Node Red nodes for Google Home

[FireWizard]

Dear all,

As I experienced recently the same as some other users at: https://www.domoticz.com/forum/viewtopi ... =4&t=32515 I have been looking for some projects and to improve existing solutions.

I am aware, that the topic below is not exclusively applicable for Domoticz, but also can be used with other systems, such as Home Assistant, OpenHAB, etc. However many Domoticz users use Node Red (with MQTT) to push messages to and from Domoticz and therefore I like to share this information.

We know that we have different solutions for connecting our devices to Google Home/Assistant.

1. Controlicz
2. Dzga
3. Nora node in Node Red
4. Homebridge-Edomoticz with Google plugin

That looks enough but I found two (!) other solutions to connect Node Red directly to Google Assistant.

1. Google Home
See: https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red ... googlehome

You can install it in Node Red.
I installed the extra package, which is not needed now.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install libavahi-compat-libdnssd-dev

You have to make an account as described under "Configuration".

I installed this node "node-red-contrib-googlehome" in two different Node Red instances.
During installation both presented (different) errors, but both are functioning and will give you 2 new nodes + 1 configuration node.

Screenshot_Google_Home_lib.png (5.18 KiB) Viewed 3771 times

I have not tested the functionality yet, but you are able to create devices and they are presented in Node Red.

2. See: https://docs.cb-net.co.uk/en/development/

The installation is described in detail at this site and in your Google Home app you will find a, rather new, Node Red device.
Also here you have to register and do not mix up both registration.

As you have the nodes installed you will see three new ones (and a configuration).

Screenshot_Alexa_lib.png (6.83 KiB) Viewed 3771 times

I was quite confused, as at a certain stage it was unclear "who was who"

The second solution seems to be a fork of the first one.
See: https://github.com/hardillb/node-red-co ... /issues/20

In the screenshot, you can see, that it is a fork, as it still shows Alexa, but it is functioning for both Alexa and Google Home.

I have not been able to test the one or the other, so I cannot tell you, if there are advantages over the previous mentioned solutions.
Of course I will continue to play with both and see the results.
If anyone want to give it a try, please report results or issues.

Best regards.

[EddyG]

Nice. I do not know enough about "Homebridge-Edomoticz with Google plugin" but the others and the new ones require external subscription or a login account. Only DZGA does not need that, so that's my favorite.
I will look into the one's you describe and see if they have extra features.

[FireWizard]

Hi,
@EddyG

Looking forward to your findings.

You said that DZGA does not require a login account.
It uses Google Actions, and to set up Actions you need some kind of Login.
Everything with Google in front of it, requires a login, mostly linked at your Google account.

The two applications require that you fill in a username with a self chosen password.
That is not different then accessing your mailbox and make sense.

Regards

[EddyG]

Yes, that's right, but it is the same Google with whom you already share your live with. It is not a third party.
The parties that require a login are kind of middle man, so they potentially can see all traffic.
Beside those third party's you also have Google, so in my opinion Google alone is enough.
If I could without Google then I would, but then I should never have the Google Home and Mini's.
I had Controlicz, but that's paid. So when DZGA came along, I made the switch.
But like I wrote, I look into it, just for learning.

[FireWizard]

HI,
@EddyG

I fully agree, but as you use a self chosen name and password (and nothing more) it is not so privacy sensitive.
The first one asks also for email address, but as the developer said, only for resetting the password.
I have used that already

Remember, both applications are still under development.

As you are using Google Home a question is: Do you use a thermostat with Google Home?

Regards

[EddyG]

I only use 3 pce of "EUROtronic EUR_SPIRITZ Wall Radiator Thermostat+"
Those can be controlled by Google Home, but I do it for 99 % by dzVents.
But I can control those Radiator Thermostats.
The rest of the house heating is programmed on an other controller.

What I mean is that traffic is going thru a third party. First, I do not like that. Second if the third party is broken/down, it does not work any more.
That is why I use my own reverse proxy, own VPN, own mailserver, etc....

[FireWizard]

Hi

@EddyG

You wrote:

I only use 3 pce of "EUROtronic EUR_SPIRITZ Wall Radiator Thermostat+"
Those can be controlled by Google Home, but I do it for 99 % by dzVents.
But I can control those Radiator Thermostats.
The rest of the house heating is programmed on an other controller.

The background of the question was that Google Assistant seems not to able the handle a thermostat in "auto" mode.
But your Radiator thermostats will not support something like that.

What I mean is that traffic is going thru a third party. First, I do not like that. Second if the third party is broken/down, it does not work any more.
That is why I use my own reverse proxy, own VPN, own mailserver, etc....

I agree, I have also my own mail-server, web-server, ftp server, vpn etc. All under own control.
Of course a party may break and that is why I also look for alternatives

But thanks for the reaction. I thought it would be useful to share the information on this forum.

Regards

[DewGew]

The background of the question was that Google Assistant seems not to able the handle a thermostat in "auto" mode.
But your Radiator thermostats will not support something like that.

Auto is automated mode. Handled by the thermostat (or script) Google Assistant thermostat handles what mode you are using.

[FireWizard]

Hi,

@DewGew

You wrote:

Auto is automated mode.

I know. According to Google it is:

auto If the device supports an "automatic" mode where the temperature is set based on a schedule, learned behavior, AI, or some other related mechanism.

You wrote also:

Handled by the thermostat (or script) Google Assistant thermostat handles what mode you are using.

I disagree, that you can use any mode, you like.

Example.
My thermostat has 3 modes, "Auto", "Day" and "Night".
See RC35 at: https://emsesp.github.io/docs/#/Thermos ... 5-vs-RC300

If you look at: https://developers.google.com/assistant ... uresetting
The supported modes are: off, heat, cool, on, heatcool, auto, fan-only, purifier, eco and dry.

As you see: no Day and No Night.

So you have to make a kind of conversion.
The only that you could use is "auto". And there comes a problem.
If you use auto, you will see in the Google Home app as mode "Other" and in the Google Home Hub, you see "Unsupported Mode".
A search on the Internet shows that I'm not the only one and therefore my question.

See also: https://www.domoticz.com/forum/viewtopi ... &start=100 at page 6
and https://github.com/andrei-tatar/node-re ... /issues/65

Look also at balloob post of April 3rd at: https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/30009

That was the background of my question.

But perhaps you have other experiences or a workaround.

Regards

[DewGew]

So you have to make a kind of conversion.
The only that you could use is "auto". And there comes a problem.
If you use auto, you will see in the Google Home app as mode "Other" and in the Google Home Hub, you see "Unsupported Mode".
A search on the Internet shows that I'm not the only one and therefore my question.

Problem is the touch controls for Google Assistant is lower priority than the voice commands. (well, it is a voice assistant ). You still get the "Auto" mode if you ask Google Assistant what mode the thermostat is set to.

[FireWizard]

Hi,

@DewGew

Problem is the touch controls for Google Assistant is lower priority than the voice commands. (well, it is a voice assistant ). You still get the "Auto" mode if you ask Google Assistant what mode the thermostat is set to.

Probably you are right, but for this mode also the voice part is acting strange. I did not ask for the mode, but if I ask:"Ok Google. what is the indoor temperature", I get as an answer the values of the "set-point" and not the temperature."

Perhaps sooner or later an update.

Regards