"Close Sesame" doesn't work anymore

[TriLife]

Greetings;

 

I have this really nice cirdular wine cellar with a glass top, which responds to the Google Command, wait for it... "Open Sesame!" and it used to also respond to "Close Sesame".

Well, a few days/weeks ago, while it continues to let me get my wine, it refuses to close... ("sorry I don't understand" says google, even from the Home app, sans voice).

The glass trap door is driven by an DC linear actuator, which requires me to toggle +/-. I have a Plus Cellar and a Minus Cellar switch, from a Sonoff QUAD (the other two drive light and circulation fan).

And, I have a Program in ISY, called SESAME, which has no IFS. In the THEN section flips the switches to open the trap, waits 30secs and turns the switches off - and in the ELSE section closes the trap, waits a 30 secs and tursn the switches off (30 secs to give the actuator time to do its job). (it also turns the fan off and the lights on and vice versa)

I then have Google Home routines, OPEN SESAME, which issues the command TURN ON SESAME and the reciprocal CLOSE SESAME, which issues the command TURN OFF SESAME.

This CLOSE SESAME IS NOW BROKEN! It opens, but doesn't close. When I have the google routing turn off a switch to the same CLOSE SESAME, it works.

I tried renaming and deleting the program in ISY. No cigar. I tried refresh in the Portal, multiple Push to Googles, no dice.

It seems to be related to the fact that Im trying to control a program with Google Home, instead of a switch.

As I was playing with the SESAME program in the ISY Portal (Select Tool/Connectivity/Google Home), I noticed DEVICE WITH OPEN/CLOSE SYNTAX... This  lead me to:

The timing on this post and the failure of my system is close enough that I'm thinking this new functionality might be the cause of my torment.

Can you please shed some light on this new feature and maybe give me a hint on how I can reconfigure my program to work with this new OPE/CLOSE sytanx thingy?

Cheers;

Oh, and BTW, if I make a change in the ISY admin console, How do I push it to the ISY Protal, without logging off and logging on again? Thanks

[lilyoyo1]

12 hours ago, TriLife said:

Greetings;

 

I have this really nice cirdular wine cellar with a glass top, which responds to the Google Command, wait for it... "Open Sesame!" and it used to also respond to "Close Sesame".

Well, a few days/weeks ago, while it continues to let me get my wine, it refuses to close... ("sorry I don't understand" says google, even from the Home app, sans voice).

The glass trap door is driven by an DC linear actuator, which requires me to toggle +/-. I have a Plus Cellar and a Minus Cellar switch, from a Sonoff QUAD (the other two drive light and circulation fan).

And, I have a Program in ISY, called SESAME, which has no IFS. In the THEN section flips the switches to open the trap, waits 30secs and turns the switches off - and in the ELSE section closes the trap, waits a 30 secs and tursn the switches off (30 secs to give the actuator time to do its job). (it also turns the fan off and the lights on and vice versa)

I then have Google Home routines, OPEN SESAME, which issues the command TURN ON SESAME and the reciprocal CLOSE SESAME, which issues the command TURN OFF SESAME.

This CLOSE SESAME IS NOW BROKEN! It opens, but doesn't close. When I have the google routing turn off a switch to the same CLOSE SESAME, it works.

I tried renaming and deleting the program in ISY. No cigar. I tried refresh in the Portal, multiple Push to Googles, no dice.

It seems to be related to the fact that Im trying to control a program with Google Home, instead of a switch.

As I was playing with the SESAME program in the ISY Portal (Select Tool/Connectivity/Google Home), I noticed DEVICE WITH OPEN/CLOSE SYNTAX... This  lead me to:

The timing on this post and the failure of my system is close enough that I'm thinking this new functionality might be the cause of my torment.

Can you please shed some light on this new feature and maybe give me a hint on how I can reconfigure my program to work with this new OPE/CLOSE sytanx thingy?

Cheers;

Oh, and BTW, if I make a change in the ISY admin console, How do I push it to the ISY Protal, without logging off and logging on again? Thanks

Firmware and UI of your Isy

[Geddy]

@TriLife as lilyoyo1 points out it's always good to let us know what Firmware and UI you're using so those trying to help can troubleshoot efficiently. It also is a check for you (and those helping) to be sure that you're matching FW/UI versions so that you're not risking having other issues.

