supported_hardware:alexa
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supported_hardware:alexa [2018/10/01 17:54] – updated for new Alexa bridge plugin James Sentman | supported_hardware:alexa [2023/02/13 14:52] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 | ||
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=====Amazon Alexa Bridge===== | =====Amazon Alexa Bridge===== | ||
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+ | **NOTE** as of October 2019 Amazon pushed an update to their Alexa devices that broke every single non-cloud based home automation integration system, not just XTension. As of February 2020 there are three potential solutions to this problem since Amazon either wanted to do this or is not interested in fixing it. | ||
+ | * the simplest solution is to find a generation 1 Echo device on ebay or elsewhere. Note that many that are labeled as such actually aren’t as people don’t really know what they are selling and are re-using descriptions from other similar devices. Please make sure you can identify a version 1 device! It will have the bezel that you can physically turn to change the volume. If if has buttons to adjust the volume then it is not a generation 1 device and will not solve your problem. These gen 1 devices are not eligible for the newer software updates and therefore will not automatically receive the update that breaks everything. Once you have one on your network you can do the discovery for new devices through it and not through one of your newer devices. When that is working all communications to the shared units will go through this older device even if you issue the command from a newer device also on your network. This works without having to make any other changes to your system usually though you may have to re-discover all your units through the new/old device. | ||
+ | * If you do not require port 80 standard web services on your XTension server you can now run the new [[supported_hardware: | ||
+ | * If you do require the standard web port on your XTension mac or you need multiple instances of the plugin to share all the units that you wish to then you can run more instances of the plugin on separate machines. This will work from extra Macs or more easily by putting the plugin code onto a Raspberry Pi. See the [[supported_hardware: | ||
- | With the Alexa Bridge you can control any of your XTension units via voice control through any compatible Amazon Alexa or Echo device. Since this works by pretending to be a phillips hue hub the Alexa can control your units even without a working internet or cloud connection. The down side is that we’re | + | ----- |
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+ | With the Alexa Bridge you can control any of your XTension units via voice control through any compatible Amazon Alexa or Echo device. Since this works by pretending to be a phillips hue hub, the Alexa can control your units even without a working internet or cloud connection. | ||
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+ | The direct Alexa interface | ||
The original Bridge was written by Dean Davis of [[http:// | The original Bridge was written by Dean Davis of [[http:// | ||
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In the Interface list window click the New interface button and select “Alexa Hue Bridge” from the Device popup. In the server settings enter a unique port number that isn’t in use by any other server process on the server. If you create multiple instances to share more than 20 units they must each have a unique port number. | In the Interface list window click the New interface button and select “Alexa Hue Bridge” from the Device popup. In the server settings enter a unique port number that isn’t in use by any other server process on the server. If you create multiple instances to share more than 20 units they must each have a unique port number. | ||
- | {{ : | + | {{ : |
+ | To setup which devices will be available to the Alexa either leave the default selection of Share Everything, which probably isn’t a good idea unless you only have 3 things in your database, or change to the Limit to selected Objects selection. Then click the Sharing Selection button. From that window you can choose the lists of units and scripts that you wish to share. | ||
{{: | {{: | ||
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If you are using an echo plus that has a built in ZigBee hub those devices will not be available to XTension. You can control them via the built in Alexa voice commands of course, but this plugin will not let you control them from XTension. If you wish those ZigBee devices to be controllable both from XTension and Alexa you’ll need a real phillips hue hub, or a Vera or other device to add them to that we support and then share them to Alexa through the bridge. | If you are using an echo plus that has a built in ZigBee hub those devices will not be available to XTension. You can control them via the built in Alexa voice commands of course, but this plugin will not let you control them from XTension. If you wish those ZigBee devices to be controllable both from XTension and Alexa you’ll need a real phillips hue hub, or a Vera or other device to add them to that we support and then share them to Alexa through the bridge. | ||
+ | It is not necessary to disable and re-enable the interface when making changes to what is shared. Simply remove a unit from a shared list and it will disappear from the bridge. You will still have to go into the Alexa app and remove it from your home automation devices tap or Alexa will simply think it’s offline for the moment. | ||
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+ | There should be no confusion with making changes to the list of shared objects between XTension and Alexa. If you add or remove a shared object it will not be necessary to remove the entire list of them and re-add them to Alexa. If you’re adding new devices you will need to go back into the home automation setup in Alexa and ask her to discover new devices. | ||
supported_hardware/alexa.txt · Last modified: 2023/02/13 14:52 by 127.0.0.1