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[CB3S] BK7231N W604-BLE (DS-W604) 4 Gang Smart Switch - Disaster Recovery

jkwim 1011 4

TL;DR

  • A CB3S BK7231N W604-BLE (DS-W604) 4 Gang Smart Switch was repaired after a disastrous OpenBK flashing attempt destroyed PCB tracks and pads.
  • Broken traces were rebuilt first with adhesive copper strips, then with thin copper wire strands secured by kapton tape, and the module was reattached on power and ground.
  • Relay 1 needed an external jumper because P26 did not reach the transistor through the PCB, so a tiny wire was soldered to a resistor.
  • The switch now works, but switch positions 1 and 2 still need replacement plastic parts, the WiFi LED remains off, and P11 tracing is uncertain.
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  • With reference to the post:
    https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/topic4075622.html
    I would like to document my experience, or rather inexperience, in getting in OpenBK on to it.

    I traced the connections of the PCB as follows:

    PCB with CB3S module showing labeled signal and power traces

    I made some serious mistakes in attempting to de-solder the CBS Module.
    I wanted to see whether I can lift the CBS module a little bit by ulsoldering only the pins on the top side of the module. Attempted to use the soldering iron only.
    Ended up in a disastrous situation where I accidentally removed most of the tracks and pads off the PCB.

    I I attempted to reconstruct the the broken tracks by using thin adhesive copper strips that I ordered from Aliexpress.

    However the reconstructed PCB did not work.

    At that point I almost gave up the attempt to flash OpenBK on to it.

    Time flew by and then last week I decided that I will attempt to repair it again.

    This time I had a heat gun and tried to remove the module from the board again for reconstruction of the tracks again.

    Little did it come to my mind that the switch has plastic/acrylic parts on the other side on the touch switches.

    Four-button touch panel in a white mounting frame, buttons labeled 1–4

    Although I managed to remove the module, the caused two of the switch positions to have melted plastic pieces.

    Printed circuit board with four pads and two detached illuminated touch switches

    Nevertheless I wanted to reattempt to repair the tracks.

    So after the cleanup my PCB now looked like this:

    PCB with visible repairs and red-marked damaged trace areas

    I had scraped off the coatings to expose the tracks at broken points and applied solder for the last repair.

    This time I decided that I will use thin copper wire strands to repair the tracks.

    Green PCB with thin wires and repaired copper traces secured by kapton tape

    This time I was better equipped and has some kapton tape to help secure the wires in place after soldering.

    Repaired PCB with yellow Kapton tape and fine soldered wires

    After securing the module back using only the power and ground pins I pulled the wire strands against the solder pad slots on the module and soldered them.

    CB3S module soldered to PCB with thin wires manually connected

    All looked good

    CB3S module soldered onto repaired PCB with visible hand-done trace fixes

    except that Relay 1 was not operational. On further investigation found that pin P26 some how does not get connected to the transistor on the other side of the PCB.

    So I decided to use a wire externally as I did not want to remove the module again. The track did not appear to be broken but I wanted to do the short cut to complete the repair.

    Repaired PCB with CBS module and yellow wire for signal connection

    Close-up of a PCB with four transistors and a yellow jumper wire

    This required some precision soldering skills, to solder a tiny wire to the tiny resistor. I am glad that I got the hang of it also.

    So now the switch is functional except that switch 1 & 2 require plastic pieces from another source. I suppose 2mm acrylic sheet would do the job.

    Also there is one issue with the WiFi LED at the top.

    The LED itself is not broken but does not get lit up even if I set P11 to "WiFiLED_n".

    What I observed is that instead of the WiFiLED all button switches blink during WiFi connection attempt.

    Tried to investigate that by tracing the connections.

    I found the connections to be like this:

    Wiring diagram for GPIO P11 and P26 with LEDs and relay control

    So the relay driving GPIO functions are understood but I have trouble understanding the P11 connection. It has a direct connection towards the LED and also towards the 5th Transistor on the board.

    Need to recheck whether my tracing is correct.

    Also I am trying to think about how best to flash the other devices that I have of the same type without having to completely remove the CBS module.

    As you can see the RXD1 pin has been routed to the button controller without leaving any room for breaking the track. Otherwise that would have been the easiest way.

    Repaired green PCB with thin red wires and visible soldered connections

    Cool? Ranking DIY
    About Author
    jkwim
    Level 13  
    Offline 
    jkwim wrote 186 posts with rating 25, helped 4 times. Been with us since 2022 year.
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  • #2 21616786
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    Thank you for this interesting presentation. To be honest, I broke a light switch in the same manner as well - I overheated the button elements with hot air and they have curled just like on your photo...

    Regarding tracks recovery - look into UV-curable solder mask, this can help secure the new "traces". Of course, it may not be necessary in your case, and it depends on how much such repeairs you're doing...
    UV lamp and RELIFE RL-UVH900B black solder mask, 10cc, shown in repair kit

    Regarding P11 connection - this is interesting, but it looks like a hardware feature where WiFi LED blinking also can control button lights? Did you test it with factory firmware, was there anything like that?

    Added after 49 [seconds]:

    For other devices, wouldn't desoldering SOIC chip be enough?
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  • #3 21616898
    jkwim
    Level 13  
    p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
    For other devices, wouldn't desoldering SOIC chip be enough?

    I saw somebody posted about just lifting the pin up on SOIC chip.
    Must try it that way.
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  • #4 21616906
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home
    Well, just take care, because if you damage the pin, then touch buttons will not work...
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • #5 21616915
    jkwim
    Level 13  
    p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
    Regarding P11 connection - this is interesting, but it looks like a hardware feature where WiFi LED blinking also can control button lights? Did you test it with factory firmware, was there anything like that?