 

13 hours ago, TriLife said:

Oh, and BTW, if I make a change in the ISY admin console, How do I push it to the ISY Protal, without logging off and logging on again? Thanks

I'm not 100% sure about the Google home options, but figure it would be this...using the refresh and send spoken to Google processes.

 

On the ISY Portal -> Select Tool -> Connectivity -> Google Home

 

In there you have "Send spokens to Google Home" and "refresh" (buttons below).

 

1 - Make change in Admin Console

2 - hit "refresh" on ISY Portal website

3 - hit "send spoken to Google Home"

I would expect that if you make a change in Admin Console you then go to the ISY Portal (it's the web so you can be logged into both). 

One step I'm not sure about is how to get rid of old spoken commands already sent to Google Home.  Perhaps somebody with Google Home experience has a way to delete from the cloud settings. I know on the Alexa side there's a way to delete smart home entries through the app and/or through a website. Not sure if Google offers same operation. 

 

[MrBill]

14 hours ago, TriLife said:

And, I have a Program in ISY, called SESAME, which has no IFS. In the THEN section flips the switches to open the trap, waits 30secs and turns the switches off - and in the ELSE section closes the trap, waits a 30 secs and tursn the switches off (30 secs to give the actuator time to do its job). (it also turns the fan off and the lights on and vice versa)

What happens if you right click the program name and pick "Run Else"?

[TriLife]

1 hour ago, lilyoyo1 said:

Firmware and UI of your Isy

5.3.0

[TriLife]

52 minutes ago, Geddy said:

@TriLife as lilyoyo1 points out it's always good to let us know what Firmware and UI you're using so those trying to help can troubleshoot efficiently. It also is a check for you (and those helping) to be sure that you're matching FW/UI versions so that you're not risking having other issues.

 

I'm not 100% sure about the Google home options, but figure it would be this...using the refresh and send spoken to Google processes.

 

On the ISY Portal -> Select Tool -> Connectivity -> Google Home

 

In there you have "Send spokens to Google Home" and "refresh" (buttons below).

 

1 - Make change in Admin Console

2 - hit "refresh" on ISY Portal website

3 - hit "send spoken to Google Home"

I would expect that if you make a change in Admin Console you then go to the ISY Portal (it's the web so you can be logged into both). 

One step I'm not sure about is how to get rid of old spoken commands already sent to Google Home.  Perhaps somebody with Google Home experience has a way to delete from the cloud settings. I know on the Alexa side there's a way to delete smart home entries through the app and/or through a website. Not sure if Google offers same operation. 

 

Thanks!

Yes, the ISY is running 5.3.0. I upgraded it from 5.0.16C and did a bunch of work to get it all running again. Including opening and closing Sesame...

In order to delete old verbal commands, you hit the red X inside the Google home portion of the ISY Portal.

Indeed, it seems to be sufficient to do the Refresh in the ISY Portal to pass console updates to the portal.

Hasn't fixed my Close Sesame problem yet though...

 

Thanks

[TriLife]

33 minutes ago, MrBill said:

What happens if you right click the program name and pick "Run Else"?

Both RUN IF and RUN ELSE execute properly from within the Console

[MrBill]

6 minutes ago, TriLife said:

Both RUN IF and RUN ELSE execute properly from within the Console

so it's definitely a GH/Portal issue then.   I have Alexa and no GH's so I can't make more suggestions beyond documentation.  I'd try completely removing the close routine from GH, and the portal and then recreating it from scratch.

[TriLife]

3 minutes ago, MrBill said:

so it's definitely a GH/Portal issue then.   I have Alexa and no GH's so I can't make more suggestions beyond documentation.  I'd try completely removing the close routine from GH, and the portal and then recreating it from scratch.

Thanks Mr. Bill. I already tried that. It seems that it only refuses to do the Shut/Close command (TURN OFF Sesame) that refer to PROGRAMS in ISY. It has no problem executing a TURN OFF Garage Light.

Also, when in the Portal, I change the GH Category from SCENE to DEVICE WITH OPEN/CLOSE SYNTAX, Open Sesame command fails to respond as well...

[Geddy]

@TriLife I also don't have Google Home products so can't help further, but maybe others will come around and see your post to help.

