[BK7231T/WB2L] CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight from ALDI Australia, Teardown & OpenBK Flash

ilengyel 11 Apr 2023 16:15 0 8067 Cool? (+3)

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TL;DR

Teardown and OpenBK flashing of the CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight from ALDI Australia, using the BK7231T/WB2L module.
A no-solder connector was built for the four pads on the WB2L module, avoiding de-soldering and re-soldering across multiple downlights.
The flasher used was BK7231GUIFlashTool with a CP2104 UART-USB adapter, and the module was powered at 3.3V while 5V stayed disconnected.
After flashing, the downlight joined the open access point, accepted Wi‑Fi setup at 192.168.4.1, and showed the RGB controller on the main page.
RED, GREEN, BLUE, C/W TEMP, and C/W BRIGHTNESS were mapped to PWM pins 26, 24, 6, 7, and 8, with Flag 8 enabled for alternate CW light mode.

AI summary based on the discussion. May contain errors.

A while back I posted the teardown and OpenBK configuration of the Cool/Warm White only version which can be found here. Finally I gotten around to flash the RGB variety of these downlights.

Starting with the pictures of the box:

Pictures of the device:

Opening up:

Flashing:

I dreaded the thought of having to de-solder the chip, soldering the flashing wires, re-soldering, and then multiply that 20 times!! So I attempted a no solder method which actually worked.

First I built a connector for the 4 pads on the WB2L module corresponding to the 2 UART interfaces lined up at the top of the module.

I took an 8 pin header left over from another ESP controller, and super-glued a piece of plastic to one side, and bent the pins of the header in such a way that it lined up with the appropriate pads, but also the springiness of the metal clamps the connector to the WB2L module.

The UART-USB interface I used was CP2104, it is a good idea to leave the 5v pin disconnected, and can connect the ground pin and 3.3v to the convenient points located at the back of the board using a mini probe.

* The flasher I used was BK7231GUIFlashTool.
* Before flashing it is a good idea to first hook up the UART-USB to UART2 and use Putty to confirm that the pins from the connector have good contact, and the UART interface is supplying enough current at 3.3v to power the WB2L module.

Flash Sequence:
1. Connect up the UART-USB interface to UART1 on the WB2L module, and the ground pin. Leave the 3.3v disconnected for now

2. Start the firmware write on the flasher tool and observe the "Getting bus..." message.

3. Connect the 3.3v to the WB2L module and observe flash write progressing.
4. Once the flash completes, connect to the open access point, navigate to 192.168.4.1 and update the wifi credentials, as per previous instructions.

Configuring:
Here is the pin configuration:

RED - CH0: PIN26: PWM
GREEN - CH1: PIN24: PWM
BLUE - CH2: PIN6: PWM
C/W TEMP - CH3: PIN7: PWM_n
C/W BRIGHTNESS - CH4: PIN8: PWM

As with the CW white downlight version, the PWM channels control the temperature and brightness directly. Therefore the "Flag 8 - [LED] Alternate CW light mode (first PWM for warm/cold slider, second for brightness)" should be enabled in the Configure General/Flags section.

If all goes well you should see the RGB controller on the main page.

Added after 18 [minutes]:

Where do I post the template:

About Author

ilengyel wrote 20 posts with rating 9 , helped 1 times. Live in city Australia. Been with us since 2009 year.

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FAQ

TL;DR: For 20 CasaLife RGB downlights, the practical method is “no solder”: flash OpenBK through WB2L UART1 at 3.3V, then map 5 PWM channels for RGBCW control. This FAQ helps ALDI Australia SMART-AL2017-RGB-TGTS owners avoid desoldering and configure OpenBK correctly. [#20534678] Why it matters: The thread turns a risky repetitive teardown job into a repeatable UART flashing and OpenBK setup workflow.

Item	CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight	CasaLife cool/warm white version
Color channels	RGB + cool/warm	Cool/warm only
OpenBK PWM channels shown	5 channels, CH0–CH4	Not detailed here
Shared behavior	Uses Flag 8 for alternate CW mode	Uses Flag 8 for alternate CW mode

Key insight: The WB2L module can be flashed in-circuit when a spring contact reaches the UART pads reliably. Keep 5V disconnected and power the module with 3.3V only.

Quick Facts

Device template identifies the model as CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight (ALDI Australia) SMART-AL2017-RGB-TGTS, with BK7231T chip and WB2L board. [#20534678]
OpenBK uses 5 PWM outputs: red CH0 on pin 26, green CH1 on pin 24, blue CH2 on pin 6, C/W temperature CH3 on pin 7, and brightness CH4 on pin 8. [#20534678]
The flashing setup used a CP2104 USB-to-UART adapter, UART1 for writing firmware, UART2 plus Putty for contact testing, and 3.3V module power. [#20534678]
The author left the 5V pin disconnected and connected ground plus 3.3V to convenient rear board points with a mini probe. [#20534678]
After flashing, the device exposes an open access point; connect to it, browse to 192.168.4.1, and enter Wi-Fi credentials. [#20534678]

How do I flash OpenBK on a CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight from ALDI Australia with a BK7231T/WB2L module?

Flash OpenBK through the WB2L module’s UART1 pads using BK7231GUIFlashTool and 3.3V power.

