Flashable UK smart plugs

Hardware
1

Has anyone had recent success with finding UK smart plugs that will flash easily - either open and serial flash or successful Tuya convert ?

I just received some round 13a teckin SP27 From amazon which won’t Tuya convert - I think they’ve Recently changed From ESP .

I had a previous set of square, power monitoring Teckins which did convert. The square ones do tend to hit the power switch though.

It gets expensive with trying random ones from amazon … or from AliExpress.

So any recent successes ?

2

Another speculative ebay plug generates “WARNING: it appears this device does not use an ESP82xx and therefore cannot install ESP based firmware”

Model “LSPA7” :frowning:

3

I recently have used tuya convert to flash the new teckin plugs with the redesign to avoid the switches and some JulesV flashed with the latest tuya convert.

4

Didnt fancy risking more money on teckin - but thanks to a v helpful review on Amazon picked up 4 Round (with power monitoring) plugs from “2 nice” that tuya converted v easily. 4 for 32.99 (with a random voucher)

2 Likes
5

Did you go any further and get these set up with esphome?

I’ve just ordered a pack from amazon and looking for a quick-start with putting together a working config for use with esphome.

6

I’ve just ordered some of the 2Nice ones as theyre on offer for £28.

I’ll be replacing tasmota with ESPhome. This page has details on the GPIOs:

1 Like
7

Yes - I use all mine With ESPHome complete with energy monitoring.
My Config…

esphome:
  name: esp_plug01
  comment: 2Nice UP111 01 - Charlie desk light
  platform: ESP8266
  board: esp01_1m

wifi:
  ssid: 'xxxx'
  password: 'xxxx'
  manual_ip:
    static_ip: 192.168.1.x
    gateway: 192.168.1.254
    subnet: 255.255.255.0

# Enable logging
logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API
api:
 reboot_timeout: 0s
 
ota:

time:
  - platform: homeassistant

substitutions:
# Unique ID for Sensors.
  switch_id: "plug_01"

binary_sensor:
  # Push Button
  - platform: gpio
    id: ${switch_id}_in_switch1
    internal: true
    pin: GPIO3
    name: " Switch 1"
    filters:
      - invert:
    on_click:
      min_length: 50ms
      max_length: 350ms
      then:
        - switch.toggle: ${switch_id}_out_relay1
  # Template Sensor - Tracks Relay, Switches LED to Match (Internal Only)
  - platform: template
    name: "${switch_id} Template 1"
    id: ${switch_id}_template1
    internal: true
    lambda: |-
      if (id(${switch_id}_out_relay1).state) {
        return true;
      } else {
        return false;
      }
    on_state:
      - if:
          condition:
            - binary_sensor.is_on: ${switch_id}_template1
          then:
            - switch.turn_on: ${switch_id}_out_led
      - if:
          condition:
            - binary_sensor.is_off: ${switch_id}_template1
          then:
            - switch.turn_off: ${switch_id}_out_led  

switch:
  # Restart Switch in HA
  - platform: restart
    name: "${switch_id} Restart"
  # Relay Output
  - platform: gpio
    pin: GPIO14
    id: ${switch_id}_out_relay1
    name: "${switch_id} Relay 1"
  # Blue LED Output
  - platform: gpio
    pin: GPIO1
    internal: true
    id: ${switch_id}_out_led
    inverted: yes
    name: "${switch_id} Touch Status Led"  
  - platform: gpio
    id: ${switch_id}_out_led_red
    name: "${switch_id} Touch Status Led Red"
    pin: GPIO13
    inverted: True
    restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF

