barrygordon

Actually, According to BWS Systems, that field can contain either the deviceID or friendly name. I chose to use the friendly name but will change it to the deviceID to see if it helps.

I have just updated the AWS_Configuration system on my web site to version 4.0.10. This update is mostly bug fixes. If you had any errors or issues running on version in the 4.0.x series before 4.0.10 I strongly suggest that you upgrade to 4.0.10. If the errors are still there send me a log file (Aws_Config.log) If you do not have a Harmony hub do not use the ini file that is in the install package of version 4.0.10 as it turns on the Harmony hub logic. The Harmony hub logic is turned on the ini file by the presence of a section named "[Harmony Hub]" and the line items within that section. If you are sending me a log file (AWS_config.log) please ensure that the debug option is the system section says "All" (without the quotes). Barry

I need a copy of the AWS Config log (AWS_Config.log) located in the same directory as the executable aws_config.exe. Send it to me at my email address barry@the-gordons.net

I will look into the force close on the custom button. I need to remove the test on and test off for the harmony hub. I can only do that for custom and ISY entries. I will post here again when I figure out what is wrong. I can not help you with the restful harmony jar as all the configuration program does is set up the configuration. You should be able to test the restful harmony jar independently. Any RPi 2 kit should be good. I generally buy one with just the clear plastic case and possibly a copy of NOOBS which can also be downloaded from the raspberry pi org. Using NOOBS I select the Rapbian OS and configure it. I run the pi wired with DHCP and have my router reserve a static address. As soon as the OS is loaded be sure and do a sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get upgrade to get all the latest changes.

What versions of the three software systems are you running: The HA Bridge jar ? must be 0.4.9 or better The Restful-Harmony Jar? must be 0.1.4 or better the AWS_Configuration.exe ? must be 4.0.0 or better If you are running those versions and getting no errors in the AWS_Configuration system, Then please describe your configuration in detail and I will try and help you. Include what you are running the Java stuff on (What Java version) and what type of host (PC MAC RPi). If on a RPi then in a terminal do sudo ps -ef | grep Java to ensure that the emulators are running. You should see a line for Java and one for each emulator that is running. AWS_Config only runs on windows. and only needs to be running when you are configuring the bridges. The bridges must always be running 24/7 which is why a lot of us run them on RPi's.

It is an amazon limitation. To make the ECHO understand the speech they have to have it listening for a specific word known as the wake up word. Amazon only allows for two wake up words. Alexa or Amazon. To then allow for secondary skills to be developed Amazon decided to have "Alex, tell <skill Identifier> or Alexa, Ask, <skill identifier>. We are discussing the skill identifier here as we have no say regarding the wake up word. I have discussed with Amazon several alternate approaches but so far they have been intransigent on my suggestions. I would like to see an open wake up word so the user can pick it. I would then like to see a chain of skills and the user be able to order the chain. If a skill on the chain can process the speech, then it does so, if it can't it hands it off to the next skill in the chain. This scheme does require however excellent speech recognition, as it eliminates the "I didn't understand . . . " logic until the last skill in the chain is tried. So as with most things in the world, we live with what we have to work with.

A new user of the AWS_Config system has found a few bugs (non-Harmony related) so I have posted an update to the new version. The new version (4.0.x) completely replaces the old version and is fully compatible with the older version. The only user interface change required is the additional ini file lines if yoiu wish it to work with the Harmony Hub. As an aside, BWS Systems is just finishing up a new version of the HA Bridge which incorporates all of the code for the Restful-Harmony app so it will be all that is required. Naturally I will ensure that the configuration system works with it.

I believe someone had posted an utterance generator which takes a basic utterances and generates the other phrases which mean the same thing. I had just read about it last night. Saves a lot of time in building the detailed set of utterances which must include all the permutations of a phrase

I, although the author of the configuration tool, want to see what Michel et. al. produces as the ISY skill. The UDI team has produced an amazing product in the ISY994. I am just about to start moving my ISY to version 5. I understand that you need to move first to the latest ISY994 4.x version and then to version 5. I tried this before without that intermediate step and was unsuccessful Remember the leading edge of technology is the edge of an abyss, implying that technology is an abyss.