I did see @GaryK4 recently had an issue that he went to the Google Home app and unlinked Universal Devices and reconnected it and seemed to get it to work. 

I think what you're saying for removing from Google is just removing it on the Portal isn't the same as what I (we) can do with Alexa. We can remove the actual device/program/scene from alexa.amazon.com and then have Alexa rediscover smart home devices.

In your case while some commands work it would be an option to unlink and re-link the skill (or whatever Google calls it) so that it might reset everything. I think others have commented on doing this in the past with Google as being the only way to really reset everything. I think others have said they used to have to do this often and that's why they ended up quit using the Google products.

Another tip might be - Have you attempted to copy (recreate) the program and add it with a different spoken command to see if Google can control the program if you use a different spoken? It could be that it's not understanding the phrase. (Unlikely, but throwing everything into the mix of "what if?")

 

[MrBill]

23 minutes ago, TriLife said:

Thanks Mr. Bill. I already tried that. It seems that it only refuses to do the Shut/Close command (TURN OFF Sesame) that refer to PROGRAMS in ISY. It has no problem executing a TURN OFF Garage Light.

Also, when in the Portal, I change the GH Category from SCENE to DEVICE WITH OPEN/CLOSE SYNTAX, Open Sesame command fails to respond as well...

You might want to open a ticket, support@universal-devices.com so that @bmercier can check the portal logs.  Be sure to specify your portal login and a date/time and timezone (specifying the time as UTC is likely the simplest.)

Edited October 7, 2021 by MrBill

[TriLife]

Here is the solution:

1- Write 2 separate programs in ISY, one for OPEN SESAME, the other for CLOSE SESAME

2- In the ISY PORTAL/GOOGLE HOME, add PROGRAMs OPEN SESAME and CLOSE SESAME as SCENES. Refresh and Upload to GH...

3- In your GH app, add a Routine, responding to "Open Sesame" Starter and as an Action, pick ADJUST SCENES (Open Sesame shows in the drop down). This, instead of TRY ADDING YOUR OWN ("Turn off Sesame")... Repeat for "Close Sesame".

This fixed the problem.

Thanks for everyone's quick response here.

 

[TriLife]

6 minutes ago, MrBill said:

You might want to open a ticket, support@universal-devices.com so that @bmercier can check the portal logs.  Be sure to specify your portal login and a date/time and timezone (specifying the time as UTC is likely the simplest.)

Thanks MrBill. The hangup seems to occur at GH. It didn't understand "Turn Off Sesame"... I have the solution now, albeit a bit cumbersome.

It would be great though, if @bmercier could explain how to use the new OPEN/CLOSE syntax... Will ping him at UD

[TriLife]

8 minutes ago, Geddy said:

@TriLife I also don't have Google Home products so can't help further, but maybe others will come around and see your post to help.

I did see @GaryK4 recently had an issue that he went to the Google Home app and unlinked Universal Devices and reconnected it and seemed to get it to work. 

I think what you're saying for removing from Google is just removing it on the Portal isn't the same as what I (we) can do with Alexa. We can remove the actual device/program/scene from alexa.amazon.com and then have Alexa rediscover smart home devices.

In your case while some commands work it would be an option to unlink and re-link the skill (or whatever Google calls it) so that it might reset everything. I think others have commented on doing this in the past with Google as being the only way to really reset everything. I think others have said they used to have to do this often and that's why they ended up quit using the Google products.

Another tip might be - Have you attempted to copy (recreate) the program and add it with a different spoken command to see if Google can control the program if you use a different spoken? It could be that it's not understanding the phrase. (Unlikely, but throwing everything into the mix of "what if?")

 

Thanks Geddy, I was heading in that direction, but decided to try an another approach (see above), which fixed the problem...

[Geddy]

7 minutes ago, TriLife said:

Thanks Geddy, I was heading in that direction, but decided to try an another approach (see above), which fixed the problem...

Glad you got it resolved! Seems like a neat function, and even more entertaining trigger word to show off to guests.

 

[TriLife]

22 minutes ago, Geddy said:

Glad you got it resolved! Seems like a neat function, and even more entertaining trigger word to show off to guests.

 

Yup, and getting lots of Oohs and Aahs too. Cheers.