Kuled WiFi switch programming pins

ESPHome
#1

I was preparing to flash ESPHome on another Kuled WiFi Switch, Model KS-602S, and discovered the programming pins are different than prior switches of the same model:

KS-602S Programming Pins
KS-602S Programming Pins756×1008 85.5 KB

The pin labels are:

R  T
I  R
V  G

All of my other Kuled WiFi switches are the same model number, but with this pinout:

577px-Kuled_Smart_Switch-_Tasmota_flash
577px-Kuled_Smart_Switch-_Tasmota_flash577×599 59.3 KB

On another thread I saw this arrangement for the same model number switch:
tuya

The image is pretty bad, but the 6 pins are labeled, top to bottom:

Gnd
RS
TX
RX
3.5
IO0

SO…
Has anyone else seen the top image with 6-pins?
Assuming that the six pins are for flashing the ESP chip, I would guess that the pins are:

R     Tx
IO0   R
3V3   G

Would my guesses be accurate enough to try flashing, and which R would be the Rx. And what is Rs?

#2

Just a thought- would Tuya Convert 2 possibly be a solution?

#3

Do you have any guarantee that they are still ESP8266/32 ?

#4

No, I haven’t looked.
They are cheap enough that I would just buy more, but the markings on the outside are identical.

#5

Can you provide a clear picture of the chip on the pcb. Google search shows that they’ve replaced with beken, you might still have esp if it’s from old stock

1 Like
#6

The chip is a Bekin BK7231N. I bought six of the switches at the same time. The first four were ESP82xx and I flashed ESPHome binaries to them just fine. So today I opened the last box (they come in pairs) an found something different.

Bekin BK7231N
Bekin BK7231N526×704 73.2 KB

I found a program: BK7231 Easy UART Flasher at Elektroda.com that is, as I understand it, supposed to flash Tasmota on the device.

Can anyone shed some light on this chip? All of the tutorials I can find deal with a module based on this chip, but this switch has the bare chip on it. I am wondering if I can flash it with Tasmota using the bk7231 flasher, then upload the ESPHome binary using the Tasmota OTA?

#7

You can’t flash tasmota since it’s not esp, however you can flash libretuya (esphome port)

https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/topic3944647.html

https://docs.libretuya.ml/

#8

Thanks. I saw the first link from elektroda.com, but the author refers to a Python program: uartprogram, which I can’t find anywhere.

So, I am not likely going to be able to put ESPHome on these, but at least
I can use MQTT?

#9

Try openbeken.

You won’t be able to put esphome on it.

Unless tasmota has recently included support for beken chips, you won’t be able to use tasmota.

You may be able to use openbeken.

#10

It’s here

There’s a newer tool for windows

You still can, it’s just called libretuya (esphome for beken)

There’s ota method you can use with beken chips

1 Like
#11

Thanks. I used the second link and flashed OpenBK7231N_QIO_1.15.380.bin.

I got the configuration menu at 192.168.4.1, added my WiFi credentials and restarted the switch.

Now what?

There is no new IP on my local network. How do I configure my GPIO pins?

#12

I dunno, perhaps read the docs?

#13

Thanks, but these links still don’t tell me how to get to the config menu.

#14

It should show up in network unless there’s a typo with the password

Any device matches the mac address in the wifi client list?

Select web application → config
There should be list of devices, since there’s already a template for your switch. Find Kuled and save the pin

#15

Thanks. Assuming that my network credentials were wrong, I reflashed it using “Do firmware write”. But now when I reboot the device, the AP doesn’t show in my “Available networks”.

Any more tips?

#16

That’s odd, power cycle it 3-4 times and that will reset the device and broadcast its ap

Also try connecting it to a different wifi network (laptop/phone hotspot)

#17

The author sent me a binary to try, and I was able to get the switch flashed and connected to my WiFi. I can publish on or off messages and the light turns on or off. However, I can’t get it to show in devices. Here is the yaml code in my mqtt.yaml file:

  switch:
  - unique_id: "util_room_light 1"
    name: "util_room_light 1"
    state_topic: "util_room_light/1/get"
    command_topic: "util_room_light/1/set"
    qos: 1
    payload_on: 0
    payload_off: 1
    retain: true
    availability:
      - topic: "util_room_light/connected"
#18

It’s not a device. That config only generates an entity.

#19

Thanks, that answers my question. I haven’t worked with MQTT entities for over a year. I’ve been moving my MQTT devices to ESPHome using API and have forgotten most of what I struggled with in MQTT. This switch does not use an ESP device, but it has a Bekin BK7231N chip. I managed to flash it with OpenBK7231 and, from MQTT explorer I can turn the switch on or off by sending 1 or 0 to topic: util_room_light/1/set. But not from Home Assistant (config, developer tools, states).

When I put a button card on Lovelace, I can control the switch. (Which is all I really need).

#20

Are you saying the entity doesn’t work in HA?