Amazon Echo and ISY

[kck]

Barry,

Noticed that you had a new update (5.0.50) which I assumed was for scene spoken names so I installed that.  Scene spoken names seem to work fine.  Minor (I think) item is that you had been categorizing the device type as a "Scene" in the earlier version but not it looks like you just leave that field blank.  Fine with me unless that is important for some internal reason but I thought I'd point it out.  Also, when installing the new version over the old one you don't seem to have the file dates right.  The new .exe file (which presumably you generated today) installs on my system with a date of 11/8/2015 which causes the installer to think its an older version.  There are some older version of dlls in your package for which keeping the up to date ones seems the right answer but clearly you want the new exe so you have to look carefully at the various installer messages to make sure you get the right files kept/replaced.

 

By the way, after a reboot of Win10 your package is again finding my bridges via Upnp.  This wasn't the first reboot in my saga though so not sure why it fixed things this time.  For the moment the Echo and your program both seem to find the bridges correctly and I have the RPi back on the WLAN.  Fingers crossed.

 

Thanks again,

 

Kevin

[barrygordon]

Good catch on the scene device type.  I inadvertently pulled a line of code. I will be posting a new version tomorrow. That version will restore the scene device type and clean up the logging of Harmony communications. 

 

to "install" a new version of the exe you do not need to run a full install. Open the zip archive and grab the .cab file. A .cab file is really a zip archive with the extension changed.  Change the extension from .cab to .zip and open that archive. In the archive is the AWS_config.exe file.  Just place that file in the AWS_Config folder replacing the old version.  Adjust your ini file if the new version requires it. 

[rossarmstrong]

@barrygordon

 

I've finally been able to overcome my rc.local not executing the commands. It was a round about fix for me so it may not work for others. I simply put the commands from the sample rc.local file into a new script file I created called startup.sh and then called that single file in the rc.local. I still think my problem relates to having intially configured my RPi and following the "how to post" here while logged in as the user pi and not root.

 

Anyway after getting things up and running successfully with your program, I went to add Harmony capability and noticed BWS released a new ha-bridge1.2.2.

 

After updating that file, your AWS_config popped up a "This version of the program will not run with this version of the HA Bridge emulator."  (I was running your version 5.0.50 at the time)

 

So I changed back to v1.2.1 which was working just fine. But your program still pops up the same warning. Today I updated to your 5.0.57 and still get the same warning.

 

Any suggestions? Overall, I've been really impressed with how easy it was for me, a non-programming noob, to use your program and how well it works. Many thanks for sharing and supporting! 

[barrygordon]

Thanks for the note.  I will look at that tomorrow.  You can use HA Bridge version 1.1.0 until I see what is going on.  That version was the last one known to work properly

[benbennett]

Commands for doors/locks. Use open/shut command prefix.

 

 

"Alexa open the front door " (un-locks the front door)

"Alexa shut the front door " (locks the front door)

 

Might want a fcode word  for the front door for security. 

You wouldn't want an intruder to just yell through a window to open your front door. 

 

I have an active GSD security system so I am not too worried about it. 

 

 

[benbennett]

Easier dimming command structure, also works for thermostats.

 

"Alexa set the "DEVICE NAME" to 30" 

"Alexa set the "DEVICE NAME" to 50" 

 

You do not need the percent  suffix or the dim prefix. 

[benbennett]

The Amazon system (Alexa/Echo) has a specific vocabulary. Watch is not a legal verb. Generally since we are emulating a HUE Hub which only controls lights you are limited in the Alexa vocabulary to 'Turn on', 'Turn off'.  A synonym for 'Turn off' is 'Shut the'.

 

To dim a light the correct utterance is

'Alexa dim the <friendlyname> to <XX> percent'   e.g. 'Alexa dim the office lights to 50 percent'.  Set does not work as a command.

where XX is a number between 1 and 99. 

 

Hope that helps

 

The set command works for all my z-wave and insteon dimmers. Also works for scenes. 

The only thing i have is the friendly name ends in " Light " or " LIghts"

But I just removed the LIght from one of them and it still work.

 

Rest command suffixs

z-wave devices  cmd/DON/${intensity.percent} 

insteon dimmers cmd/DON/${intensity.byte} 

 

For scenes use the type suffix for the majority of the devices in the scene. 

(the minority device type won't dim correctly) 

[barrygordon]

BenBennett,

 

Thanks.  This works for me also (for my lights).  I am sure this did not work a while ago.  Amazon must have cleaned up the cloud processing for Alexa as that is where the speech recognition work is done.

[MWareman]

Commands for doors/locks. Use open/shut command prefix.

 

 

"Alexa open the front door " (un-locks the front door)

"Alexa shut the front door " (locks the front door)

 

Might want a fcode word for the front door for security.

You wouldn't want an intruder to just yell through a window to open your front door.

 

I have an active GSD security system so I am not too worried about it.

