Getting ISY to talk through Alexa

[slimypizza]

I have ISY programs and Alexa routines to open, close, and open part-way (for pets), my garage door on verbal commands using an Insteon 74551.  Works great.  I want to add a verbal announcement from Alexa to say "Garage door is already Closed" or "Garage door is already Open" if the wrong verbal command is given by mistake.   And I can think of other times/routines I’d want Alexa to provide verbal feedback based on ISY status.  I can’t seem to find any examples of ISY programs and associated Alexa routines that provide for custom verbal responses based on ISY IF/THEN/ELSE programming.   Somehow I’m missing that.  If someone has an example of how to accomplish this I’d appreciate it.  Thank you!

[lilyoyo1]

Alexa isn't that smart. Not yet anyway. The most you could do is ask Alexa for the status prior to issuing the command you want

[larryllix]

ISY can be the "smarts" as I suspected you are asking about.

With the ISY Portal any state variable can be made to simulate a motion  sensor of contact sensor device to Alexa. The Alexa app (not the weboste version) has routines than can basically trigger anything on your Alexa app, using anything on your Alexa app, these both include custom vocal phrases.

 

Vocal-------->Alexa------->ISY Portal------>ISY------->ISY makes decision-------->ISY Portal converts stateVar to MS------->Alexa Routine vocalises,"Do it yourself"

[jgcharlotte]

 

Building on larryllix response above, what I do is set flags using state variables, then use the flags to trigger certain messages using the motion sensor/routine method..

• garage door is open > set state variable 'door open' to 1
• garage door is closed > set state variable 'door open' to 0
• you always know whether the door is open or closed by the value of 'door open'
• Then you can compare the verbal command/action taken to the 'door open' flag to see if it is valid and trigger the appropriate message.

I think that would work, if I understand what you're trying to do.

I do kind of the same thing with a bathroom heater.  I have an open/close sensor on the bathroom door.  If the door is open, the heater doesn't heat up the bathroom too well (it is upstairs, we usually turn on the heater from downstairs)

• 'Alexa turn on the bathroom heater'
• If the door is closed, she replies 'the bathroom heater is on'
• If the door is open, she replies 'the bathroom heater is on, but the bathroom door is open'.  Then somebody needs to run up and close the door.
• I also set a flag high when either of those 2 messages is played that disables any more until the heater has been turned off and then on again.  This prevents messages from being played every time the door is opened while the heater is on.

Hope this helps!

Edited January 23, 2020 by jgcharlotte

[larryllix]

1 hour ago, jgcharlotte said:

 

Building on larryllix response above, what I do is set flags using state variables, then use the flags to trigger certain messages using the motion sensor/routine method..

• garage door is open > set state variable 'door open' to 1
• garage door is closed > set state variable 'door open' to 0
• you always know whether the door is open or closed by the value of 'door open'
• Then you can compare the verbal command/action taken to the 'door open' flag to see if it is valid and trigger the appropriate message.

I think that would work, if I understand what you're trying to do.

I do kind of the same thing with a bathroom heater.  I have an open/close sensor on the bathroom door.  If the door is open, the heater doesn't heat up the bathroom too well (it is upstairs, we usually turn on the heater from downstairs)

• 'Alexa turn on the bathroom heater'
• If the door is closed, she replies 'the bathroom heater is on'
• If the door is open, she replies 'the bathroom heater is on, but the bathroom door is open'.  Then somebody needs to run up and close the door.
• I also set a flag high when either of those 2 messages is played that disables any more until the heater has been turned off and then on again.  This prevents messages from being played every time the door is opened while the heater is on.

Hope this helps!

Now I want another Tab/bank of variable types. I use $cML.GREEN  for program constants and now $sayDoorIsOpen style for vocal triggers! I need more categorisation for programming when I page through 500 variables to find the one I want.

Edited January 23, 2020 by larryllix

[DrLumen]

Is it possible to get a status directly from Alexa? When I ask if the Lava Lamp is on, I get a "device does not support this" type of message from Alexa. Am I missing something or is that kind of message truly not supported?

