Amazon Echo Integration -- Fast, Simple and 100% native Windows

Pseudomizer · May 23, 2016, 2:01am

Maybe use Docker and run two instances? If somebody is willing to test this, it might make our lives easier as I don’t want to deploy VMware or KVM on my PC just for that.

conchordian · May 23, 2016, 6:34am

Thanks very much for this, I got it running with a few minor tweaks, which I thought I’d share in case they help anyone else.

I had to turn off Windows firewall for the Echo to discover any devices.

I was also a bit confused about the local IP in the readme file, whether it was the local IP of the Vera, or whether it was supposed to be a different, specified IP that didn’t clash with the computer running it.

Running setup.exe didn’t work. I got the ‘working’ mouse icon, but nothing happened. When I ran the .msi it did run after a while.

Pseudomizer · May 23, 2016, 6:46am

[quote=“conchordian, post:22, topic:191465”]Thanks very much for this, I got it running with a few minor tweaks, which I thought I’d share in case they help anyone else.

I had to turn off Windows firewall for the Echo to discover any devices.

I was also a bit confused about the local IP in the readme file, whether it was the local IP of the Vera, or whether it was supposed to be a different, specified IP that didn’t clash with the computer running it.

Running setup.exe didn’t work. I got the ‘working’ mouse icon, but nothing happened. When I ran the .msi it did run after a while.[/quote]

You don’t need to shut down your firewall to make it work. Worst case scenario is that you have to configure your firewall to make that work instead of powering it off.

In regards to your local IP the answer is simple…
Your Vera has e.g. 192.168.1.10
Your PC Windows 10 with the Vera bridge has e.g. 192.168.1.25
Your Alexa has e.g. 192.168.1.30

Your Alexa will discover the devices on 192.168.1.25. In the configurator page of your Vera bridge you have to specify the target IP of your Vera with in this case 192.168.1.10:3480 where port 3480 is used. Your Vera bridge is using port 8080 by default I believe.

This 192.168.1.25 will not clash with your computer IP because it is using your computer IP and it using a different port to communicate to the Vera bridge.

Hope this helps.

conchordian · May 26, 2016, 4:32am

So what ports does it need opening? I’ve tried 8080, 1900, and 3480.

Edit opening 50000 UDP outbound did the trick, as per: http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,31920.msg231969.html#msg231969

Javelin · June 4, 2016, 11:09am

Fire wall off for testing purposes.

Installed on Windows 10 laptop

Devices not discovering when I search using Alexa up.

Does this require a phsyical Dot or echo im trying to discover with only the http:/echo.sim and Alexa Listens…? before I decide if I buy a echo.

In the log file I found multiple entrys of this

one entry of not detected earlier

Do you have to configure anything on the Vera for this to work like adding a hue plugin?

slief · June 4, 2016, 9:30pm

I’ve been playing with this for a couple hours now without success. I have the program installed and configured. When I have Alexa discover devices, she finds the 16 devices in the Windows Bridge. First issue is that I have a device called Couch Light. Alexa indicates that there are more than one device named couch light. I checked the config files for the bridge and there is only one Couch Light listed. There aren’t even any other devices with the name “Couch” in them. I then changed the device name to Dock Light. Alexa still thinks there is a device name couch light. The only thing I can think is that Alexa has either cached the name couch light into it’s discovered settings or that there is something wonky in the config file. I did search the config file via a text editor and don’t see anything referencing a name with couch in it after changing Couch Light to Dock Light.

2nd issue is that when I tell Alexa " turn dock light on" I get the response of device not responding. Please check to make sure it’s plugged in.

My Vera Edge is set to 192.168.1.75 with port 80 and I have the correct port number in the device editor.
In the case, the couch light (now named Dock Light) I have a device ID of 16 which is what I have in the DeviceNum part of the config. I am assuming that the device ID should be the “device #” shown the in Vera’s device page for that switch and not the AltID?

Near as I can tell, Alex is seeing the Windows computer with the bridge software on it just fine. I have the Windows firewall temporarily disabled. It would appear that there is some sort of disconnect between the Windows bridge software and Vera. I have double checked the port number for Vera by typing in the IP Address and port number as follows: 192.168.1.75:80 and I connect to Vera without issue using the browser. Any other port number results in a page not available message. As such,

I also tried this with the Kitchen light and get the same response from Alexa. Device not responding. Obviously I have a different ID set for the kitchen light.

