0
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Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc

 
0
Votes

Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc

Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
2024-12-10 17:57:17 - last edited 3 weeks ago
Model: Tapo P110  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.3.1

When I bought my first Tapo P110, for a while they reported power in what appeared to be 0.2W increments.  Nice.  The four I tested worked well to discriminate between low and very low powers.

For me this was massively better than they are now, after a so called "upgrade".

 

Now they just state <1W, 1W, 2W, 3W...

 

This annoys me everytime I look at one in standby, or running a very low power load.  How could Tapo downgrade my plugs like this?

I know the plugs have more resolution, I want to see it please, warts (if any) and all.  Yes, I know there is an energy cost to turning on the P110 to monitor very small loads.  And yes, I know there must be a quarter of a watt or consumed by the P110 relay when ON.  Simply give us a choice whether the device includes that in its reported power/energy, or not... 

#1
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8 Reply
Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
3 weeks ago

  @bbstrikesagain 

 

The minimum power measurement supported by the plug's power monitoring function has always been 1W, and it does not support decimal points. If the power is below 1W, it will display as <1W.

 

The smallest unit of energy measurement is 0.001 kWh (1W).

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#2
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Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
3 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago

  @Wayne-TP I'm sorry, but that is quite simply not true!

My first P110 reported standby power leveles with fine 0.2W increments, 0.2W, 0.4W, 0.6W, 0.8W.  IIRC it's range of reporting values sometimes reported 1.1 W, so I suspected the increments may have been increasing as power increased.  Certainly, at normal, higher, power loads it reported only integer Watts.

I know this absolutely, because I used my first P110 to measure the relay-ON power consumption of my subsequent TP100 units, stacking 1 to 4 of them.  I noted the powers, compared the P110 readings with a dedicated power/energy meter.  The P110 was within 0.1W of the power meter.  The relay power consumption of the P100, when ON, appeared to be about 0.25 W.  I concluded this was a reasonble overhead, even for operating 2-4W LED table lamps.

 

Based on those tests, yes, my original P110 absolutely definitely did have finer power reporting increments, as-supplied.

 

I think maybe my next purchases were the same, but certainly at some later stage this feature has been depracated from them all by firmware updates.

 

All my P110 report the same Hardware Version 1.0 (wheras all the P100 are Hardsware Versionl 2.0) so presumably all my P110 have the same hardware, and all are/were therefore capable of performing as the original had in fact done. 

 

I have acquired a few Tapo smart plugs:


2022-04-12: 1 pk P110 from Currys
2022-04-14: 2 pk P100 from Amazon

2022-12-07: 4 pk P110 from BT Shop

2023-01-05: 1 pk P110 from BT Shop

2023-01-08: 4 pk P110 from Amazon

2024-12-07: 4 pk P110 from Amazon

 

Of the 22 Tapo P110/P100 I own and use, that accounts for 14x P110 and 2x P100, but I actually have 8x P100 - I suspect another 2pk and 4pk were bought from a local supermarket, so no email trail on those units.

 

It galled that a really useful feature was depracated without warning or user choices, and that now none of my 14x Tapo P110 perform as well, in this particular respect, as the very first one did when purchased.

 

It galls even more that you now choose to make false statements about it.

 

Please look into this issue, discover when and why the reported power resolution was reduced by firmware update, and investigate restoring the full capability to the P110.

#3
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Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
2 weeks ago

  @bbstrikesagain 

 

Do you have the data file or any relevant screenshots in the Tapo app? From what I have learned, the power data has been always this way, no update has been applied. And I found a data file downloaded in 2022 in my personal email, which shows that the minimum power is 1W, with no decimal points.

 

Were you using the Tapo plug through other unofficial channels such as Home Assistant?

Landscape Mode - Tapo App for PadShare Your Pet Story. Win Free Tapo Care!Smart Action 2.0 Explore and meet the next level home automation.
#4
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Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
2 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago

  @Wayne-TP 

 

No sorry, no screen shots.  I didn't realise back then that TP-Link would later delete the feature, but back on that original P110 I enjoyed it on multiple occasions, as mentioned, checking P100 standby powers, LED lamp powers.  Minimum resolution was absolutely 0.2W at the bottom end.  I was slightly disappinted it wasn't 0.1W, but in a 3kW meter I was happy enough with the compromise.

