user81846: Ussing popular library https://github.com/plerup/espsoftwareserial/ can I have multiple softwareSerial ports (for example 6 ports).
I’m the readme say  “ several instances can be active at the same time” but don’t answer a quantity just say several.
Also don’t say if the instances will operate normal or will have some issue.
Ref: https://github.com/plerup/espsoftwareserial/#readme
Will be great to read an answer from someone with experience with the this specific library and arduino framework.

user4143: This is not a question that has an answer. There are far too many variables to say "You can have X ports at once".
How many you can have depends on such things as:

The baud rates you are using: faster baud rates will mean more processing and thus less processing for other ports to run.
How often data is received: A port that's not receiving anything isn't using any processing. You could have lots and lots of ports, but if only one is receiving anything it's not much different to only having one port.
What else your program is doing: You have finite resources. The more you use in your program the less are available for other things. You're running an RTOS, and resources and processing are time-sliced between tasks.

You can maximise your port availability by being crafty and careful with executing certain things on each core - for example if you have two heavily used ports it could be good to have one bound to each of your two cores (assuming a dual core ESP32) so they don't interfere with each other as much.
So a quantity cannot be given. Nor can a prediction about how reliable they would be. From the way it's purported to operate, though, the quantity is likely to be "quite a few" and there should be no problems, as long as you don't have too many.

81846: <p>Ussing popular library <a href="https://github.com/plerup/espsoftwareserial/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/plerup/espsoftwareserial/</a> can I have multiple softwareSerial ports (for example 6 ports).</p>
<p>I’m the readme say  “ several instances can be active at the same time” but don’t answer a quantity just say several.
Also don’t say if the instances will operate normal or will have some issue.
Ref: <a href="https://github.com/plerup/espsoftwareserial/#readme" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/plerup/espsoftwareserial/#readme</a></p>
<p>Will be great to read an answer from someone with experience with the this specific library and arduino framework.</p>
 4143: <p>This is not a question that has an answer. There are far too many variables to say &quot;You can have X ports at once&quot;.</p>
<p>How many you can have depends on such things as:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The baud rates you are using:</strong> faster baud rates will mean more processing and thus less processing for other ports to run.</li>
<li><strong>How often data is received:</strong> A port that's not receiving anything isn't using any processing. You could have lots and lots of ports, but if only one is receiving anything it's not much different to only having one port.</li>
<li><strong>What else your program is doing:</strong> You have finite resources. The more you use in your program the less are available for other things. You're running an RTOS, and resources and processing are time-sliced between tasks.</li>
</ul>
<p>You can maximise your port availability by being crafty and careful with executing certain things on each core - for example if you have two heavily used ports it could be good to have one bound to each of your two cores (assuming a dual core ESP32) so they don't interfere with each other as much.</p>
<p>So a quantity cannot be given. Nor can a prediction about how reliable they would be. From the way it's purported to operate, though, the quantity is likely to be &quot;quite a few&quot; and there should be no problems, as long as you don't have too many.</p>
