Flashing Andowl Q-DL52 Tuya Smart 63Amp Wifi Circuit Breaker with UART and OpenBK7231N

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20756776 03 Oct 2023 13:30

I purchased the ANDOWL Q-DL52 Tuya Smart 63Amp WiFi Circuit Breaker.

https://electromannsa.co.za/product/andowl-q-dl52-tuya-smart-63amp-wifi-circuit-breaker/

But this seems to be sold under many brands. Here is a model that looks physically identical from Aliexpress. (The Aliexpress model appears to have power metering capabilities, but I am not sure if my model does. I will post an update if I find out it does.)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004153509...202310030405125510339158863690011295965_2&s=p

I did not have any success with the Tuya cloud cutter on my model (this may have been an error on my end though), so I flashed it with UART. The unit is held together with 6 brass tubular rivets. I used a small flat blade screwdriver to bend the edges of the rivets on one side of the device, and then pushed them through. After this, the device opened easily and is not glued/welded together.

The device has a Tuya CBU, and I was able to flash it via UART using a PCB probing station I 3D printed (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3615910), so it was not necessary to solder wires on. I used bk7231flasher_1.1.2 and flashed OpenBK7231N_QIO_1.17.262. The saved firmware is attached (this device was never connected to Tuya/Smartlife). Unplugging the two cables circled in green provided more room to work, but I did not need to remove the PCB from the casing.

I have attached my current template, where the relay and WiFi LED are working (I am new to Open Beken, so if I am able to improve this template, I will upload a new version).

Edit: Adding a picture of the reverse side of the PCB.

Attachments:

obkN_23C000093_2023-10-03_12-52-52.zip (458 Bytes) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

readResult_BK7231N_QIO_2023-02-10-22-01-59.bin (2 MB) You must be logged in to download this attachment.

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#2 20760461 06 Oct 2023 13:19

p.kaczmarek2 p.kaczmarek2

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20760461 06 Oct 2023 13:19

Thanks for sharing. Btw, I see you've set both Rel and Rel_n. Maybe it would be better to use Bridge driver?

Anyway, here's final entry for our devices list:
Code: JSON
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Added after 3 [minutes]:

Here is extracted JSON:
Code: JSON
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It seems that I must add the following keys to my flasher:
Code: text Expand Select all Copy to clipboard
rl_on1_pin rl_off1_pin

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 20764109 09 Oct 2023 13:11

garthelston garthelston

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20764109 09 Oct 2023 13:11

Thank you for your suggestions. I am still learning OpenBeken. I will look into the bridge driver option for the relay.
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FAQ

TL;DR: For users flashing an Andowl Q-DL52 breaker, the case uses 6 brass tubular rivets and one expert report says "did not have any success" with Tuya Cloudcutter, but UART flashing worked with a Tuya CBU/BK7231N using bk7231flasher_1.1.2 and OpenBK7231N_QIO_1.17.262. This FAQ shows the successful pin mapping and safer access steps. [#20756776]

Why it matters: This thread gives a repeatable path to replace Tuya firmware on a 63A DIN-rail smart breaker when cloud methods fail.

Method	Result in this thread	Tools mentioned	Notes
Tuya Cloudcutter	Unsuccessful on this unit	Cloudcutter	Failure may be model-specific or setup-related
UART flashing	Successful	PCB probing station, bk7231flasher_1.1.2	No soldering was required

Key insight: The decisive finding is that this Q-DL52 variant exposes a Tuya CBU with BK7231N and can be flashed reliably over UART without removing the PCB. The extracted Tuya JSON also shows separate rl_on1_pin and rl_off1_pin, which explains the dual relay mapping. [#20760461]

Quick Facts

The breaker in the thread is sold as an Andowl Q-DL52 Tuya Smart 63Amp WiFi Circuit Breaker, and the successful teardown found a Tuya CBU module inside. [#20756776]
The enclosure was held by 6 brass tubular rivets; after bending one side and pushing them through, the case opened easily and was not glued or welded. [#20756776]
Successful flashing used bk7231flasher_1.1.2 with OpenBK7231N_QIO_1.17.262 over UART, using a 3D-printed PCB probing station instead of soldered wires. [#20756776]
Final OpenBeken pin map published in the thread: GPIO15 = WifiLED_n, GPIO17 = Btn, GPIO24 = Rel, GPIO26 = Rel_n on a CBU / BK7231N device entry. [#20760461]

How do I flash an Andowl Q-DL52 Tuya Smart 63A WiFi circuit breaker over UART with OpenBK7231N?

You can flash it over UART by opening the case, contacting the Tuya CBU pads, and writing OpenBK7231N with bk7231flasher_1.1.2. 1. Open the breaker by releasing the 6 brass rivets. 2. Use a PCB probing station on the CBU UART pads, without soldering. 3. Flash OpenBK7231N_QIO_1.17.262 and then apply the working pin template. [#20756776]

What is a Tuya CBU module, and how does it relate to the BK7231N chip in the Andowl Q-DL52?