I've never had any other smart plugs either, only Tapo, because once you have Tapo and are (were) locked into the app, it would have been a pain to add other brands and have to use multiple apps.

 

Just take a look at the hardware design - it will be obvious the resolution is available.  Then take a look at the code - there will be a rounding procedure and a change of reporting from measured power to "<1W" - trace the code back to before (f/w) or when (app) my April 2022 purchase was made, and you'll have your answer.

 

As these things only report in the Tapo app, I have no idea whether the accuracy was depracated in the P110 firmware, or in the Android app.  All I know is that higher resolution low power reporting was there, was taken away, and I miss it...

#5
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Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
2 weeks ago

  @Wayne-TP 


Couldn't find a screenshot from my original stacked tests, but I found one from coffee machine from my old phone, thank you cloud back up, and captured another, spot the difference:

 

Screenshot_20220504-222711_Tapo.jpg Screenshot_20241220_091710_Tapo.jpg
Screenshot_20220504-222711_Tapo.jpg Screenshot_20241220_091710_Tapo.jpg

 

At some point, real reporting of lowest powers, was depracated to a way less useful "<1W".

I can even see a possible reason for the change.  Knowing that the plug is using 0.25W or so just to keep the relay ON, someone may have thought it confusing or misleading to report only the measured appliance power.  But reporting <1W fudged the issue in a clumsy way.  Nearly a watt?  Nearly zero standby?  Less than 0.2W appliance (plus < 0.3W plug)? 

#6
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Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
2 weeks ago

  @bbstrikesagain 

 

The picture on the left is from another model that does not support Tapo new energy monitoring feature. You can see that its function card design is slightly different from the one on the right.

Landscape Mode - Tapo App for PadShare Your Pet Story. Win Free Tapo Care!Smart Action 2.0 Explore and meet the next level home automation.
#7
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Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
2 weeks ago

  @Wayne-TP 


"The picture on the left is from another model..."

 

FFS no, it is not another model!!!  I can't tell if you're just being ridiculous, overly cursory, or deliberately mendacious and attempting to gaslight.

 

The picture on the left is from the same P110 unit as the the picture on the right.  The screen shots are a couple of years apart, that's all.

 

The screenshots are different because:

  • TP-link evolved the Android Tapo app (not necessarily all for the better)
  • I evolved my plug naming, adding a bar chart emoji in the naming of my P110s, and adding the coffee cup emoji to this one
  • I upgraded my phone and set dark mode wherever possible
  • I revised the coffee machine's schedule

 

The screenshots are similar in that:

  • They both present "Energy usage"
  • Clearly the then-versions of the app recognised that the unit supported energy monitoring

 

Therefore it's clear the screen shot can relate to a P110, but not a P100.

 

I have only two different Tapo models in my household, presently they are:

  14x   P110   Hardware Version 1.0   Software Version 1.3.1 Build 240621 Re. 162048

    8x   P100   Hardware Version 2.0   Software Version 1.2.5 Build 240411 Re. 143808


The Android Tapo app I use is presently version 3.8.115

At no point in the past 32 months have I ever seen any "Energy Usage" displayed for a P100, presumably because Energy Usage and power monitoring has only ever been available on, and displayed for, those models that support it, for example the P110.  As you can see, as of 4th May 2022, Energy Usage was clearly supported, clearly reported, and clearly reported with provision for fractional watt resolution - in this case showing 0.0W.

As it happens I do remember notifications about the so called "New Energy Monitoring" feature.  A bit of a grand title for a bunch of minor revisions in the app.  As I recall, the 0.2W resolution was deprecated some time before that update was announced.

 


Please stop the diversions and look into the issue: when and why was fractional watt reporting deprecated, and can it be restored?


 

#8
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Re:Restore reporting of the original resolution of the energy monitors in the P110, e.g. 0.2W, 0.4W etc
a week ago

  @bbstrikesagain 

 

Sorry i got confused because your picture is very similar to the app interface of the other models, as you can see below. Will double-check this feature with relevant team.

Landscape Mode - Tapo App for PadShare Your Pet Story. Win Free Tapo Care!Smart Action 2.0 Explore and meet the next level home automation.
#9
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