[BK7231T] Smart Ape 10A/240V - SA-SWPWPM power meter plug flashed to OpenBeken

noodlenz wrote:

I used tuya-cloudcutter https://github.com/tuya-cloudcutter/tuya-cloudcutter.git 

to flash
Open Beken IOT https://github.com/openshwprojects/OpenBK7231T_App.git 

onto a Smart Ape WIFi power p...

Your post reads as a successful OTA flash report, not as a fault report.
So first of all: well done. This is a useful confirmation that the Smart Ape SA-SWPWPM 10 A / 240 V plug can be converted from Tuya firmware to OpenBeken with tuya-cloudcutter, while retaining relay control, MQTT, Home Assistant discovery, and power metering support.

Direct answer

Yes — from what you described, this is a successful OpenBeken migration report for the Smart Ape WiFi power-meter plug.

The important points confirmed by your post are:

- OTA flash succeeded using

tuya-cloudcutter

- Device is based on BK7231T
- Tuya config was extracted from:
-

BK7231T_TuyaConfig_ape-72B.bin

- GPIO/template setup was successfully derived using:
-

BK7231GUIFlashTool-v50

- OpenBeken was configured with:
- Wi-Fi
- MQTT
- startup commands
- flags
- Home Assistant auto-discovery works
- Energy/statistics functions are active
- Therefore this device can be added to the list of confirmed OpenBeken-compatible Tuya-based smart plugs

Technical assessment of your configuration

Your configuration is sensible for a permanently powered smart plug.

1. Flags
You listed:

- Flag 2
- Flag 7
- Flag 10
- Flag 37
- Flag 51

The most practically relevant ones here are clearly:

- Flag 37 — fast Wi-Fi reconnect after reboot
- Flag 51 — useful together with static IP / fast reconnect logic

For a smart plug, this is a good choice because after a power interruption the device can rejoin Wi-Fi and MQTT faster, which improves Home Assistant reliability.

2. Startup value
You set:



That is typically used as restore previous relay state / keep prior logical state behavior.
For a power plug this is often the correct setting, but whether it is ideal depends on the application:

- for lamps or non-critical loads: restore last state is usually convenient
- for heaters, pumps, or unattended appliances: many users prefer forced OFF on boot for safety

So your setting is technically valid, but worth mentioning as a safety-related choice.

3. Ping watchdog
Disabled:



That is not inherently wrong. A disabled ping watchdog is acceptable if:

- Wi-Fi is stable
- router/AP is reliable
- MQTT reconnection already works correctly

If the plug ever becomes “connected but not really usable” after network glitches, then enabling watchdog recovery may help. But if the device is currently stable, leaving it disabled is fine.

4. Startup commands
You configured:



This is a good practical set.

Comments:
-

ntp_setServer pool.ntp.org

Valid choice for time sync.
-

startDriver NTP

Necessary if you want time-based statistics.
-

ntp_timeZoneOfs 13

Correct for NZDT periods, but note that New Zealand alternates between UTC+12 and UTC+13 depending on daylight saving time.
-

SetupEnergyStats 1 60 60

Reasonable for periodic energy statistics with limited flash wear.

Important correction regarding timezone

This is the main thing I would improve in your report.

You wrote:



That is correct only during New Zealand Daylight Time.
New Zealand uses:

- NZST = UTC+12
- NZDT = UTC+13

So if OpenBeken does not automatically handle DST rules on your setup, then a fixed offset of

13

will be wrong for part of the year.

Practical recommendation
If you only need approximate local display time, it may not matter much.

But if you care about:
- daily energy totals,
- time-based automations,
- accurate logs,

then verify whether your firmware/build supports:
- timezone rule handling, or
- only fixed offset.

If it is fixed-offset only, then you may need to change it seasonally:
-

12

in standard time
-

13

in daylight saving time

Power metering: likely working, but calibration is the next step

Because Home Assistant discovered the plug and you mention the power meter function, it sounds like the GPIO template for the metering IC is already correct.

