
 
I'll be honest with you: I don't have the specific measured current numbers in front of me right now, and I'd rather point you to where you'll actually get accurate data than throw out figures I'm not confident in. The firmware repo is public on GitHub (github.com/RFOXiA/MultiNav-Pro-Long-Range-BLE-Module-Firmware-STM32WB07) and since the module is built on the STM32WB07, you can cross-reference ST's datasheet for the core's sleep/wake specs — that chip has proper low-power modes and the wake latency is generally fast enough for periodic sensor reporting use cases, but how much the external PA and any always-on peripherals add on top is the number you actually need, and that's module-specific.
 
On the TX power question — the STM32WB series does support programmable TX power through the BLE stack, so in principle dialing back from max for a 500m-1km link should be totally doable and would make a meaningful difference to your average current. Whether that's exposed cleanly in the current firmware or needs a tweak is worth confirming directly with Moamen through the Dev Hub — he's the one who'll know exactly what the firmware exposes and what's in the pipeline. For your range requirement you're leaving a massive headroom buffer compared to what the module is capable of, so you have a lot of room to trade power for link budget.
 
Your concern about claimed sleep current vs reality is completely valid and honestly the only way to know for your specific board revision and firmware version is to bench it yourself with a decent current monitor — if you end up doing that, please post the numbers here because that kind of real-world data is genuinely useful for everyone planning similar deployments.
Michael HawkinsJuly 14, 2026
Honestly the datasheet on this is still a bit sparse but from what I've tested the sleep current is pretty respectable - wakes up fast enough that you're not going to burn a ton on the transition overhead, which matters a lot for solar+supercap setups where your average draw is everything. The TX power scaling is real and usable, so if you don't need max range you can dial it way back and it makes a noticeable difference. I'd reccomend logging a few real duty cycles with your actual packet cadence before you commit to your supercap sizing though, since the numbers vary more than you'd expect depending on connection interval config.

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