[jgcharlotte]

14 hours ago, larryllix said:

Now I want another Tab/bank of variable types. I use $cML.GREEN  for program constants and now $sayDoorIsOpen style for vocal triggers! I need more categorisation for programming when I page through 500 variables to find the one I want.

It is a pain, and I don't have close to 500!  I make the first part of the variable name something constant for the variable use.  At least that way they are grouped together when sorted by name.  Fortunately, the variable names can be fairly long.

Edited January 24, 2020 by jgcharlotte

[larryllix]

20 hours ago, DrLumen said:

Is it possible to get a status directly from Alexa? When I ask if the Lava Lamp is on, I get a "device does not support this" type of message from Alexa. Am I missing something or is that kind of message truly not supported?

I don't use that much so I am very familiar with it but try a different syntax like.

Alexa...what is the status of XXXXXX. I think 'On' my be reserved for controls.

[asbril]

On 1/23/2020 at 11:35 AM, lilyoyo1 said:

Alexa isn't that smart. Not yet anyway. The most you could do is ask Alexa for the status prior to issuing the command you want

Thanks for the tip..... I just tried this on Google Home and GH does indeed respond to question like "OK Google is office fan on or off ?".  I am happy to report that GH confirmed that Office Fan was off ?

Edited January 24, 2020 by asbril

[jgcharlotte]

1 hour ago, larryllix said:

I don't use that much so I am very familiar with it but try a different syntax like.

Alexa...what is the status of XXXXXX. I think 'On' my be reserved for controls.

Hmmm, when I asked her for the status of a certain device, she responded 'that's not supported yet.

You can get the current temperature from thermostats, though.

[larryllix]

6 hours ago, jgcharlotte said:

Hmmm, when I asked her for the status of a certain device, she responded 'that's not supported yet.

You can get the current temperature from thermostats, though.

I get the temperature from my CAO tags but that is a skill I loaded and not ISY involvement. This seems to have changed. I don't get a wanted status report now, either.

[slimypizza]

On 1/23/2020 at 3:47 PM, larryllix said:

ISY can be the "smarts" as I suspected you are asking about.

With the ISY Portal any state variable can be made to simulate a motion  sensor of contact sensor device to Alexa. The Alexa app (not the weboste version) has routines than can basically trigger anything on your Alexa app, using anything on your Alexa app, these both include custom vocal phrases.

 

Vocal-------->Alexa------->ISY Portal------>ISY------->ISY makes decision-------->ISY Portal converts stateVar to MS------->Alexa Routine vocalises,"Do it yourself"

Thank you.  I understand the flow but its the part of ISY Portal MS stateVAR ----> Alexa vocal that I'm not getting.  Will keep at it.  Not really necessary, just a cool thing to have Alexa do (talk based on ISY status that is) so I hope to get this running.

[larryllix]

17 minutes ago, slimypizza said:

Thank you.  I understand the flow but its the part of ISY Portal MS stateVAR ----> Alexa vocal that I'm not getting.  Will keep at it.  Not really necessary, just a cool thing to have Alexa do (talk based on ISY status that is) so I hope to get this running.

Here!

 

[slimypizza]

5 hours ago, larryllix said:

Here!

 

AH!  Thank you !!

[asbril]

1 hour ago, slimypizza said:

AH!  Thank you !!

 

6 hours ago, larryllix said:

Here!

 

Will Alexa broadcast  "dryer stopped"  on the event occurring, or do you have to ask Alexa a question ?

[jgcharlotte]

When the event occurs, she does not need to be queried. 

There is a different method for notifications, where she has to be queried, and that works very well for that use.  It uses Network Resources.

 

[larryllix]

3 hours ago, asbril said:

 

Will Alexa broadcast  "dryer stopped"  on the event occurring, or do you have to ask Alexa a question ?

No input from human required.

There is three ways to make this happen...Can't remember the syntax but IIRC you can announce to all speakers, announce to selected speakers or to only one speaker. If you have a lot of speakers you don't want to select them all because they have slight delays and the echo effect can make it hard to understand.