Connect USB-to-UART to UART1 and ground, leaving 3.3V disconnected.
Start firmware writing and wait for “Getting bus...”.
Apply 3.3V, let flashing finish, then configure Wi-Fi at 192.168.4.1. [#20534678]

What pin configuration should I use for the CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight SMART-AL2017-RGB-TGTS in OpenBK?

Use a 5-channel RGBCW PWM configuration for SMART-AL2017-RGB-TGTS. Set pin 26 as PWM CH0 red, pin 24 as PWM CH1 green, pin 6 as PWM CH2 blue, pin 7 as PWM_n CH3 cool/warm temperature, and pin 8 as PWM CH4 brightness. Enable Flag 8 for alternate CW light mode. [#20534678]

How can I flash a WB2L module without desoldering the chip or soldering wires?

Use a spring-loaded contact connector against the WB2L UART pads instead of soldering wires. The author made one from an 8-pin header, glued plastic to one side, and bent the metal pins to match the 4 pads for the 2 UART interfaces. The spring tension clamped the connector onto the WB2L module during flashing. [#20534678]

What is the BK7231T chip used in Tuya-based smart lights?

"BK7231T is the smart-light controller chip that runs the device firmware, exposed here through a WB2L board and flashed with OpenBK, allowing Tuya-based lighting hardware to use an alternate local firmware." The template lists chip “BK7231T” for the CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight. [#20534678]

What is a WB2L module and how is it different from the bare BK7231T chip?

"WB2L is a circuit module that carries the BK7231T-based smart-light electronics, providing accessible UART pads and board-level connections instead of requiring direct work on the bare chip." In this downlight, the template lists chip “BK7231T” and board “WB2L” as separate fields. [#20534678]

What is BK7231GUIFlashTool and how is it used to write OpenBK firmware?

BK7231GUIFlashTool is the flasher tool used to write OpenBK firmware to the BK7231T/WB2L device. The workflow starts firmware writing in the tool, waits for “Getting bus...”, then powers the WB2L at 3.3V so the flash write progresses. The thread names BK7231GUIFlashTool as the tool used. [#20534678]

Why should the 5V pin be left disconnected when using a CP2104 USB-to-UART adapter with a WB2L module?

Leave 5V disconnected because the WB2L flashing setup uses 3.3V module power, not 5V. The author specifically used a CP2104 USB-to-UART adapter, left the 5V pin disconnected, and connected ground plus 3.3V to rear board points. This reduces the risk of powering the module from the wrong rail. [#20534678]

How do I put a WB2L module into flashing mode using UART1 and a 3.3V power connection?

Start the flash operation before applying 3.3V power to the WB2L module. Connect UART1 and ground first, leave 3.3V disconnected, and start firmware writing in BK7231GUIFlashTool. When the tool shows “Getting bus...”, connect 3.3V to the WB2L so the write begins. [#20534678]

What does the “Getting bus...” message mean in BK7231GUIFlashTool during flashing?

“Getting bus...” is the point where the flasher is waiting for the WB2L module to become available for writing. In the documented sequence, the user starts the write, observes “Getting bus...”, then connects 3.3V. Flash progress starts after the module powers up. [#20534678]

How do I verify UART contact on a WB2L module with Putty before flashing?

Verify the spring connector by connecting the USB-to-UART adapter to UART2 and opening Putty before flashing. The thread recommends this check to confirm two things: the connector pins have good contact, and the UART interface supplies enough current at 3.3V to power the WB2L module. [#20534678]

What does OpenBK Flag 8 do for RGBCW lights with separate color temperature and brightness PWM channels?

OpenBK Flag 8 enables alternate CW light mode for lights where one PWM controls warm/cold temperature and another controls brightness. The CasaLife RGB downlight uses CH3 for C/W temperature and CH4 for C/W brightness, so Flag 8 must be enabled in Configure General/Flags. [#20534678]

How should the red, green, blue, cool/warm temperature, and brightness PWM channels be mapped on the CasaLife RGB downlight?

Map the CasaLife RGB downlight as red pin 26 CH0 PWM, green pin 24 CH1 PWM, and blue pin 6 CH2 PWM. Map cool/warm temperature to pin 7 CH3 PWM_n. Map cool/warm brightness to pin 8 CH4 PWM. This gives OpenBK separate RGB and white-channel control. [#20534678]

CasaLife RGB downlight vs CasaLife cool/warm white downlight — what changes in the OpenBK configuration?

The RGB version adds three color PWM channels while keeping the same alternate CW behavior. The RGB downlight maps red, green, and blue to CH0, CH1, and CH2. It also maps C/W temperature and brightness to CH3 and CH4, with Flag 8 enabled as on the cool/warm white version. [#20534678]

Where should I post or submit an OpenBK device template for the CasaLife RGB Smart LED Downlight from ALDI Australia?

Use the OpenBK device template data from the thread when submitting this device to an OpenBK template repository or wiki. The provided JSON names vendor “Tuya,” model “SMART-AL2017-RGB-TGTS,” chip “BK7231T,” board “WB2L,” flags “256,” and the 5 pin mappings. [#20534678]

What safety precautions should I take when opening and flashing a mains-powered smart LED downlight?

Disconnect the downlight from mains power before opening or flashing it. The thread’s flashing method powers only the WB2L module through a CP2104 adapter at 3.3V, with 5V left disconnected. A failure case is poor spring contact, so verify UART2 contact in Putty before writing firmware. [#20534678]

AI summary based on the discussion. May contain errors.