Exploring ESPHome on WB3S Wi-Fi Module with Beken BK7231T Microcontroller
Recently I published a new video diving into the Tuya WB3S Wi-Fi module, a compact and mysterious module built around the Beken BK7231T microcontroller. The WB3S offers 15 GPIOs (including 6x PWM, 2x UART, and 1x ADC), and what makes it especially interesting for makers is that it shares the same pin layout as the AI-Thinker ESP-12 modules with ESP8266 microcontroller. That means it can fit into many existing ESP-12-based designs with minimal effort.
For the video I designed an open-source WB3S breakout board for breadboard prototyping. The PCB was created with KiCad, and the full design files are available on GitHub:
I also demonstrated how to build and flash ESPHome firmware on the WB3S. ESPHome is an open-source system that lets you create custom firmware for smart home devices using simple YAML configuration files. It integrates seamlessly with Home Assistant and supports a wide range of microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators. ESPHome support for BK7231T is based on the open-source LibreTiny PlatformIO environment, which lets you use a familiar ESPHome workflow on this non-ESP microcontroller.
The example configuration used in the video is available here.
Note: replace "SSID" and "PASSWORD" with your Wi-Fi credentials.
If you are curious about alternative Wi-Fi modules, open-source hardware, or bringing ESPHome to the BK7231T platform, this video walks through everything step-by-step. Enjoy and feel free to explore, remix, and build on the breakout board design!