Please note in my screen shot....."dryer stopped" is not the vocal that comes out of the speakers. This is only the same field used for other applications so Benoit used it. Inside the Alexa routines you select "dryer stopped" as a device and assign actions to do whatever you want when it comes in. I have multiple announcements for some event as it gives another ding or long pause between the sentences then. Delay can be done or HA controls between vocals also.

Edited January 27, 2020 by larryllix

[asbril]

9 minutes ago, larryllix said:

No input from human required.

There is three ways to make this happen...Can't remember the syntax but IIRC you can announce to all speakers, announce to selected speakers or to only one speaker. If you have a lot of speakers you don't want to select them all because they have slight delays and the echo effect can make it hard to understand.

Please note in my screen shot....."dryer stopped" is not the vocal that comes out of the speakers. This is only the same field used for other applications so Benoit used it. Inside the Alexa routines you select "dryer stopped" as a device and assign actions to do whatever you want when it comes in. I have multiple announcements for some event as it gives another ding or long pause between the sentences then. Delay can be done or HA controls between vocals also.

Thanks larryllix, but this sounds way too complicated for my simple mind

[larryllix]

9 minutes ago, asbril said:

Thanks larryllix, but this sounds way too complicated for my simple mind

Nahhh! I would think GH has about the same thing and the process would be the same. Look at my flow diagram above and one step at a time.

Perhaps somebody that has done this on GH speakers could help out here. I have a few but haven't opened their app for a year. Anytime I try to use a GH it says it needs mre information to be entered in the app. The app indicates nothing. Probably just GH playing their latest security game again. .

[asbril]

5 minutes ago, larryllix said:

Nahhh! I would think GH has about the same thing and the process would be the same. Look at my flow diagram above and one step at a time.

Perhaps somebody that has done this on GH speakers could help out here. I have a few but haven't opened their app for a year. Anytime I try to use a GH it says it needs mre information to be entered in the app. The app indicates nothing. Probably just GH playing their latest security game again. .

Believe it or not, I actually ordered an Alexa dot 3rd generation in exchange for some United miles that I had left..  I read somewhere that Alexa and GH can have interesting conversations with each other?. This being said, I basically did not understand much of what you said on Alexa notices.

In my home I am considered a geek, but in this forum I am a novice.

[larryllix]

8 minutes ago, asbril said:

Believe it or not, I actually ordered an Alexa dot 3rd generation in exchange for some United miles that I had left..  I read somewhere that Alexa and GH can have interesting conversations with each other?. This being said, I basically did not understand much of what you said on Alexa notices.

In my home I am considered a geek, but in this forum I am a novice.

Wife gave me two Amazon Echo 3s and a Amazon 8" Show for my birthday this week. The Echo 3s are very muted bassy and very hard to understand, compared to the Echo 1 and 2s. They seem to hear better over TV noise though. The speakers sound like they are down a long tube, trying to make them bassy, but it ruined the sound which a hollow effect. There are tone controls but I think they only work for music, which I do not use.

The Amazon 8" Show is even worse for sound. I need to take the packing tape off the speakers maybe?  

[asbril]

1 minute ago, larryllix said:

I need to take the packing tape off the speakers maybe?

That could be helpful......

[DrLumen]

The dots are really bassy too. I have them set with the bass ~off and the treble to full but still not good.

[larryllix]

41 minutes ago, DrLumen said:

The dots are really bassy too. I have them set with the bass ~off and the treble to full but still not good.

I don't think the tonal controls affect the sound of speech, but only music.

[TexMike]

I also use both and recently implemented a kludgy way to get Alexa to turn guard off since it can't be done in a routine. I have Alexa say "hey google repeat after me alexa guard off" as part of my arriving home program. Not elegant, but it works.

@asbril see this wiki on setting up Alexa says, it's not that difficult once you get the hang of it. https://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY_Portal_Amazon_Echo_Integration_V3 I haven't found a similar way to get Google home to make announcements which is one of the reasons I continue to use both.