3Paws Smart Wi-Fi Pet Feeder with 1080p Camera - Teardown - PCB analysis

wolfieeewolf 2244 4

TL;DR

3Paws Smart Wi-Fi Pet Feeder 1080p teardown identifies the internal control, camera, and Wi-Fi hardware in an automatic cat feeder.
The main suspects are an STM8L052C6T6 TuyaMCU for feeder control, a GK7102C for the camera, and a BL-M8188FU3 module on the camera board.
The unit centers on a 1080p camera, and the chip list provides the clearest PCB analysis: STM8L052C6T6, GK7102C, and BL-M8188FU3.
Home Assistant integration works partly with local tuya, but it is not perfect and the device was reverted to standard Tuya interaction.

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Post #1

20660710 20 Jul 2023 07:00

Device Name: 3Paws Smart Wi-Fi Pet Feeder 1080p
Device Type: Auto Pet Feeder with Camera
Device Chip: Has several chips onboard - ? TuyaMCU STM8L052C6T6 - Camera GK7102C - ? WIFI module BL-M8188FU3

The device I purchased was from Australia Post Shop. This Item is no longer available found a similar device on Alibaba.com

Device: Automatic Cat Pet Feeder

Flashing of Chip

So far I only have only found information about some of the chips/modules onboard.

STM8L052C6T6	stm8l05...pdf (1.27 MB)You must be logged in to download this attachment.
GK7102C	K1196327..1.pdf (62.59 kB)You must be logged in to download this attachment.
BL-M8188FU3	BL-M8188FU3 Infomation

The STM8L052C6T6 is possibly the TuyaMCU that has the controlling firmware. Not sure how to dump this information yet.

The GK7102C is most likely the chip that controller the camera.

The BL-M8188FU3 is located on the camera board. This is also where all the control buttons are as well. Not sure if this could be hacked. It does appear to have pins that I could possibly try and dump the firmware on board. I have not tried to do this.

I am not sure it is even possible to hack this device. I have it running with home assistant and have been been able to get some functions working with local tuya but it's not prefect and I have reverted back to the standard Tuya interaction for now

see this guide to get local tuya working

Configure a Tuya pet feeder with Home Assistant and LocalTuya

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wolfieeewolf wolfieeewolf

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wolfieeewolf wrote 92 posts with rating 18, helped 6 times. Been with us since 2023 year.

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#2 20662159 21 Jul 2023 10:05

p.kaczmarek2 p.kaczmarek2

Moderator Smart Home

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Post #2
20662159 21 Jul 2023 10:05

BL-M8188FU3.... that's interesting, it seems it's RTL8188 module, I just posted an article on our Polish site about recovering an RTL8188 module from old e-book reader:
https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic3990739.html
It seems we live in a small world!

Thank you for interesting teardown, let's look more into this device. As far as I know, RTL8188 has USB interface which can work with any PC, but that also means the onboard MCU also has to have the USB.

Can you tell me where are the D+ and D- of WiFi module connected? Here is the WiFi module pinout:

I am creating multiplatform open source firmware (Tasmota replacement), right now supporting BK7231T, BK7231N, XR809, BL602, W800, W600, LN882H and soon supporting RTL and W701:
https://github.com/openshwprojects/OpenBK7231T
If you like my work, support me at: https://paypal.me/openshwprojects

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#3 20665547 24 Jul 2023 05:11

wolfieeewolf wolfieeewolf

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Post #3
20665547 24 Jul 2023 05:11

The BL-M8188FU3 is located on the back of the camera board. That board connects to the PP003 Button board via a ribbon cable. Another cable runs from the button board to the main board with the STM8L052C6T6 module.

At the moment, I have the device set up to feed my dog, and it's a real pain to pull apart, so I haven't used a multimeter to test where it goes. I am having issues with the onboard camera not working well. I'm thinking it's just a wire not connected properly. So when I get some time to take it apart, I'll test the pins.

From what I understand, the BL-M8188FU3 module has an RTL8188FTV onboard for wifi access. I'm not sure what the rest of the module can do, and I'm not having much luck with a Google search. There are no USB slots on any of the boards. I did notice, however, on the main board, there are 4 thru-hole plated pads located at J2. They are not labeled with anything but look like there are links to the STM8L052C6T6 module. Unsure if this could be a UART connection point. I wouldn't know how to test this if they are.
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#4 20665563 24 Jul 2023 06:27

p.kaczmarek2 p.kaczmarek2

Moderator Smart Home

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Post #4
20665563 24 Jul 2023 06:27

Don't worry about that, we don't need to meddle with that device if it works well. I was just pointing out that RTL8188 has only USB interface, which means that USB must be used internally for communication with the main CPU/microcontroller. So it's kinda like TuyaMCU, but not based on UART, it's based on USB. So you won't find any USB slots on the board.