I have just placed a new version of the AWS_Configuration (version 4.0.0) program on my web site (www.the-gordons.net). It is a major revision and handles the Harmony Hub in addition to the ISY. It is configurable as to the inclusion of the Harmony Hub configuration capability, and the default is not to include it. If you do not have the Harmony Hub and are currently running a version of the Configuration system (AWS_CONFIG.com) I suggest you upgrade to version 4.0.0. Version 4.0.0 has changes to the user interface and better code handling. If you are going to use the Configuration system to handle the Harmony hub, then I strongly suggest you read the documentation included in the Install package. You will also need to be running the BWS Systems Restful Harmony application. I personally do not own a Harmony system as the ISY994 handles all my needs for Home Automation and I use Pronto PRO remotes for my theater and the various TV's around the house. The New version has been tested in an ISY994/Harmony Hub environment and appears to be working correctly. This means I can not be of much help in setting up the basic Harmony system with the Restful Harmony application, but there are several people who have posted here that are capable of assisting in that endeavor.

Again, Izzy (male) or Lizzy (Female) both sound as viable choices. Perhaps Amazon will allow the end user to choose the wake up name from a set of two as it does with Alexa. Perhaps this could be a choice within the skill always starting with Izzy but allowing a command to change the wake up word to either one.

Lizzy sounds reasonable

donhohn, It appears that you are running the original version of the Emulation system and the Mapper program. Most people have switched from that Emulation program to the one produced by BWS systems (available at bwssystems.com) and are using my AWS_Configuration program (available at the-gordons.net). The current BWS systems jar is 0.4.10. I am running 4 instances of JAR 0.4.10 on a raspberry Pi. The HA Bridge emulator handles about 44 devices per instance. The AWS configuration program is built for the BWS Systems emulator and not the original. It is basically a point and click for configuring the BWS Systems emulator as it reads the ISY configuration. This thread is loaded with information pertaining to that set of programs. I am not familiar with the older version of the emulator so I am cannot offer more assistance.

Donhohn, Did you set up a HA Bridge? That is the emulator of the HUE bridge. It actually is what receives the information as to what has been said, and if properly set up, will send it to the ISY. If you have an HA bridge running then its start command needs to specify the location of the ISY. Go to bwssystems.com for more information on setting up the HA Bridge, or read all 35 pages of this thread. I suggest you read this entire thread if you have not done so already. It will save you time and effort in the long run.

The ISY controls all lighting (Insteon switches and other Insteon modules generally of an on/off type, but also fans having 4 speed settings ) and two Z-Wave thermostats Control Phrases I would like to see: Turn On, Turn Off Turn Up, Turn Down, Dim, Dim to, Brighten, Brighten to, Shut, Shut Off, Open, Close, Set, What (as a query), Location words: Master, Guest, Pool, Lanai, Upstairs, Downstairs, Inside, Outside, Bedroom, Great Room, Kitchen, Family Room, Front, Rear, Side, Entrance, Garage. Combinations of two or more words should also be acceptable like 'Master Bedroom' Device words: Sprinkler(s), Irrigation, Thermostat, Fan, Door(s), Temperature, Humidity, Light(s), Lamp(s), Lock(s) Invocation Names: All of them are bad, I use Sarah for a skill I am playing with mainly because of the TV show Eureka. Amazon should allow a user to select their own wake up words. The style Amazon has chosen, <wake up word> <tell | ask>, <invocation name> , is IMHO, very cumbersome and hard to work with. I do not understand why you should need an invocation name, The HUE doesn't and other "Amazon Certified devices" do not. There should be a way to have a skill state it is the primary skill and when it does not understand what is said, pass off the spoken phrase to the native Alexa/Amazon skills included with the Echo. or have it the other way round. i.e. when the basic amazon skill does not recognize what is spoken, pass it off to a registered primary skill or chain of skills before giving up and asking for clarification. Hope this helps

pjt588, what UDI calls the portal charge is what I normally refer to the as a Skill charge. $50/biannually is not too bad.

I have not seen anything like what you are looking for. Get a 3U or 4U blank plate and mount the Pi's on the front in clear plastic cases. Get a pull out shelf for the rack and mount the Pi's on the horizontal surface so they slide into the rack. My Pi's are mounted on a wall in my server room where there is a lot of other "Glue" components including the ISY994. I have attached an image of the wall.

just google "set up a static address on Raspberry Pi" A typical search response is: http://thepihut.com/blogs/raspberry-pi-tutorials/16683276-how-to-setup-a-static-ip-address-on-your-raspberry-pi Almost all instructions use sudo nano to alter the internet configuration file. I run WINSCP on my windows machine and I log into the Pi as root. This allows me to use textpad on windows (The editor of my choice) to alter any file comfortably. IIRC you need to use a windows editor that understands the differences between windows and unix line endings, textpad does. I use a very sophisticated and inexpensive router in my home. it is made by Mikrotik. That router allows for DHCP reservations so when a DHCP request comes in from a specific MAC address it assigns the same IP, essentially giving the device a static address. The Mikrotik router cost me $49, has a 4 port switch that can be configured as separate VLANs, and more built in tools than I will ever need. I bought one for my grandson which cost $59 and included built in Wi-Fi with a 1000 mw radio. It covers his whole house from the basement. The router is in a 5x5x2 box that mounts on the wall or sits on a desk. You will normally find it being used by custom installers not DIYers merely because it is not well known in the DIY community.

