Amazon Echo to Domoticz Bridge: switches, sensors & more

[boudicca]

I appreciate, the work that must be going into this, I am fully aware that Amazon are not particularly interested in the Echo outside of the US nor the FireTV version. Have you chaps seen this. https://alexaweb.herokuapp.com/static/w ... l?next=%2F it works pretty well with signed in UK based amazon account but alas is limited but interesting never the less

[boudicca]

Some more news about Amazon Alexa Service running on a RaspberryPi

https://mypocketfluff.wordpress.com/201 ... on-an-rpi/

[skybehind]

So I was hoping someone else would post about this and elaborate, but since no one has, I guess it's up to me to log in and post, lol. Amazon came out with a "Smart Home Skill API". From what I gather, it's pretty much like the other Skills API, but it allows for one to say "Alexa, turn off the dining room light" instead of having to ask Alexa to tell something to do the action (e.g. "Alexa, tell Domoticz to turn off the dining room light").

https://developer.amazon.com/public/sol ... -skill-api

[BazsoDombiAndras]

That's great but it seems like a lot of work to port old implementations to new ones. I'd rather say "Alexa, ask the House to turn on the dining room light" instead of spending 100 hours of work to re-implement my skill the new way, just to be able to say "Alexa, turn on the dining room light". The least they could have done is stick with the Java example, if that's what they started with in the past...
But for people who start fresh and have to do a lot of work anyway, this is great.

[skybehind]

So the API is considerably different? I'm not a developer, the most I can do is hack together other people's code. Does seem like a lot of effort just to leave off a word or two in commands.

[BazsoDombiAndras]

Well, from what I saw, it's a different approach. While in the old approach you could host your code in your own LAN, now you have to get involved with AWS Lambda to write some adapter. They still support Java (which the old examples were written in), but the new examples are written in PHP, so it's harder to make the transition. But that's just the impression that I got after 10 minutes of browsing their example.

[superczar]

I am a little lost on this - I am comfortable with the command line but not a developer
The readme on github is a little sketchy about the installation details and dependencies
Would anyone be able to tell me the steps to get this running?

[Madgeni]

Hi
i've actually written a native Alexa Skill using the Smart Home Skill API, which i have working with my domoticz just fine.
However, i still have to work out how to make it universally available (the node.js i've written has my externally available domoticz hardcoded).
Once that's done, I will push for certification.

Currently it discovers all 'used' devices and scenes, and allows you to turn off/on/dim lights, and turn on/off scenes - e.g:
"alexa turn off kitchen lights" "alexa turn on the front room" "alexa turn on Top Bathroom Light"

[superczar]

ailable (the node.js i've written has my externally available domoticz hardcoded).
Once that's done, I will push for certification.

Currently it discovers all 'used' devices and scenes, and allows you to turn off/on/dim lights, and turn on/off scenes - e.g:
"alexa turn off kitchen lights" "alexa turn on the front room" "alexa turn on Top Bathroom Light"

Would you be able to publish the node.js code for the same here?
I have got the webservice to work but it is not exactly an easy task to handcode all the used devices

[Madgeni]

Hi -

i'd actually decided to do this - i'll get the files up to github over the weekend, with a blow by blow account of how to configure both the lambda and the smart skill, so everyone can have it

[superczar]

Hi -

i'd actually decided to do this - i'll get the files up to github over the weekend, with a blow by blow account of how to configure both the lambda and the smart skill, so everyone can have it

Thank you!
I got one skill (rather imaginatively called Jarvis ) up & running that is configured currently for a few scenes and harmony activities

Would love to have something more comprehensive but unfortunately don't have the necessary coding skills!
Would love to buy you a beer but I guess you are on another continent!

[Madgeni]

RIght!

Here we go, hopefully this all makes some sense

Go here: https://github.com/madgeni/alexa_domo/t ... llyworking

There's a word doc with some instructions, let me know how you get on.
I'm in the UK, and we've just voted to leave everything, so beer most welcome

[superczar]

RIght!

Here we go, hopefully this all makes some sense

Go here: https://github.com/madgeni/alexa_domo/t ... llyworking

There's a word doc with some instructions, let me know how you get on.
I'm in the UK, and we've just voted to leave everything, so beer most welcome

Thanks a ton for this
I have been able to configure most of it

However the lambda function testing returns an error stating "Unable to invoke the function because invoke parameters were not valid JSON."
I do not use a user name/password so my var api string in domapi.js looks like - Does that look right or is that the cause of the issue?

Code: Select all

var api = new Domoticz({protocol: "http", host: "xyz.no-ip.com", port: 80, username: "", password: ""});

On a side note, ROFL at the dummy OAUTH server privacy policy - "We are very private with our policy. Thank you."

[Madgeni]

Hi there - make sure you select Smart Home Skill API on the Skill Information page, rather than Custom Interaction Model.

The Smart Home Skill API takes care of the language piece, albeit more restrictively.

Give that a go, and see what happens.

[superczar]

Thanks again - I figured out the first part so that is taken care of

However the lambda function testing returns an error stating "Unable to invoke the function because invoke parameters were not valid JSON."
I do not use a user name/password so my var api string in domapi.js looks like - Does that look right or is that the cause of the issue?

Code: Select all

var api = new Domoticz({protocol: "http", host: "xyz.no-ip.com", port: 80, username: "", password: ""});

[Madgeni]

That looks fine - can you just double check you're pasting in only one of my example test payloads?

[Madgeni]

also, can you check the logs via CloudWatch? Should give you some idea of what i've done wrong

[superczar]

That looks fine - can you just double check you're pasting in only one of my example test payloads?

LOL, I feel like an idiot now !
You, my man, are a genius for figuring out the problem while I indulged in a blind copy-paste exercise

[Madgeni]

is it working?

[superczar]

The test worked - At work right now so can't test on the echo and the smarthome skill API does not allow for custom string testing
Hopefully should work though - will post an update once am home