I have a lock command as part of my 'Alexa, send goodnight' program that is sent via the Maker channel. Not at all comfortable having any way to unlock the door via Alexa.... even with an alarm system. I just won't do it!

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello everyone,

 

Amazon has changed the Connected Home certification process (not the Skill) and most probably have changed how you communicate with Echo. As of right now, they require us to send devices to NAC to do certification! And, it will cost $$$. A little disappointing but I guess it was inevitable. On the skill side, we are almost there!

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[Big517]

Thank you for the update!

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[blueman2]

Wow, I guess Amazon is still working out their strategy and operations for the Echo.  Things seem to change almost weekly with them.  But I cut them some slack for at least moving fast and from my experience, responding to customers' needs. 

 

So what does this mean for us?  More time, or perhaps in increase in annual costs, or both?  I am assuming this is around being able to list ISY in the Connected Home section of the Echo app just like Hue, Insteon Hub, and others are currently listed.  

[barrygordon]

Michel,

 

I am sure all of us "user/developers" understand what you are going through. 

 

In the long run I am sure it will be worth the wait

 

Barry

[gregf]

"Amazon, when will you make an end?"

Search movie quotes if you aren't familiar with this one.

 

It's more than disappointing that they change the game midstream.

I can see why they would want a unit to test for certification, but...

Hopefully the skill will come soon.

 

Update much appreciated.

God grant me patience,  and I want it NOW!

[mjohnson007]

^{Thanks for the update...}

^{I think it is funny how they approve Hue, HomeSeer, LIFX and other and yet a more superior product like ISY and they all of the sudden change the process}

^{Sad so so sad...seems almost like a marketing ploy....}

^{Thanks for all the great work thus far}

[barrygordon]

Re what BlueMan2 commented "... I am assuming this is around being able to list ISY in the Connected Home section of the Echo app just like Hue, Insteon Hub, and others are currently listed.

 

The ones listed in the connected home section do not seem to need the name of a skill when speaking to the Echo. That would be nice but I don't think that will happen.

 

What I would like to see Amazon do is allow a string of Skills to be stated in some order and and try them without using a skill name until one of them satisfies the utterance/intent. That could be in addition to having a named skill with the extra ".. tell <named skill> to . . . 

 

Just my $0.02

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi blueman2,

 

This means:

1. Once the skill is certified, you can use the skill (Alexa tell Izzy to x)

2. Have to wait for certification from NAC for the connected home which allows you to do simple things without invoking Izzy

 

Not much else. Quite disappointing.

 

With kind regards,
Michel​

[barrygordon]

Michel,

 

Are you implying that once the skill is done and NAC certification is complete, that for simple ISY requests (e.g. turn lights on/off/dim) the command will be direct Alexa as in Alexa Turn off . . . 

while for more complex things like programs, scenes Climate control, Fan control, etc we will just have to use the Izzy skill?

 

That would be the best of all worlds.

 

Barry

[MWareman]

Disappointing to be sure. I hope the certification process is a swift one...

[barrygordon]

I have posted a new version of the HA Bridge configuration system (AWS_Config) on my web site.  This version should work with all versions of the HA Bridge with regard to control of a Harmony hub/device. It has had limited testing as I do not own any Harmony devices/systems. 

 

Any feedback appreciated.

 

Barry

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi barrygordon,

 

Skill certification is mutually exclusive with Connected Home. So we may have the skill certified and working while waiting for NAC.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[barrygordon]

Hi Michel,

 

I obviously was not clear in what I asked. I understand the two certifications as I am a registered Amazon developer.

 

My question is related to when all the certifications are complete, including NAC for the Connected Home, Will we be able to deal with the ISY directly through Alexa without invoking the IZZY skill, at least for those kinds of things available with the Phillips HUE system ((lights on/off/dim). 

 

Thanks,

 

Barry

[kck]

Different question for folks running this config/bridge system.  Any ideas on eas(ier) ways to deal with changing the ISY password info?  At the moment all I can think of is deleting everything from the bridges and recreating it all which is certainly doable with the excellent tool Barry created but annoying nonetheless.  Issue is that every URL in the bridge has the username/password baked in.  In retrospect it would have probably been nice to have had the bridge have a substitutable string for the authentication.  Having those user/password urls flying around regularly on the network actually ups the need to periodically think about resetting them.  Every time the Echo turns a light on the password goes up on the WLAN in the clear.

[barrygordon]

Pull the Devicexx.db file off of the pi.  It is a text file in JSON format.  Put it on a windows machine  and using a text editor  (I use textpad) edit the file.  Do find/replace of the userid and the password. Replace the file on the pi and reboot it.  In theory that will do it. If you are linux savy you can do it all on the pi, or just use winscp.

 

Remember "In theory, theory and practice are very close, in practice, theory and practice may not be"  so save a copy of the data base file first..

[kck]

Hadn't realized that was a text file - that should work fine.  Thanks!