improve esp8266 idle profile

Author: ZeroBitsTech

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 - Added `ZeroNetProfileEsp8266`, a constrained MQTT-first preset for Wemos / ESP8266.
 - Added optional offline queue gating in `ZeroHttpPump` and `ZeroMqttPump` so constrained boards can refuse backlog when link or transport is down.
 - Reduced scheduler contention in the ESP8266 preset by staggering network task start offsets and lowering idle network task cadence.
+- Updated the ESP8266 preset to recommend `kIdleYield` instead of `kIdleSleep`, which materially reduces live timing jitter in the official Wemos validation node.
 - Added generic compare workloads for `EnvMonitor`, `TelemetryGateway`, and `IndustrialLoop`.
 - Added repeatable ESP32 compare runners plus a cross-target workload compile matrix.
 - Improved telemetry gateway tuning so module throughput rises without queue buildup.

README.md

@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ Current target maturity:
 Recommended board-specific path:
 
 - **ESP32:** use the default network module configs first, then validate against your real endpoint.
-- **ESP8266 / Wemos:** start with `ZeroNetProfileEsp8266`. It is a BETA, MQTT-first constrained preset that disables periodic HTTP dispatch by default, prevents offline queue buildup, and staggers slower network task cadence so constrained boards do not need heavy manual tuning just to stay responsive.
+- **ESP8266 / Wemos:** start with `ZeroNetProfileEsp8266`. It is a BETA, MQTT-first constrained preset that disables periodic HTTP dispatch by default, prevents offline queue buildup, staggers slower network task cadence, and recommends a lighter idle strategy so constrained boards do not need heavy manual tuning just to stay responsive.
 
 Current best module tradeoff reference (ESP32, `LEAN_NET`, manual pattern vs module pattern):
 

docs/wiki/Beta-Modules.md

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ They are already useful and validated on desktop plus ESP32 smoke tests, but the
 
 Recommended default:
 
-- For constrained ESP8266 boards, start with `ZeroNetProfileEsp8266`. It is a BETA, MQTT-first constrained preset that keeps HTTP degraded by default and rejects offline queueing so the board stays more predictable without hand-tuning every interval.
+- For constrained ESP8266 boards, start with `ZeroNetProfileEsp8266`. It is a BETA, MQTT-first constrained preset that keeps HTTP degraded by default, rejects offline queueing, and uses a lighter recommended idle strategy plus staggered network task starts so the board stays more predictable without hand-tuning every interval.
 
 ## What BETA Means Here
 

examples/LiveNetworkNode/LiveNetworkNode.ino

@@ -401,7 +401,11 @@ void setup() {
   g_mqttTransport.setNoDelay(true);
 
   ZeroKernel.begin(boardMillis);
+#if defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266)
+  ZeroKernel.setIdleStrategy(ZeroNetProfileEsp8266::kRecommendedIdleStrategy);
+#else
   ZeroKernel.setIdleStrategy(Kernel::kIdleSleep);
+#endif
   ZeroKernel.subscribeTypedFast(kWiFiStateTopic, onTypedState);
   ZeroKernel.subscribeTypedFast(kMqttStateTopic, onTypedState);
 

src/modules/net/ZeroNetProfileEsp8266.h

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ namespace net {
 // Recommended constrained-network preset for ESP8266-class boards.
 // This profile intentionally prefers MQTT cadence over aggressive HTTP churn.
 struct ZeroNetProfileEsp8266 {
+  static const uint8_t kRecommendedIdleStrategy = Kernel::kIdleYield;
   static const unsigned long kSampleTaskIntervalMs = 100UL;
   static const unsigned long kWiFiTaskIntervalMs = 250UL;
   static const unsigned long kHttpTaskIntervalMs = 250UL;