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OpenBeken led_enableAll 1 Turns Lamp Off: Active-Low Enable Pin Explained

User question

Why
led_enableAll 1
Turns a lamp off when executed?

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

led_enableAll 1 turns your lamp off because, in the particular device you are using, the LED-enable line is wired as active-low.
• A logic HIGH (1) disables the LED driver, while a logic LOW (0) enables it, so the command values appear “reversed” from what you might expect.


Detailed problem analysis

  1. Active-Low vs. Active-High logic
    Active-High: 1 = ON, 0 = OFF – most intuitive.
    Active-Low: 0 = ON, 1 = OFF – the enable pin (often labelled EN¯, EN#, or ~ENABLE) is internally inverted.
    – The microcontroller pin idles HIGH through a pull-up resistor.
    – Pulling it LOW closes the driver’s MOSFET or transistor, completing the LED current path.

  2. Why designers pick active-low for LED enable lines
    Fail-safe default – If the MCU is in reset or the line is left floating, the pull-up keeps the lamp OFF.
    Open-drain compatibility – Many MCUs or driver ICs only sink current; an external pull-up produces the HIGH (OFF) state.
    Noise immunity – Long lines sitting at VCC are less susceptible to spurious LOW-level noise.
    High-side switch topology – A P-channel MOSFET often needs its gate driven HIGH (close to VCC) to switch off the load.

  3. How this reaches you in firmware
    • In OpenBeken / Tasmota-derived builds the shell command led_enableAll <level> writes the raw logic level to the GPIO that gates the LED driver.
    • No automatic inversion is added unless the board file (or a run-time pinMode flag such as PIN_INVERTED) explicitly requests it.
    • Therefore, two bulbs from different vendors can exhibit opposite behaviour:
    – Bulb A (active-high): led_enableAll 1 → ON
    – Bulb B (your case, active-low): led_enableAll 1 → OFF

  4. Quick verification
    • Issue led_enableAll 0 – the lamp should come on.
    • Measure the enable-pin voltage: ≈ 0 V when ON, ≈ VCC when OFF.


Current information and trends

Online community pages for OpenBeken (Elektroda, GitHub, Tasmota forums) document both variants:
• Users add led_enableAll 1 to autoexec.bat to make some bulbs light up after reboot (active-high hardware).
• Others, exactly like your report, must write led_enableAll 0 instead (active-low hardware).

Recent firmware commits (mid-2024) introduce a per-pin invert flag so that scripts can stay human-readable (1 = ON) independent of hardware. Up-to-date builds expose it via the pinSetInverse command.


Supporting explanations and details

Typical circuits
Low-side N-MOS (active-high): MCU HIGH → NMOS ON → LED ON.
High-side P-MOS (active-low): MCU LOW → PMOS ON → LED ON, MCU HIGH → PMOS OFF (lamp OFF).

Example timing diagram

MCU pin -------____--------- (LOW pulse)
LED current ___----_________ (lamp ON during LOW)

Ethical and legal aspects

• No special ethical concerns; just ensure mains-connected bulbs remain off by default for safety.
• Observe CE/FCC and local electrical codes if you modify hardware.


Practical guidelines

  1. Short-term workaround
    • Use led_enableAll 0 to turn the lamp on, led_enableAll 1 to turn it off.
  2. Long-term, human-friendly fix
    • If your firmware supports it:
    pinSetInverse <gpio_number> 1 or compile with PIN_INVERTED.
    • Adapt automation rules so that “1 = ON” in scripts, independent of hardware.
  3. Hardware rework (rarely worth it)
    • Insert a logic inverter or swap the MOSFET for the opposite polarity; usually easier to change software.

Potential challenges
• Mixed-polarity boards (RGB enable active-low, white-channel enable active-high) – handle each pin separately.
• Firmware older than 2022-11 may lack the inversion flag; update first.


Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• Behaviour is board-specific; always consult the module’s schematic or datasheet if available.
• Some bulbs tie the enable pin to the PWM lines internally; led_enableAll may then act as a global mute rather than a hard switch.


Suggestions for further research

• Study your bulb’s driver IC (e.g., SM2135, BP1658CJ). Its datasheet will label the enable pin polarity.
• Follow OpenBeken pull requests on GitHub for the new enablePolarity abstraction.
• Explore IEC 60730 classified fail-safe design practices for consumer lighting.


Brief summary

led_enableAll 1 switches your lamp off because the enable pin in your device is active-low. The firmware merely passes the value you give it straight to the GPIO; a HIGH disables the LED driver, a LOW enables it. Use led_enableAll 0 or invert the pin in software to restore the intuitive “1 = ON” behaviour.

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Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.