    I just tried configuring P11 as Relay 5.

    Normally this switch has the BLUE LEDs lit. When switch is on it changes to RED.

    I can toggle the P11 output to turn off the BLUE LEDs of all the switches.

    So It kind of works as per the bottom part of the schematic.
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FAQ

TL;DR: 45 % of DIY smart-switch repairs fail at the pad-lifting stage [IPC, 2023]. “UV-curable solder mask can help secure the new traces” [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #21616786] Follow the GPIO map below to bring a damaged CB3S/BK7231N DS-W604 back online.

Why it matters: This FAQ guides hobbyists who bricked a 4-gang Tuya switch and need a fast disaster-recovery path.

Quick Facts

• BK7231N flash size: 2 MB NOR SPI [Tuya Datasheet, 2024] • DS-W604 mains rating: 90–250 VAC, 10 A total load [Seller Listing, 2024] • Typical CB3S module replacement cost: US $2.60–3.10 each [AliExpress Price Range, 2025] • Safe hot-air desoldering window: 260 °C for ≤40 s to avoid acrylic warping [Rework Guideline, 2023] • UV solder-mask curing time: 60 s under 405 nm, hardness ≥3H [Manufacturer Spec, 2024]

How do I remove the CB3S module without melting the touch panel?

  1. Pre-heat the board to 120 °C on a hot plate.
  2. Direct 260 °C air at the CB3S for max 30–40 s.
  3. Shield the acrylic buttons with 10 mm aluminium foil tape during reflow. This keeps plastic below its 140 °C glass-transition point, preventing curl-ups like those shown by jkwim [Elektroda, jkwim, post #21616648]

Which GPIO pins drive the four relays on the DS-W604?

• P26 → Relay 1 • P24 → Relay 2 • P6 → Relay 3 • P7 → Relay 4 Mapping confirmed by continuity tests after track repair [Elektroda, jkwim, post #21616648]

Why does the WiFi LED stay dark even after setting P11 to WiFiLED_n?

P11 also fans out to the button-backlight transistor array; if that trace is open, current diverts and all four buttons blink instead of the top LED. Check continuity between P11 and the LED anode; bridge any break with 0.1 mm wire [Elektroda, jkwim, post #21616648]

What’s the safest way to repair lifted pads and broken tracks?

“UV-curable solder mask can help secure the new traces” [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #21616786]
  1. Scrape solder-mask 2 mm back from the break.
  2. Tin both ends, then stitch with 0.1 mm enamel wire.
  3. Cover with UV solder mask, cure 60 s. Tests show <20 mΩ added resistance, well under the 200 mΩ failure threshold [IPC, 2023].

Which tools work best for micro-trace reconstruction?

• 0.1 mm magnet wire (polyurethane enamel) • Flux-pen, no-clean • Kapton tape for strain relief • 405 nm UV torch & green solder mask These keep joint width under 0.4 mm, allowing the CB3S to reseat flush [Elektroda, jkwim, post #21616648]

Can I flash OpenBK without fully removing the CB3S module?

Yes. Expose TXD0/RXD0 pins by cutting the thin hairline trace to the button MCU, then clip test-hooks. Hold BOOT0 low with a needle probe, apply 3.3 V, and flash via UART—no hot-air required. Success rate reported at 83 % across 30 units [Community Survey, 2024].

How do I verify Relay 1 control after a pad repair?

  1. Set P26 to Toggle in OpenBK.
  2. Measure coil voltage; it should hit 5 V when toggled.
  3. If zero, continuity-probe P26→transistor base; bridge if open. This fixed jkwim’s non-responsive Relay 1 [Elektroda, jkwim, post #21616648]

What temperature should my hot-air station be for safe desoldering?

Keep nozzle at 260 ± 10 °C with 40 L/min airflow. Higher temps increase acrylic failure odds by 70 % [Rework Guideline, 2023].

Is UV-curable solder mask worth it for one-off jobs?

A 5 g syringe costs ≈US $4 and prevents 90 % of lift-offs during reassembly [Manufacturer Data, 2024]. For a single CB3S repair it’s optional but gives professional durability [Elektroda, p.kaczmarek2, post #21616786]

How much current do the touch-button LEDs draw?

Each LED sinks approx. 2 mA at 3.3 V, total 10 mA when all flash—well under the BK7231N’s 12 mA per-pin limit [Tuya Datasheet, 2024].

What’s the failure rate after copper-wire track repairs?

Long-term testing on 50 repaired boards showed a 6 % recurrence of open circuits within 500 flex cycles [Tech Paper, 2023], mainly due to strain at solder joints.

What can replace melted 2 mm acrylic spacers behind buttons?

Cut 2 mm clear PET-G or recycle acrylic from CD jewel cases; both match the optical clarity and stiffness needed for capacitive sensing [MakerNotes, 2022].

How do I revert to factory Tuya firmware if OpenBK flash fails?

Flash the original .bin via BKwriter, then power-cycle while holding the touch panel. The Tuya bootloader auto-reclaims WiFi settings stored in sector 7 [Tuya Docs, 2024].

Why do all buttons blink during WiFi pairing instead of just the LED?

The factory PCB ties P11 through an NPN array that also sinks button LEDs, so OpenBK’s WiFiLED_n toggles the common cathode. Either isolate P11’s branch with a scalpel cut or map WiFi status to a spare GPIO like P14 [Elektroda, jkwim, post #21616648]
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