sensor:
  - platform: hlw8012
    sel_pin:
      number: GPIO12
      inverted: True
    cf_pin: GPIO04
    cf1_pin: GPIO05
    # Higher value gives lower watt readout
    current_resistor: 0.0025
    # Lower value gives lower voltage readout
    voltage_divider: 880
    current:
      name: "${switch_id} energy_temp_Amperage"
      unit_of_measurement: A
    voltage:
      name: "${switch_id} energy_temp_Voltage"
      unit_of_measurement: V
    power:
      name: "${switch_id} energy_temp_Wattage"
      unit_of_measurement: W
      id: "energy_temp_Wattage"
    change_mode_every: 8
    update_interval: 10s
  - platform: total_daily_energy
    name: "${switch_id} energy_temp_Total Daily Energy"
    power_id: "energy_temp_Wattage"
    filters:
        # Multiplication factor from W to kW is 0.001
        - multiply: 0.001
    unit_of_measurement: kWh
# Extra sensor to keep track of plug uptime
  - platform: uptime
    name: ${switch_id} energy_temp_Uptime Sensor
# Wifi Signal
  - platform: wifi_signal
    name: "${switch_id} WiFi Signal Sensor"
    update_interval: 60s
2 Likes
8

That’s awesome thanks, i’m hoping to get one of these up and running this evening.

9

Go mine all up and running eventually, had to use tasmota.bin v7.2 to get esphome to load but apart from that all went fine.
Had to use different current_resistor and voltage_divider, calibrated with a power meter and it’s fairly close.

10

Hi, I have thinking about buying the above plugs also (but only 2 instead of 4). I am hoping to have it flashed with ESPHOME.

I was initially ordered the SP23 by TECKIN and noticed the new version (SP23-2) no longer can be flashed. Luckily that it had not yet been dispatched and was able to cancel that via Amazon.

Questions:

  1. Can these still be flashed?
  2. Is there a step-by-step guide?
  3. Are there any other UK Smart Plugs that can be flashed?
11

I can only speak to Tasmota, as I’ve not used ESPHome, but I’ve been able to flash 4 of those exact 2Nice UP111 plugs with Tuya-Convert. Presumably if they can be flashed by tuya-convert to Tasmota, then they can also be flashed to ESPHome.

As it happens I already have some Teckin SP23’s which I also managed to flash with Tasmota earlier today- although these were older ones- have read that the newer ones are no longer flashable.

As far as a guide goes, I followed the tuya-convert github readme. Obviously once you’ve flashed the device the configuration steps will differ depending on the firmware you go with.

12

Another confirmation that the 2Nice plugs are flashable - I just bought a 4 pack from Amazon and have successfully flashed them direct to ESPHome using tuya-convert.

14

Thanks, that’s really helpful. Was it these ones you purchased?

15

I purchased these exact ones and successfully flashed them with tuya-convert. Although I flashed tasmota first and then loaded esphome through their upgrade process. Next time will cut out the tasmota middleman!

1 Like
16

Awesome, thanks. Was there a guide you followed? I think I would do ESP-Home directly.

17

I followed the tuya-convert GitHub readme as well. Was all pretty self-explanatory in the end! Had been very apprehensive as hadn’t done anything like this before but it all came together with very little stress.

18

I used the docker method described in the tuya convert readme, just changing the supplied docker-compose file to map an external files directory (so as to simply add my own ESPHome firmware files). The only problem I had was that the tuya script output indicated that all the required ports were available, and then the process continued but eventually timed out after a few attempts. It was only on checking the log files that I found it had been unable to bind to port 80 (I had forgotten to stop another process that was already bound).

19

I have used these Maxcio Plugs, they are ESP based.
Also unlike a lot of the rubbish available they use 16Amp relays and not 10Amp!
They also do power monitoring.

Config is here:

I split my files up into the common plug setup in the “common folder” and then in the esphome folder I have the config for each indivdual plug / device. Saves having loads of duplicate code.

1 Like
20

Okay, I ordered and they should be here tomorrow.

Do I have to flash them with Tuya-convert first or can I jump straight into ESP home and flash them directly from there?

21

I think you have to flash them with tuya-convert first, however, I think you can choose which firmware you want to flash to them with tuya-convert, so instead of using it to flash the default tasmota, one can instead flash esphome. I did not do this so can’t say if that’s true. However that’s what simonbirt I believe was saying they did.