BLE Beacon for RAK11720

Hi everyone,
I am trying to make ESP32-C3 scan BLE packets from a RAK11720 module.

nRF Connect can see the RAK11720 normally:

  • Name: RAKBLE-11720
  • Manufacturer Data (sometimes)
  • RSSI updates every second

But ESP32-C3 cannot see it at all, even though it detects many other BLE devices.

I tested with ESP32-C3 active scan
But ESP32-C3 never reports the RAK11720 in the scan results.

I also uploaded the official RUI3 BLE Beacon examples (iBeacon + custom beacon).
However, nRF Connect still shows only the default “RAKBLE-11720” advertising, not the beacon.
This suggests the RAK11720 might not actually switch to BLE Beacon mode, or the advertising is restricted when LoRaWAN mode is active.

My question

How can I configure RAK11720 so ESP32-C3 can see it in a normal BLE scan (just like nRF Connect does)?

Do I need to:

  • Enable a specific BLE mode?
  • Disable LoRaWAN?
  • Force ADV_IND / ADV_NONCONN_IND?
  • Or is there a known limitation where ESP32-C3 cannot receive the scan-response packets that RAK11720 sends?

Any help is appreciated. I simply want ESP32-C3 to detect RAK11720’s BLE packets the same way nRF does.

Welcome to the forum @duyle

What RUI3 version are you using? I am using RUI3 V4.2.2
What version of nRFConnect are you using? I am using V4.29.1 on Android
What changes did you do on the example codes? I enabled low power mode and automatic connection to LoRaWAN.

Compiling and flashing the custom payload beacon example I can see the beacon and it’s advertised data in nRFConnect.

I can’t say anything about the ESP32-C3, I don’t have that MCU. But using our RAK3112 ESP32-S3 as beacon scanner Beacon_Scanner.ino, I can see the RAk11720 beacon.