How-To: Command A/V network receivers via Amazon Echo

[Mancavesupreme]

Hello, 

 

I wanted to start this thread as a place members can discuss the topic of integrating of their network A/V receivers with Amazon Echo. The forum link below is a great place to start, Props to Chaddodes who took time to figure out how to connect to communicate to Pioneer receivers via the networking module via ISY, RussD and other members have done some extensive research to find the commands needed to tap in the Denon receivers. The link below also has a link to a full list of Pioneer command!

 

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/6467-how-to-interface-isy-99i-with-pioneer-receiver/

 

Before getting started make sure you have:

 

1.) ISY-i994 with portal and network modules installed and connected to your Amazon Echo. It's a good idea to make sure you test the connection by asking Alexa to control a light switch. If your having any trouble with this step please visit the links below or the pinned topics under the Amazon Echo forum.

 

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/18015-amazon-echo-isy-step-by-step/

 

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/17861-amazon-echo-connected-home-feature/

 

 

2.) Connect to your receiver using the link below and test and confirm that you can at least increase, decrease your volume under the configure -> networking -> networking resources. Using the test button on the screen confirm that your A/V receiver is changing the volume.

 

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/6467-how-to-interface-isy-99i-with-pioneer-receiver/

 

 

3.) Here is where the fun begins, how to set up a program that can trigger a command on the receiver via Alexa.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Mancavesupreme

[Mancavesupreme]

So far I've confirmed that I can control the volume of my Pioneer SC-72 via the test button under the configuration -> networking tabs. I tried to set up a program but failed to have Alexa recognize it and execute it.

 

I can see my program pop up under the program tabs on the portal website and I gave it a simple name like Pioneer. When I ask Alexa to run Pioneer program in a variety of ways she seems to not understand. 

 

I guess maybe I should look in to my program and how I have that set up first. Any one have an idea on how I should setup a program that will increase the volume? I'm finding it difficult to use the if, then, else statements with this topic.

 

My goal from this is to be able to ask Alexa to run program "turn tv on" and have my pioneer kick on my multizone and select input to amazon tv. This will save me the trouble of using an app to turn on the receiver every time I want to watch tv on my living room tv while de-clutering things for my wife

Edited February 26, 2016 by Mancavesupreme

[KMan]

When I ask Alexa to run Pioneer program in a variety of ways she seems to not understand. 

 

Assuming you are using the ISY connected home (as opposed to the ISY skill):

 

"Alexa, turn Pioneer On" will run the "then" part of the program.

"Alexa, turn Pioneer Off" will run the "else" part of the program.

 

For the program:

 

Just put the required network resources in the "then" and "else" actions.  No need to put any conditions in the "if", just disable the program.

 

Unfortunately, to control volume, you cannot use terms like "volume", as echo interprets that to mean it's volume rather than another device's volume.

[Mancavesupreme]

Assuming you are using the ISY connected home (as opposed to the ISY skill):

 

"Alexa, turn Pioneer On" will run the "then" part of the program.

"Alexa, turn Pioneer Off" will run the "else" part of the program.

 

For the program:

 

Just put the required network resources in the "then" and "else" actions.  No need to put any conditions in the "if", just disable the program.

 

Unfortunately, to control volume, you cannot use terms like "volume", as echo interprets that to mean it's volume rather than another device's volume.

 

Actually I don't know what I'm using because during setup I connected via home connect and downloaded the UD skills too. Should I enable the UD skills?

[KMan]

Actually I don't know what I'm using because during setup I connected via home connect and downloaded the UD skills too. Should I enable the UD skills?

 

Advantage of the connected home:

  - Better accuracy

  - Simpler syntax (you are limited to on, off, set, dim, brighten and maybe a few other actions, but you don't have to say "Alexa, tell ISY to...")

 

Advantage of the skill:

  - More flexible syntax

 

Personally, I prefer the connected home.  I've tried the skill, and didn't have good luck with Alexa understanding "tell ISY" or "ask ISY".

 

For simplicity, I suggest working with the connected home first.  Once you get that working, you could switch to the skill if you like the syntax better.

 

You can have both enabled if you want.  It is the syntax which determines which Alexa uses ("ask ISY" or "tell ISY" or "open ISY" keys the echo to use the skill).  Anything else will go through the connected home.

 

Have you installed the ISY portal?  Have you connected the ISY through the connected home?  Have you discovered devices?

[Mancavesupreme]

Advantage of the connected home:

- Better accuracy

- Simpler syntax (you are limited to on, off, set, dim, brighten and maybe a few other actions, but you don't have to say "Alexa, tell ISY to...")

 

Advantage of the skill:

- More flexible syntax

 

Personally, I prefer the connected home. I've tried the skill, and didn't have good luck with Alexa understanding "tell ISY" or "ask ISY".

 

For simplicity, I suggest working with the connected home first. Once you get that working, you could switch to the skill if you like the syntax better.

