Alexa Routines, what am I missing

[apostolakisl]

Trying to trigger an Alexa routine from an Insteon switch in ISY.  I have a bunch of devices and some variables on ISY exposed to Alexa.  They show up and I can control them from Alexa, even set variables.  However, when I try to create a routine, they do not show up as options to trigger the routine (the When section).  They do show up as things I can take action on in the "Alexa will" section.  I can set a variable in ISY from an Alexa routine or turn on a light switch.  I have lots of stuff show up in the "When" but nothing in there is from ISY.  Within the "when" section , I am clicking on "smarthome" and find all the things that are linked to Alexa from other plugins, but nothing in there from the ISY plugin.

In short, I can send commands to ISY nodes from Alexa using a routine, but I can not use an ISY event to trigger a routine.

So, what am I missing here?

@bmercier

[tazman]

When you add a variable in the portal set it as a motion sensor then you can use it to trigger routines with Alexa.

[apostolakisl]

Thanks, does that mean I need to have it in twice if I want to both use it as a trigger and as something to take action on?

@tazman

[tazman]

18 minutes ago, apostolakisl said:

Thanks, does that mean I need to have it in twice if I want to both use it as a trigger and as something to take action on?

@tazman

I'm not sure on that one I only use it to trigger the routine you might want to use a different variable to trigger something on the ISY end or else it could turn in to a loop back and forth between the 2.

[apostolakisl]

I'm trying to use a variable to sync a fan.  It is looking like I need to make a separate item on ud portal as a motion sensor for each speed of each fan.  It looks like the "motion sensor" as a variable only sense "motion" when the variable is set to one particular value.

Sure wish there was a node for my fans in ISY.

[tazman]

25 minutes ago, apostolakisl said:

I'm trying to use a variable to sync a fan.  It is looking like I need to make a separate item on ud portal as a motion sensor for each speed of each fan.  It looks like the "motion sensor" as a variable only sense "motion" when the variable is set to one particular value.

Sure wish there was a node for my fans in ISY.

I think it would be best to have a variable for each speed and one for off then you can name then within ISY to be able to track what they do. Maybe if Matter ever really happens things will get easier.

[bmercier]

On 6/21/2025 at 7:56 PM, tazman said:

I think it would be best to have a variable for each speed and one for off then you can name then within ISY to be able to track what they do. Maybe if Matter ever really happens things will get easier.

Just so you know, you don't need a variable per speeds. 

You can have a single variable, but several "spokens" created on UD Portal. You can map multiple spokens to the same variable. The trick is to use a different "Turn on value" for each. This will give you a variable which number represents the speed it is set to.

[bmercier]

@apostolakisl 
Fans are very tricky to support with Alexa. Some may have 3 and others 4 speeds. Plus, when setting the value, each speed have their own thresholds. (Example, 25+ is med, 50+ is med/high, 75+ is high... etc)

Regardless, Fan support is implemented in portal, but it may or may not work with your fan. Add the device, and set the Alexa Category to "Fan". If it works for your fan, then it's great. Otherwise variables is the way to go.

Insteon fans should work, and at least one ZWave fan that I know of - can't recall the model.

 

[apostolakisl]

3 hours ago, bmercier said:

@apostolakisl 
Fans are very tricky to support with Alexa. Some may have 3 and others 4 speeds. Plus, when setting the value, each speed have their own thresholds. (Example, 25+ is med, 50+ is med/high, 75+ is high... etc)

Regardless, Fan support is implemented in portal, but it may or may not work with your fan. Add the device, and set the Alexa Category to "Fan". If it works for your fan, then it's great. Otherwise variables is the way to go.

Insteon fans should work, and at least one ZWave fan that I know of - can't recall the model.

 

This fan uses a tuya controller.  It has its own app and it links to Alexa for full control through Alexa.  It has 6 speeds, but I am happy to simplify that to 0,2,4,6.  Or in other words, off, low, med, high.  I am using a keypad link to control it.  I have full control of it using network resources from ISY sent to Alexa and that is working fine.  But, I would like ISY to know the status of the fan if it is set from the handheld remote it came with.  Alexa sees the fan speed settings when set by the remote and I was able to have Alexa set a variable to 0,2,4,6 on ISY.  So, I can do it this way, but I would rather streamline this to get rid of the webhooks and have it all synchronize via the variable.

Life would be easier if someone wrote a Tuya node.  I believe they have a public api.  Tuya.com  I wish I had the time to learn how to write nodes, but I just can't take on another hobby.

[apostolakisl]

This is not fully working like I had hoped.  Alexa can fully control the fan and can recognize what state the fan is in from the fan controller screen.  However, when using the fan status as a trigger in a routine, there is only "on" and "off".  So I can't synchronize back to ISY the current state of the fan aside from "off" and "on", or in other, speed zero, and some speed that isn't zero.  So I guess I am left with just telling ISY that the fan is on high when Alexa reports "on".