However, successful detection is not the same as accurate calibration.

What should be checked
Verify that the following values are plausible:

- Voltage
- Current
- Power
- Energy accumulation

Best calibration method
Use a known resistive load, for example:

- incandescent lamp
- heater with stable power draw
- calibrated resistive appliance

Avoid calibrating with:
- phone chargers
- laptop PSUs
- LED lamps
- motor loads

because their power factor and nonlinear current draw can mislead calibration.

What to compare against
Use an external reference meter if available:

- true-RMS multimeter for mains voltage
- wattmeter / plug-in power analyzer
- known load power rating as a rough starting point

If readings are already close, then your extracted Tuya config likely carried over the correct metering assignments and perhaps suitable defaults.

Why your post is valuable

This report is useful because it confirms several things for future users:

Confirmed workflow
A likely repeatable workflow for this model is:

1. Flash with

tuya-cloudcutter

2. Extract/inspect Tuya config
3. Convert Tuya config into OpenBeken GPIO template
4. Apply Wi-Fi / MQTT / startup commands
5. Enable Home Assistant auto-discovery
6. Verify relay and power measurement
7. Calibrate metering if needed

Confirmed hardware family
This also suggests the Smart Ape unit is another Tuya/BK7231T rebrand, which is common for region-specific smart plugs sold under local brand names.

For New Zealand / AU market users, that information is especially helpful because many plugs are electrically similar but sold under different labels.

Recommended additions to your forum post

To make your success report even more useful, I would suggest adding these details if you have them:

1. Final GPIO/template mapping
For example:
- relay GPIO
- button GPIO
- LED GPIO
- metering pins / metering driver type

That is the single most valuable technical artifact for future users.

2. Metering chip type
If known, mention whether it is:
- BL0937
- CSE7759B
- HLW8012
- other

3. Whether calibration was needed
State one of:
- “power values were accurate without calibration”
- “voltage accurate, power needed correction”
- “full calibration required”

4. Boot behavior after mains restore
Very useful to note:
- restores last state?
- always OFF?
- reconnect time to Wi-Fi/MQTT?
- HA availability after outage?

5. Internal photos, if device is ever opened
Not necessary for OTA success, but valuable for:
- relay rating verification
- creepage/clearance inspection
- metering IC identification
- PSU design quality

Safety note

Because this is a mains-powered 240 V device, a few practical cautions are worth stating.

Electrical rating
A “10 A / 240 V” label does not automatically mean it should be run continuously at the full nominal load, especially if:
- the relay is low-cost,
- PCB copper is thin,
- enclosure ventilation is poor.

For long-term use, I would be conservative with:
- heaters
- kettles
- continuous high-power loads
- inductive loads

Good practice
For reliability, many users derate these plugs and keep them below the absolute nameplate maximum unless the internal construction has been inspected.

Suggested concise conclusion for the thread

You could summarize your result like this:

> Confirmed successful OTA flash of Smart Ape SA-SWPWPM smart plug using tuya-cloudcutter to OpenBeken. Device uses BK7231T, Tuya config extracted from

BK7231T_TuyaConfig_ape-72B.bin

, template generated with BK7231GUIFlashTool-v50, relay and power metering working, MQTT and Home Assistant auto-discovery successful.

Final summary

This is a valid and useful success report.
From the information provided, the conversion appears fully successful.

Main conclusions:
- OTA migration to OpenBeken: successful
- Device template extraction from Tuya config: successful
- HA integration: successful
- Power meter support: apparently working
- Remaining recommended step: verify/calibrate energy readings
- Small correction: timezone offset 13 is seasonal for New Zealand, not universal year-round

If you want, I can help you with one of the following next:

1. format this as a polished elektroda forum success post,
2. prepare a clean OpenBeken template/config summary for this exact plug, or
3. walk through metering calibration step by step.