A Tuya CBU module is a Wi-Fi control module that hosts the device logic and exposes pins for LEDs, buttons, and relay control; in this Q-DL52, the posted device entry identifies that module as a CBU built around a BK7231N chip. The final device list names chip as BK7231N and board as CBU for model Q-DL52. [#20760461]

Why might Tuya Cloudcutter fail on an Andowl Q-DL52, and when is UART flashing the better option?

Tuya Cloudcutter can fail when the specific Q-DL52 variant or setup does not respond to the expected cloud exploit path. In this thread, Cloudcutter did not work, while UART flashing succeeded immediately on the same unit using direct hardware access. Choose UART when you can access the CBU pads and need a repeatable method. [#20756776]

What is the OpenBeken Bridge driver, and how is it different from assigning both Rel and Rel_n pins manually?

The Bridge driver is the suggested OpenBeken approach when one relay circuit uses paired control lines instead of a single output. The maintainer noted that using Bridge may be better than setting both Rel and Rel_n manually, because this device exposes two relay-related pins, GPIO24 and GPIO26, for one channel. [#20760461]

Which GPIO pins on the Andowl Q-DL52 control the WiFi LED, button, and relay in OpenBK7231N?

The published working mapping uses GPIO15 for WifiLED_n, GPIO17 for Btn, GPIO24 for Rel, and GPIO26 for Rel_n. That mapping appears in the final device entry for the Andowl Q-DL52, listed as a BK7231N device on a CBU board. [#20760461]

What's the safest way to open an Andowl Q-DL52 breaker that is held together with brass tubular rivets?

The least destructive method shown was to bend the edges of the brass tubular rivets on one side with a small flat-blade screwdriver, then push the rivets through. The poster reported that the case opened easily afterward and was not glued or welded, which reduces prying force and casing damage. [#20756776]

How can I flash a Tuya CBU module without soldering wires by using a PCB probing station?

You can avoid soldering by pressing a PCB probing station directly onto the Tuya CBU programming pads during UART flashing. The successful setup used a 3D-printed probing jig and did not require wire attachment or PCB removal, which makes repeated contact easier inside the breaker housing. [#20756776]

Where do rl_on1_pin and rl_off1_pin come from in extracted Tuya JSON, and how should they be mapped in a flasher?

They come from the extracted Tuya device JSON, where the relay uses separate on and off control entries instead of one generic relay key. In this Q-DL52 dump, rl_on1_pin is 24 and rl_off1_pin is 26, so the maintainer concluded those keys must be added to the flasher configuration. [#20760461]

Why would a smart breaker use both Rel and Rel_n outputs for one relay, and how should OpenBeken handle that setup?

A smart breaker can use both outputs because its relay stage is driven by complementary or paired control lines, not a single pin. This Q-DL52 maps one relay to both GPIO24 and GPIO26, so OpenBeken should either assign Rel and Rel_n correctly or use the Bridge driver that was specifically suggested for this pattern. [#20760461]

How do I extract and interpret the Tuya device JSON from a BK7231N-based smart circuit breaker?

You extract the device JSON from the module and read it as a pin-and-feature map for the original Tuya firmware. In this thread, the useful fields were netled1_pin=15, bt1_pin=17, rl_on1_pin=24, rl_off1_pin=26, module=CBU, and ch_num=1, which directly explain the LED, button, and dual relay outputs. [#20760461]

What firmware version and flashing tool were used successfully on the Andowl Q-DL52 in this OpenBK7231N setup?

The successful combination was bk7231flasher_1.1.2 with OpenBK7231N_QIO_1.17.262. The poster also saved the original firmware before flashing and noted that the device had never been connected to Tuya or Smart Life. [#20756776]

How can I tell whether my Andowl Q-DL52 or rebranded AliExpress version supports power metering?

You cannot confirm power metering from this thread alone, because the poster only noted that a physically similar AliExpress model appeared to have metering and explicitly said they were not sure whether their own unit did. Treat metering as unconfirmed until you verify hardware or firmware behavior on your exact variant. [#20756776]

What should I disconnect inside the Q-DL52 to get better access for UART flashing without removing the PCB?

Disconnect the two internal cables marked in green in the shared photo to create more room around the board. The poster said this improved access for probing and flashing, while the PCB itself could stay mounted in the casing. [#20756776]

Tuya Cloudcutter vs UART flashing for BK7231N devices — which approach is more reliable for smart circuit breakers like the Andowl Q-DL52?

UART flashing was more reliable in this Q-DL52 case because it worked, while Tuya Cloudcutter did not. For DIN-rail breakers with accessible CBU pads, UART gives direct control over the BK7231N and avoids cloud-side uncertainty, especially when you already need to open the enclosure for hardware access. [#20756776]

What safety precautions should I take when disassembling and reflashing a 63A DIN-rail Tuya smart circuit breaker?

Work only on a fully isolated breaker and minimize force inside the enclosure. 1. Open the case by easing the 6 brass rivets rather than cracking the shell. 2. Disconnect only the two small internal cables used for access. 3. Keep the PCB in place if probing works, because the thread shows removal was unnecessary. [#20756776]

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