 

You can have both enabled if you want. It is the syntax which determines which Alexa uses ("ask ISY" or "tell ISY" or "open ISY" keys the echo to use the skill). Anything else will go through the connected home.

 

Have you installed the ISY portal? Have you connected the ISY through the connected home? Have you discovered devices?

Yes, I've installed and confirmed I can control my Insteon light switches.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KMan]

Ah, you should be good to go with my instructions in post #3.

 

One other thing ... you need to go in to the ISY portal and give the program a spoken name.

 

There is a quirk in the ISY interface, in that when you first set it up, it queries the ISY for devices/scenes/programs and auto populates the spoken names.  If you add devices/programs/scenes after setup, you need to go into the portal and add a spoken name.  And then do discover devices again.

Edited February 26, 2016 by KMan

[Mancavesupreme]

Success!

 

By bypassing the if statement and just placing a then statement for my pioneer command I can now just simply say Alexa turn Pioneer on and that command will be executed! Now I will start to get more advanced and see if I can set up a program that will turn on my HDZone and Amazon fire tv input in one command.

 

Thanks KMan, that tip about doing a discover devices again probably saved me a whole weekend of trouble shoot.

[Mancavesupreme]

So I woke up this morning to try and figure things out on how to find and control my HDZone when I noticed my receiver is no longer connected to the internet. I had to do a soft reset to get things working again. It's done this once before after I initial communicated with it via ISY. I hope this is not going to be an on going issue.

 

Seems like the communication between my ISY and Pioneer is causing the receiver to soft reset when I turn it off after using it. This required me to use a remote to turn it in and not my app. This is annoying for me as my pioneer is in a remote location of the house and I rely heavily on the pioneer remote app to control it.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Mancavesupreme

[jerlands]

So I woke up this morning to try and figure things out on how to find and control my HDZone when I noticed my receiver is no longer connected to the internet. I had to do a soft reset to get things working again. It's done this once before after I initial communicated with it via ISY. I hope this is not going to be an on going issue.

 

Seems like the communication between my ISY and Pioneer is causing the receiver to soft reset when I turn it off after using it. This required me to use a remote to turn it in and not my app. This is annoying for me as my pioneer is in a remote location of the house and I rely heavily on the pioneer remote app to control it.

 

 

Sounds like you need to either give the receiver a static IP or reserve an IP address for it in the router.

 

 

Jon...

[Mancavesupreme]

Sounds like you need to either give the receiver a static IP or reserve an IP address for it in the router.

 

 

Jon...

Jerlands I think your right about the static IP. I just give the pioneer a static IP and asked Alexa to run a bunch of programs off the receiver. I'll wait to see what happens later tonight.

[Mancavesupreme]

Update:

 

Setting a static IP address didn't help with preventing a soft reset on the receiver which disables the network standby command.

 

Also I found the commands needed for a majority of Pioneer receivers, see link below:

 

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Support/Home-Entertainment-Custom-Install/RS-232+&+IP+Codes/A+V+Receivers

[jerlands]

Update:

 

Setting a static IP address didn't help with preventing a soft reset on the receiver which disables the network standby command.

 

Also I found the commands needed for a majority of Pioneer receivers, see link below:

 

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Support/Home-Entertainment-Custom-Install/RS-232+&+IP+Codes/A+V+Receivers

 

Ok.. I don't have Pioneer but appears network standby setting needs to be on but this doesn't seem to prevent the hangup.

 

I put all my electronics behind a filtered UPS and power conditioner but use an ON/OFF module after the UPS to power off all devices.  The ON/OFF module is blocked from powerline signals but RF only works fine. 

 

 

Jon...

[Mancavesupreme]

So with my new commands I set up a program called living room tv off the ISY. It basically turns my HDZone on and then selects my Amazon FireTv as my input. The ISY program has no If or Else statement just a then statement that goes like this:

 

Resource "Pioneerav.HDZoneOn'

Wait 5 seconds

Resource "Pioneerav.HDZoneAmazon"

 

I called this program living room tv on the Echo and Alexa has no problem recognizing it.

 

HINT******* I had trouble asking Alexa to run my program while my admin consul was open, just wouldn't execute the command. Once the AC was shut down Alexa performed flawlessly.

[jcarter5@gmail.com]

I have a Pioneer SC-77 amplifier/receiver that I would like to control via Google Home. In the first thread of this post the author links to the following:

 

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/6467-how-to-interface-isy-99i-with-pioneer-receiver/

 

The attached pioneer zip file in that post does not import into my isy v4.6.2.

 

I've been trying for hours to figure out how to get the network resources setup, just not smart enough to figure this out from scratch.

 

It would be amazing is anyone out there with a Pioneer Network Resource on v4.6.2 could provide an import file it would be greatly appreciated, I'm in over my head on this one.

 

thx