Using open/close with network commands

[BigRic]

Good evening all,

 

I deployed a 3-port network connected relay that's wired across the terminals of each garage door switch. With Alexa, I can say "turn on garage door 1" and it runs the network script to do a momentary "press" of the switch. It's the same command (open) to run it again, basically closing the door. Has anyone found a way to create an alias like "open" or "close" to be the same as "turn on"? It would be much more natural (I do it all the time to no avail)? Looking for ideas...

 

Thanks,

BigRic

[DonM]

Something to consider - add a open/close detector switch on the door.  The 'Alexa open' command could be directed to a program that would only activate the button command if the switch indicated that the door was closed.  Likewise direct the 'Alexa close' command to a program that would activate the button command if the switch indicated that the door was open.

 

Don

[drprm1]

Use Alexa Routines.

 

Make two routines. one "open and one "closed". Make each call for the same action...

[BigRic]

Thanks DonM - That's next on my plan, but I first wanted to make sure the relays would work with the buttons (I've heard that many had problems getting this to work). I don't think I've used "routines" before, so thanks DRPRM1 for that comment. I will look into how that works later today! 

[DonM]

Building on drprm1 comments here is how one proposed solution might look:

 

 

Create 2 state variables S_open_cmd and S_close_cmd (for example).

 

Create routines of 'Alexa, open door 1' and 'Alexa, close door 1', which turn on the open and close state variables, respectively.

 

Assuming that you have a position switch on door 1 which indicates if is open (and is called Door_1_open), create 2 programs in ISY is the following form:

 

If S_open_cmd is true and Door_1_open is false then

Set the relay output true,

wait x seconds

set the relay output false

set S_open_cmd false

 

If S_close_cmd is true and Door_1_open is true then

Set the relay output true,

wait x seconds

set the relay output false

set S_close_cmd false

 

Don't forget to declare the state variables as lights in the portal to make sure that will work in a routine.

(I hope the above solution will actually work)

 

Don

[BigRic]

Just an update on this topic and thanks again to those who responded.  For some reason, the Alexa "routines" do not allow for controlling the relay device I'm using via the ISY (ISY basically sends basic commands via tcp with commands specific to each of the three ports). It seems that these network devices are not yet supported (I'm assuming it might be on the ISY side and how it presents devices to Alexa via the app integration). Just updated to v3 of the ISY app but still no luck. Guess I'll have to sit tight on this one for now...

[Goose66]

You can choose how the program/device/whatever is presented to the Alexa skill in the portal. Ultimately, you are going to want the network resources to be called in programs if you are going to implement a sensor to control the open/close aspect. Go ahead and create the programs in the ISY and then categorize them to the Alexa skill as "device/light" or "device/switch". Now you can put them in Alexa groups and routines.

[BigRic]

You can choose how the program/device/whatever is presented to the Alexa skill in the portal. Ultimately, you are going to want the network resources to be called in programs if you are going to implement a sensor to control the open/close aspect. Go ahead and create the programs in the ISY and then categorize them to the Alexa skill as "device/light" or "device/switch". Now you can put them in Alexa groups and routines.

Thanks for the feedback. Can you guide me a bit on how to change how a program is presented? When I go into my.isy.io to add a mapping to Alexa, the garage door programs only show under the "program" tab; meaning I can't add them to the devices tab. In the amazon portal, the only option I have for those items (listed as "program") is to "forget' them. Is there something further back on the ISY that I need to change? Thanks in advance!

 

Edit: Looks like the phone is slightly different than the web version of the portal.  On the web, the device shows "program" as part of the description - looks like it's automatically appended by the ISY/Alexa link.  On the phone, when you open a device it shows the type as "other" with the same "program" as part of the description. Does not appear to be editable.

[Goose66]

You don’t have an “Alexa Category” pulldown in the dialog that comes up when click the Add Program tab?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[BigRic]

You don’t have an “Alexa Category” pulldown in the dialog that comes up when click the Add Program tab?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

That was it! Thanks so much for the help... I wasn't paying attention to that button in the middle of the device screen. Changed it to "Switch", rescanned devices and added 7 new routines (2x3 doors + 1 for all doors). Very cool...