nRF24 Jammer — ESP32-S3 Edition

Two Nordic radios. One ESP32-S3. A full control plane in your browser.

This firmware turns a dual nRF24L01+ setup into a configurable 2.4 GHz test platform driven by an ESP32-S3: Wi-Fi access point, embedded web UI, live dashboard, JSON status API, browser-based OTA, and a serial command shell. Jamming runs on a dedicated FreeRTOS task so the web stack stays responsive while the radios do their job.

Upstream lineage: Based on the community nRF24_jammer project, extended and tuned for ESP32-S3.

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The feature stack

Layer	What you get
Radios	Two RF24 modules on a shared HSPI bus (16 MHz SPI), independent CE lines, PA cranked up, 2 Mbps, ACK off — built for aggressive channel work.
Jam profiles	Bluetooth, drone, Wi‑Fi (all channels or one channel), BLE, Zigbee, and misc (custom nRF24 channel range 0–125).
Methods	Carrier (constant carrier / channel sweeping) vs packet (writeFast floods) depending on mode and settings.
Topology	Split radios on different channels vs locked on the same channel — EEPROM‑persisted (Separate_or_together).
Control	Web UI routes for each mode, settings pages, Wi‑Fi AP credentials, OTA upload with progress, /status JSON, /dashboard visualization.
Shell	115200 baud serial: help, jam …, miscjam …, stop, setting …, info, reboot.
Persistence	EEPROM stores jam methods and AP SSID/password (survives power cycles).

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Hardware you need

• ESP32-S3 dev board (USB‑programmable).
• Two nRF24L01+ modules (with regulators/decoupling as usual — noisy power = flaky RF).
• Wiring per options.cpp / SPI init in jam.cpp:

Signal	ESP32-S3 GPIO	Notes
HSPI SCK	12	Shared bus
HSPI MISO	13
HSPI MOSI	11
Radio A CE	5	RF24 radio(5, 17, …)
Radio A CSN	17
Radio B CE	16	RF24 radio1(16, 4, …)
Radio B CSN	4

3.3 V logic and clean ground returns between ESP32 and both nRF24 boards are non‑negotiable if you want stable runs.

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Flashing the firmware (Arduino IDE)

1. Install board support
   In Arduino IDE → Preferences → Additional boards manager URLs, add:

   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json

   Then Tools → Board → Boards Manager → install esp32 by Espressif.

2. Pick the right board
   Tools → Board → choose the ESP32-S3 entry that matches your module (DevKit, WROOM, N16R8, etc.).
   If your module uses octal flash/PSRAM (common on some S3 modules), set Flash mode / PSRAM per your board vendor — wrong flash mode often shows up as boot loops or failed uploads.

3. Port & upload
   Select the correct COM / USB port, open this sketch folder (nRF24_jammer_ESP32S3.ino), click Upload.
   Some S3 boards need a manual reset or boot button sequence after upload — if the port disappears or the sketch doesn’t start, check your board’s docs.

4. Libraries
   This repo ships vendored libs under lib/ (RF24, Adafruit_GFX, Adafruit_SSD1306, Adafruit_BusIO, GyverButton). Point Arduino’s library path at lib or symlink/copy as you prefer so the build finds them.

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First boot: get in

Item	Default (see options.cpp)
SoftAP SSID	temple
SoftAP password	password
Typical AP IP	http://192.168.4.1 (ESP32 default soft-AP address)

Connect to that Wi‑Fi network from a laptop or phone, then open the IP in a browser.

Serial: open a terminal at 115200 baud — you’ll see the ASCII banner and pointers to help, the AP IP, and /dashboard.

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Web UI map (quick reference)

Path	Purpose
/	Main control page
/bluetooth_jam, /drone_jam, /wifi_jam, /ble_jam, /zigbee_jam	Start the named profile
/misc_jammer → /misc_jam?start=&stop=	Sweep nRF24 channels in a range
/wifi_selected_jam / /wifi_select, /wifi_channel	Wi‑Fi‑focused selection
/setting_*	Per‑mode settings, separate/together, misc method
/wifi_settings, /save_wifi_settings, /reset_wifi_settings	Change AP SSID/password (reboot after save)
/OTA	Over‑the‑air firmware update UI
/update (POST)	OTA upload endpoint
/status	JSON: channels, loop count, uptime, mode, carrier vs packet
/dashboard	Live view fed by status data

Jamming does not auto‑start on boot — bring the radios online, then start a mode from the UI or serial.

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Serial cheat sheet

help
jam bluetooth | drone | ble | zigbee
jam wifi all
jam wifi <0-13>
miscjam <start> <end>     # nRF24 channels 0-125
stop
setting                   # lists EEPROM-backed options
setting <name> <value>
info
reboot

setting names match the firmware: BluetoothJamMethod, DroneJamMethod, MiscJamMethod, JammingType, etc. (see serial.cpp).

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OTA updates

1. Browse to /OTA on the device.
2. Upload a compiled .bin built for the same partition layout and board target as USB flashes.
3. Wait for success — the device reboots into the new image.

Watch the serial log if something fails; OTA is picky about image size and partition tables.

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Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
Upload fails / board not in bootloader	USB cable, drivers, correct COM port, boot/reset combo for your S3 board.
Boot loop after flash	Flash mode / PSRAM / USB CDC settings vs your module.
Web UI unreachable	Connected to the jammer AP? Correct IP? Firewall on client?
Radios “dead”	3.3 V, wiring, CE/CSN pins, shared SPI wiring, power supply noise.
Settings forgotten	EEPROM size/commit; avoid cutting power mid-write.

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Legal & safety — read this

Intentional interference with licensed radio services is illegal in many countries and can carry civil and criminal penalties. This firmware is provided for education, authorized RF testing in shielded labs, and understanding how 2.4 GHz stacks behave — not for disrupting Wi‑Fi, drones, Bluetooth, or any other service you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

You are responsible for compliance with local law, spectrum rules, and institutional policy. If you cannot use it legally, do not run it.

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License / credits

Project structure and behavior trace back to open-source nRF24 jammer work; see the banner in serial.cpp for the original GitHub link. Respect upstream licenses if you redistribute.

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Built for people who read datasheets for fun — keep it in the lab, keep it legal, and keep the smoke inside the silicon.