deCONZ OTA update bricked several smart plugs (Tuya based?)

deCONZ General Support
1

After updating to deCONZ v2.33.2 I checked out the OTA update feature after consolidating Zigbee OTA Updates and GitHub - dresden-elektronik/deconz-ota-plugin: Server side implementation of the standard Zigbee OTA protocol. · GitHub.

Good experience:

  • Philips Hue based smart plugs worked without any issue
  • IKEA Tradfri remote worked without any issue (besided the fact it took 100 minutes for the update to upload)
  • One Aqara light bulb seems to have been updated, but firmware/version information is completely unchanged

All other smart plugs which seem to be Tuya based usually don’t finish: after 100 % upload they don’t switch to “Done” but to “Queued” and retry the update process until one aborts it.

For two such devices the update worked:

  1. BlitzWolf BW-SHP13 (_TZ3000_g5xawfcq, TS0121) with 0x00000041 (v1.0.1) updating to 0x00000041 (v?)
  2. Lidl SilverCrest Smart Plug EU (_TZ3000_j1v25l17, TS011F) with 0x00000044 (v1.0.4) updating to 0x00000046 (v1.0.4)

After the update plus many minutes of waiting, I discovered

  • the plugs got switched off
  • they can not be switched on again, neither remotely nor by using the physical buttons, the relais is completely dead
  • but they can be paired and are reachable via ZigBee

So in general they are bricked. Waste of electronics. The bad thing is: after the BW-SHP13 got bricked, I replaced that smart plug by the Lidl SilverCrest one - completely new, never used, just unpacked. After pairing I thought well give it a try and updated it too. Well. What a waste of time and money.

No idea why deCONZ updates break certain rather likely Tuya based smart plugs. But I’ll return to my “If it ain’t broken, never ever update ZigBee devices using deCONZ” philosophy for now.

Likely related:

2

Are they also not switching by clicking their button?

3

Yes. As mentioned in the original post.

5

It seems more like there is no one who can tell someone if it is safe to update certain ZigBee devices or if updating bricks them.

Personal lesson learned: never ever use that feature again for any other devices than Philips and IKEA, which worked rather flawlessly.

Everything else is a pretty huge risk.

6

It’s odd indeed. Because a device will only accept a update if it suits them.

Seems that this is just another tuya flaw.

7

…which did not uncover during beta testing (how long are OTA updates available meanwhile?) -.-

8

Long time I haven’t checked but to make an OTA a device ask for

  • Image type
  • File version
  • Manufacturer code

So if the file version is better, and both other values are good, the OTA can start. The procedure don’t ask for model ID or Manufacture name.

For Tuya as they are making so much clone of clone of clone, more chance you have the same image type for 2 different device, and as a lot use the same manufacture number …

Lidl SilverCrest device are made only for the lidl gateway or they are officialy supported on the tuya gateway ?

9

This isn’t the fault of deconz.

Deconz provides the update to the device. The device accepts it or not.

10

No idea. I never used Tuya. I trusted that OTA updates using deCONZ are reliable and just couldn’t imagine they kill my hardware. Period.

11

Good thing they didn’t :wink:

12

What? I don’t understand your comment.

13

Deconz didn’t brick your devices.

Deconz asks the device if the file you want to give it is correct. If the device says its good, it loads it.

Your device is to blame, not deconz.

14

Well, in the end those affected plugs are electronic waste now. If I hadn’t used the OTA feature, I would have saved a few hours of me replacing them and you here. Somehow I expected such issues pop up during a long beta testing phase.

So what are you planning to do with this report now?

Any adjustments to the OTA update feature?

At least leaving a warning note in the docs section, mentioning that certain Tuya based devices might end up broken by performing an update?

That would be the minimum level of transparency, help other users to think twice when they make their decision „advantages and risks of updating ZigBee devices“ and potentially reduce future further issue reports like this or the other one I referenced in the OP.

I don’t like the social media big tech approach I read between the lines here („we are only providing the platform, the tool - what users do with it and what might result of using it, is out of our control, we have no responsibility at all“).

15

To be honest? Nothing. Especially because you ask so nicely :wink: You act very entitled and have been told before what to expect. deCONZ has no responsibility. The software is not sold and mostly run by the community. You know that. That being said: Feel free to adjust the docs yourself. OTA Image Types Firmware versions · dresden-elektronik/deconz-rest-plugin Wiki · GitHub or GitHub - dresden-elektronik/deconz-ota-plugin: Server side implementation of the standard Zigbee OTA protocol. · GitHub

I’m locking this topic, as you are only here to blame anything but yourself.