Why is it that even though data is being transmitted normally, the front-end interface displays the same content for "no people," "one person," and "two people," even though I'm using three ESP32-3S devices?

[amoscndc-tech]

I followed the tutorial step by step, the output is normal, and I used three ESP32-3S devices while considering the TDM protocol. So why is it that whether there are people or not, regardless of the number, the front-end interface always displays the same thing?

[nokiexow]

me too

[Yeshua00]

because youre in simulation mode

[ArmandRay]

me too

[munozluis1015]

me too

[ruvnet]

As @Yeshua00 correctly noted — if you're seeing the same visualization regardless of how many people are in the room, you're likely in simulation mode.

The web UI runs a built-in CSI simulator when no live WebSocket data source is connected. The simulated signal changes are procedural/random and don't reflect actual room conditions.

To connect real ESP32 data:

1. Start the aggregator server (receives UDP frames from your ESP32 nodes)
2. In the Observatory or Pose Fusion UI, enter the WebSocket URL (e.g. ws://localhost:3030/ws/csi)
3. Click Connect

How to verify you're NOT in simulation mode:

• The status badge should show LIVE (green) instead of SIM or READY
• The CSI heatmap should show real-time fluctuations that change when you move
• RSSI values should correspond to your actual signal strength

If your ESP32s are transmitting data but the UI still doesn't change, check the aggregator logs to confirm frames are arriving and being forwarded over WebSocket.

[ArmandRay]

In fact, the UI shows that the hardware is connected, and the debug log shows that data is being transmitted.

[ruvnet]

Update: v0.4.2-esp32 May Help

If all 3 ESP32-S3 devices show the same content regardless of people count, the CSI data may not be differentiated per-node. Common causes:

1. All nodes on wrong channel — v0.4.2-esp32 adds auto-channel detection from the connected AP
2. CSI noise from multiple APs — v0.4.2-esp32 adds --filter-mac to isolate one AP's frames
3. TDM not configured — nodes may be transmitting simultaneously, causing collisions

Recommended setup for 3 nodes:

# Node 0
python provision.py --port COM_NODE0 --ssid "YourSSID" --password "pass" \
  --target-ip PC_IP --node-id 0 --tdm-slot 0 --tdm-total 3 --filter-mac ROUTER_MAC

# Node 1
python provision.py --port COM_NODE1 --ssid "YourSSID" --password "pass" \
  --target-ip PC_IP --node-id 1 --tdm-slot 1 --tdm-total 3 --filter-mac ROUTER_MAC

# Node 2
python provision.py --port COM_NODE2 --ssid "YourSSID" --password "pass" \
  --target-ip PC_IP --node-id 2 --tdm-slot 2 --tdm-total 3 --filter-mac ROUTER_MAC

Flash all 3 with the v0.4.2-esp32 firmware first. The TDM slots prevent transmission collisions and --filter-mac ensures clean CSI per node.