The new Pi 2 is far superior to the original, so If you are going to buy a Pi get the model 2.

starmanj, I suspect that the upgrade to the RPi (sudo apt-get upgrade) probably did it. Whenever I startup a new RPi always do the upgrade so I pick up all the latest OS changes. Since that is ingrained in my processes I just assume everybody who sets up an RPi from scratch does that. When I say from scratch, what I mean is I start with the NOOBS software system from the rpi organization and select the Raspbian OS as the resident OS. I then do the upgrade. I also install tightvnc and normally I don't install Samba. With tightvnc I can control all the RPI's from my office and run the RPIs headless (no monitor, no keyboard). Instead of Samba I just run WINSCP (a free windows package) to provide me with a very nice GUI between Windows and the LINUX system on the RPi.

pjt588, I too am waiting for the official UDI solution. Today's solution is an integration of several programs: The emulator from bws systems and the configuration tool I developed specifically to help ISY users set up the bws systems hue emulator. I suspect that the UDI solution will be a singular solution which might even provide for better spoken phrases for Alexa to work with. Right now with the emulator we are limited to what a Philips Hue Hub understand since it is an emulation of that specific device. This makes it cumbersome to say things like "...adjust my bedroom thermostat to cool to 75 degrees". Lights do not understand things like adjust or cool. The only drawback (to some not all) IMHO is that UDI plans to use the cloud to provide the skill (Amazon speak for an Echo service). I prefer to keep things out of the cloud. I do realize however that every thing spoken to Alexa already goes to the cloud for speech recognition so maybe I am being a little overly concerned. Generally there is an extra charge to use a skill that is based in the Amazon cloud, but I do not know what the UDI plans are. I doubt if they will be eating that cost but who knows. I wrote my own skill which is based on an endpoint on my LAN, I just have not populated that endpoint with all the utterances (Amazon speak for a spoken phrase to be recognized) I will eventually want as I do have other home automation systems and a home theater that is not under the control of the ISY. My skill currently can turn on my SPA, control the waterfall feature of my pool and start the Theater system.

bwssystems, Glad to see you here! Barry Gordon

Cmacnichol, You were correct, the word doc had a typo. The log file shows the following after the printout of the ini file: ********************************** End of the Ini File *********************************** PnP UsingPnP The uPnP search was unable to find a UDI ISY device. Please Check Connections Declared Emulator at address 192.168.2.11:8080, Name=Bridge1 PnP System located 1 Emulator at adress 192.168.2.11 *********************************************************************************************** The line that says: PnP UsingPnP The uPnP search was unable to find a UDI ISY device. Please Check Connections is understandable because of the bad location item (. instead of . If that has been connected, a uPnP search should not be attempted for the ISY. It should now state: "PnP A UDI ISY994 was declared to be at location " + ISY_IP + ":" + ISY_Port, "", True you stated that the log file did not change. If the log file did not change then the Location line item was not properly read. Please send a copy of the log file that corresponds to the run of config with the location line correct. You should modify your ini file in the following manner: Remove any line that has a single quote in column 1. The single quote makes what follows a comment Remove the line "Show Scene Folders = True" as that is the default condition and there is no longer a "false" option. I have a version of the program witgh more debugging, but I want to see the new log file first. Thanks

Cmacnichol, I will double check the word doc, if it states there is a period between the ip and port it is a typo, it should be a colon. I assume the ISY admin console is working fine. Send me an email at barry@the-gordons.net. I will send you a copy of config with additional debugging by return email in order to try and pinpoint your problem. If upnp search is not working I suspect you have a network issue although with the location specified there should not be a search taking place unless the IP address or port specified for your ISY is incorrect

Starmanj, You are correct, wired is the better solution. Does your router have the wifi radio built in or do you use separate wired WAPS (wireless access point)? There is definitely strange going on with your network.