Use eisy to control Alexa devices connected to Alexa, not Eisy.

[TheA2Z]

Since eisy is not ready yet for matter, I want to install two Matter thread shades to an Amazon Echo 4th gen.  It has Matter and Thread capability and acts as a thread border router.

I know you can use Alexa with eisy to turn on lights for devices connected to EISY, but can I write a program in Eisy to control shades installed into Alexa?

If not, the only hubs with Thread border routers are Apple Home (Home Pod), Smartthings station or the Aeotec smartthing hub, and the Google Home Nest hubs.  Would any of these hubs allow me to have my Eisy control the shades connected to those hubs.

If the answer is no, I may just need to go with a Smartthings station and not have it integrated with Eisy.  Then when Eisy gets Matter working switch the shades back.

[tazman]

You can have some control of Allexa devices from Eisy. You can expose a variable to Alexa as a motion sensor and there is the Virtual node server that you can create virtual switches to use in Alexa. You can also create Routine in Alexa where anything exposed to Alexa from Eisy can control Alexa devices.

[TheA2Z]

2 minutes ago, tazman said:

You can have some control of Allexa devices from Eisy. You can expose a variable to Alexa as a motion sensor and there is the Virtual node server that you can create virtual switches to use in Alexa. You can also create Routine in Alexa where anything exposed to Alexa from Eisy can control Alexa devices.

@tazman So you are saying there are two options I could use to control Alexa connected devices with the Eisy?

The first requires a virtual nod server?  Which PG3 node server is that?

On the second option, I create an Alexa routine to control the Alexa connected shade, then I can use Eisy program to open and close shade connected to Alexa?

Bit of a noob on Alexa so just verifying.  Thanks

[tazman]

As far as I know you have to use a control device/program/variable from Eisy exposed to Alexa with a Routine in Alexa or multiple Routines depending on how much control you want over the device in Alexa. The Virtual node server is the actual name of it. 

https://github.com/UniversalDevicesInc-PG3/Virtual/blob/master/README.md

[Geddy]

@TheA2Z you could also review this post if it gives any tips/tricks. Seems to be similar to what you're wanting to do and how @tazman describes involving Routines. I've never explored this path so don't know if this post is still relevant or not, but know many referenced it in the past. 

 

[TheA2Z]

Thanks @tazman@Geddy  This looks like it will do what I need.

I just need the Matter and Thread based router functionality.  Narrowed down to Smartthings station and Echo 4th gen.  I dont see an easy way to connect smartthings station to Eisy, unless you know of one.  If not Ill just go with the echo.

 

Then when Eisy is working with Matter Thread, I'll move the shades over to the Eisy.

 

 

[dbwarner5]

Its actually pretty easy.. Here is an example where I have the ISY control an Amazon light in my garage:

1) create a variable in ISY: mine is called Garage_light_yellow

2) go to your portal and create an Alexa spoken by selecting: Select Tools / Connectivity / Amazon Echo as shown below

3) Next, create a new Spoken and select type Variable. You should see your variable in the drop down list, and select it. Since I dont want Alexa to ever actually recognize the spoken, I make the spoken a bit of gibberish. Then you can select the variable value you want for that spoken.  Below is my example.

4) after saving the above, go to Alexa and ask it to "discover new devices". It should come back with one new device found after a 30-60 second delay. 

5) In the Alexa app, set up a routine that looks for this motion  as the trigger for your shades. It will look something like this.

6) write your ISY program to change the variable to a 1 when you want that routine to trigger and then back to zero for the next triggering event. Here is mine for this simple example.

Garage Party light yellow Summer - [ID 036E][Parent 0207]

If
        $Garage_Party is 1
    And $Season is 3
    And (
             'Garage Door Middle' Door State is Open
          Or 'Garage Door North' Door State is Open
          Or 'Garage Door South' Door State is Open
        )
 
Then
        $Garage_light_yellow  = 1
        Wait  15 seconds
        $Garage_light_yellow  = 0

 

Feel free to reach out via DM if you having issues. This is the most simplest form of using ISY to trigger Alexa routines. For shades you may want to use the following syntax instead of a motion sensor as you can have more control of using different variables values in ISY to have alexa run different routines.

I dont have any shades so I have never used this feature.

 

 

 

Good luck