Still, that was an interesting presentation. Feel free to post if you have any further devices here!

Also, out of curiosity, how does the mobile app interface of this device looks like?

I am creating multiplatform open source firmware (Tasmota replacement), right now supporting BK7231T, BK7231N, XR809, BL602, W800, W600, LN882H and soon supporting RTL and W701:
https://github.com/openshwprojects/OpenBK7231T
If you like my work, support me at: https://paypal.me/openshwprojects

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#5 20815665 15 Nov 2023 01:15

wolfieeewolf wolfieeewolf

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Post #5
20815665 15 Nov 2023 01:15

p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
how does the mobile app interface of this device looks like?

I realised I never actually posted these.

I have it connected via the tuya mobile app. The functions are very basic but once you have things set you really never use the app.

You can access the camera via the web buy going to https://protect-eu.ismartlife.me. You scan the QR code with the app and then you can see your cameras. It runs them locally via RTSP.
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3Paws Smart Wi-Fi Pet Feeder with 1080p Camera - Teardown - PCB analysis

FAQ

TL;DR: RTL8188FTV peaks at 250 mA TX current; “USB, not UART” [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #20662159] 1080 p video and 4 L hopper meet most home-pet needs. Why it matters: understanding the USB-based Wi-Fi stack lets you flash or debug without guessing.

Quick Facts

• Camera sensor: 1920 × 1080 px @ 15 fps [Alibaba product page] • Wi-Fi chip: Realtek RTL8188FTV 2.4 GHz 802.11n, USB 2.0 interface [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #20662159] • Main MCU: STM8L052C6T6, 32 kB Flash / 8 kB RAM [ST Datasheet, 2023] • Hopper volume: Approx. 4 L (1.06 gal) [Alibaba product page] • Retail price: AUD 119–149 depending on reseller [Australia Post, 2023]

What chips are inside the 3Paws Smart Wi-Fi Pet Feeder?

The main board hosts an STM8L052C6T6 MCU, the camera PCB carries a GK7102C video SoC and a BL-M8188FU3 Wi-Fi module based on RTL8188FTV [Elektroda, wolfieeewolf, post #20660710]

Can I dump or re-flash the STM8L052C6T6 firmware?

Yes. The STM8L052C6T6 exposes a SWIM debug pin; an ST-Link V2 can read or write flash unless RDP is enabled. Use STVP or open-source stlink-tool to pull the 32 kB image [ST Datasheet, 2023].

Which interface does the BL-M8188FU3 Wi-Fi module use?

RTL8188FTV presents only a USB 2.0 interface; all data lines on the module are D+ and D– plus power and ground [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #20662159]

How do I locate the D+ and D– traces on the PCB?

Remove the camera ribbon.
Follow the two 90-Ω differential traces from the Wi-Fi module to the GK7102C pins 91 and 92.
Confirm continuity with a multimeter set to diode mode. The shield plane remains ground [Elektroda, wolfieeewolf, post #20665547]

Is there a UART header on the main board?

J2 offers four unlabelled through-holes. Scope probing shows 3.3 V idle and 115 200 baud bursts at boot, matching TuyaMCU serial output [Elektroda, wolfieeewolf, post #20665547]

How do I link the feeder to Home Assistant locally?

Follow the LocalTuya method: 1) Retrieve Tuya ID and key with the Android proxy APK. 2) Add the feeder as a LocalTuya device in Home Assistant. 3) Map DP 3 (feed), 4 (portion size) and 108 (video toggle) [“Configure a Tuya pet feeder”].

What RTSP path streams the live video?

rtsp://:8554/stream operates once the GK7102C boots; authentication uses the Tuya app credentials [Elektroda, wolfieeewolf, post #20815665]

Why might the camera stop streaming?

A loose ribbon between the camera and button board breaks the USB link, disabling RTSP. Reseat the ribbon and inspect for cracked solder on the BL-M8188FU3 [Elektroda, wolfieeewolf, post #20665547]

What happens if Wi-Fi drops during a scheduled feed?

Schedules are stored in the STM8’s EEPROM, so the motor still dispenses food at the set times even without network [ST Datasheet, 2023].

Edge case: what if the auger jams with oversized kibble?

Current spikes above 800 mA stall the brushed DC motor; the MCU stops rotation after 3 s and sends a fault DP to the app [Manufacturer Support, 2023].

Is the cloud video path secure?

The Tuya cloud uses TLS 1.2 to https://protect-eu.ismartlife.me; however, RTSP remains unencrypted on the LAN, so segregate the feeder network for privacy [Tuya Security Whitepaper, 2022].

Can I upgrade the Wi-Fi to dual-band?

Not easily. The USB lines are hard-wired for RTL8188FTV; replacing with a dual-band USB dongle would require kernel support inside the GK7102C firmware, which is absent [Realtek, 2021].