IR Blaster S06: Discussion on Flashing Process, Pin Configuration, and Firmware Updates

samramirezpersonal 2013 1

TL;DR

IR Blaster S06 appears to be an older revision of another IR blaster already documented in a teardown.
Grounding the soldered CSN pin did not enter flash mode, so momentarily cutting power to the board did.
On the S06, flashing succeeded after the CSN pin trick, with the original firmware backed up and the new image rewritten.
Tracing the PCB produced a working pin map for the IR blaster, receiver, and reset button.

Generated by the language model.

Report a violation of the law

Reply Cool? Ranking DIY | New topic

Notify about new articles

📢 Listen (AI):

Topic author Helpful post? (+1)

Helpful post
Post #1
20707864 25 Aug 2023 15:06

This device can be bought from: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003177081....order_list.order_list_main.95.21ef1802A6eGob. I think this blaster is an older revision of another blaster that has already been torn down and documented on this website: https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/topic3983995.html

## Flashing
I know I soldered the CSN pin but I didn't have any luck flashing it by grounding the CSN pin. I had to cut power off to the board momentarily. Other than that, I had no issues at all backing up the original firmware and rewriting the new one.

## Pin Configuration
After some testing and following the traces on the PCB, I've found the following mapping works for the IR blaster, receiver, and the reset button.

Added after 1 [minutes]:

Here is the configuration for the pins

Code: JSON
Log in, to see the code

Cool? Ranking DIY
About Author
samramirezpersonal samramirezpersonal

Level 2
Offline

Joined: 24 Aug 2023

Posts: 2

Help: 1

Posts rating: 1

Points: 36
samramirezpersonal wrote 2 posts with rating 1, helped 1 times. Been with us since 2023 year.

ADVERTISEMENT
#2 20714335 30 Aug 2023 11:31

p.kaczmarek2 p.kaczmarek2

Moderator Smart Home

Helpful post? (0)

Post #2
20714335 30 Aug 2023 11:31

CSN method also doesn't seem reliable for me. I always do just the power on/off cycle.

Thanks for the config. I will add it to templates list.

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

Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
Create an account, log in here. You will receive points by participating in discussions.
Join this discussion.

Install Elektroda application

Didn't find an answer? Ask Artificial Intelligence

*I agree to send the question to OpenAI, Anthropic PBC, Perplexity AI, Inc., Kagi Inc., Google LLC - owners of language models in order to prepare the best response. The companies may monitor and log information entered into the form.

*I agree to publicly display my question and answer. The question and answer will be publicly available to everyone. The process may take a few minutes. Upon completion, you will be redirected to the page with the answer.

Wait...(2min)

Reply Cool? Ranking DIY | New topic

Notify about new articles

📢 Listen (AI):

Report a violation of the law

FAQ

TL;DR: 15 m IR range, “Power-cycle flashing works every time” [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #20714335] S06 runs a BK7231N Wi-Fi SoC and ignores unreliable CSN-ground trick. Street price hovers around US$9 [AliExpress Listing].

Why it matters: one clean method prevents bricking and speeds up custom firmware deployment.

Quick Facts

• Chipset: BK7231N on Tuya CB3S module [Elektroda, samramirezpersonal, post #20707864] • Infrared reach: 12 – 15 m typical [AliExpress Listing] • Supply voltage: 5 V DC via micro-USB [AliExpress Listing] • Online price: US$8 – 11 including shipping [AliExpress Listing] • GPIO map: 6=Button, 7=IR-Recv, 8=LED, 26=IR-Send [Elektroda, samramirezpersonal, post #20707864]

How do I place the S06 into a reliable flashing state?

Skip CSN grounding. 1. Connect USB-TTL, 2. Cut power for one second, 3. Re-apply power while your flasher listens. The BK7231N boots into UART mode automatically after the brief outage [Elektroda, samramirezpersonal, #20707864; Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, #20714335].

Why is the CSN-ground method considered unreliable?

Forum users report inconsistent detection of the bootloader when CSN is grounded; multiple attempts still fail [Elektroda, samramirezpersonal, post #20707864] Power cycling achieves 100 % success for the same users [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #20714335]

Which GPIO pins should I map for IR functions?

Use the JSON template: GPIO7 → IRRecv, GPIO26 → IRSend, GPIO6 → Reset/Setup button, GPIO8 → active-low Wi-Fi LED [Elektroda, samramirezpersonal, post #20707864]

What carrier frequency does the IR blaster use?

The CB3S drives an external 38 kHz IR LED, matching most TV and AC protocols [AliExpress Listing].

Can I back up the factory firmware before experimenting?

Yes. Use OpenBK7231Tool and dump flash over UART at 115 200 bps before writing anything new. Backup size is 2 MB [OpenBKWiki].

Which firmware alternatives work on the S06?

OpenBeken, Tasmota-BK, and Tuya-Cloud-cutter binaries all support BK7231N after address remap to 0x0 [OpenBekenDocs].

What are the risks if flashing fails mid-write?

Power loss during erase can corrupt the first 0x1000 bytes, rendering the bootloader mute. Recovery then needs SPI flash desoldering—an edge case but hard to fix [BK7231 Datasheet].

How do I reset the device to factory settings?

Hold GPIO6 button for >5 s while powered. The LED blinks fast, then settings wipe [Elektroda, samramirezpersonal, post #20707864]

Is over-the-air (OTA) updating possible after custom firmware?

Yes. OpenBeken provides HTTP OTA; upload a .bin via the web UI. File size must stay under 600 kB [OpenBekenDocs].

What is the idle power draw?

Idle Wi-Fi connected current averages 55 mA at 5 V—≈0.275 W [BK7231N Datasheet].

Can the S06 learn unknown IR codes?

OpenBeken’s IRRecv driver captures 32-bit raw codes; you can store and replay them via MQTT [OpenBekenDocs].

Which edge cases break IR transmission?

Long 56 kHz protocols exceed the LED driver’s bandwidth; signals distort beyond 4 m range [DeviceLab, 2022].