For reference, I am running Windows 10 64 bit.

Pseudomizer · June 4, 2016, 9:39pm

Use port 3480 and not 80 if you want to pass any on or off command from the bridge to Vera and it will work.

slief · June 4, 2016, 9:58pm

I changed the port number to 3480 in the editor for the device in question. Alexa now responds with “OK” when I tell it to turn the dock light on. The light doesn’t turn on which I expected as I would assume I need to change the port number in Vera. That said, I went into Vera’s network setting page and don’t see the port number or an option to change the port number anywhere in the Vera settings pages.

Pseudomizer · June 4, 2016, 10:15pm

There is no change required in Vera to make any device work. If you can turn on a device using your Vera Web interface, then you can go to the bridge Web interface and assuming you have the right device ID you can test it in that interface for on and off.

slief · June 4, 2016, 10:51pm

Thank you VERY much for your help! I figured out part of my problem. I had originally modified one of the Sonos example devices instead of one of the light device examples. I didn’t realize the scripting was difference. After deleting the Sonos device and modifying one of the light devices, I got my Kitchen lights to turn on and off!!!

I now have several lights working. Not sure why it won’t do “couch lights”. I had to change that name to Couch Ceiling as it seems to be getting confused with that one or has something boogered in the config file.
I also added my front door lock. That one took a bit to figure out as far as commands. I have to tell it to turn on front door and turn off front door instead of lock front door or unlock front door. While not perfect, at least I have voice control over Vera now!

Thanks again for the help and thanks to whoever converted the Bridge to Windows!

slief · June 4, 2016, 11:02pm

Silly question… Is there anyway to change the default URL/IP address and port number in the device editor to the IP address of the bridge so I don’t have to enter the bridge IP and port number every time I open the editor?

strangely · June 5, 2016, 5:51am

[quote=“slief, post:31, topic:191465”]Silly question… Is there anyway to change the default URL/IP address and port number in the device editor to the IP address of the bridge so I don’t have to enter the bridge IP and port number every time I open the editor?[/quote]Why not use a bookmark?

slief · June 5, 2016, 3:37pm

Hmmm… I guess that would work if I was using the web based device editor… I guess I need to check that out. I’ve been using the program based device editor.

slief · June 5, 2016, 4:17pm

That won’t work. The URL never contains the IP address of the birder server. That said, I really like the web device editor. It’s much more efficient then the program based device editor when it comes to adding the devices.

slief · June 5, 2016, 5:48pm

I’ve added a bunch of devices and pretty much all are working great. I’ve noted one weird anomaly with a device. I have one switch that I named “Stereo Light”. When I tell Alexa to turn off or turn on Stereo Light, I get the reply that there is more than one device named "Stereo Light and to give it a different name. I only have one device named stereo light. I even went checked the device configuration file to verify if there is more than one device named Stereo Light. I have another device named “Stairway Light” which works fine when I tell Alexa to turn that on or off.

When I change the name of Stereo Light to Closet Light it works fine.

slief · June 5, 2016, 6:53pm

I’ve now got 23 devices controlled. I’ve run into a couple devices where I have only one device programmed but Alexa says there are more than one device. Weird anomaly I guess and I can only assume there is something weird going on in the device config file even though I don’t see duplicate names… One was mentioned above. The other is Fireplace Light. If I have the device named Fireplace Light, I get the response of more than one exists. If I name it Fireplace Lights, Alexa controls it just fine.

I didn’t see anything in this thread mentioned about scenes. Is there a way to use this program for a scene like All Lights OFF or create a group command?

Pseudomizer · June 5, 2016, 7:15pm

Any device exposed via the bridge can be grouped in the Alexa app. I have 3 big groups. Downstairs Lights, upstairs lights and “All Lights”. Works beautifully.

slief · June 5, 2016, 7:44pm

Really. I never even thought to look in the App. I just checked and see it there under smart home… It seems this is where the duplicate names are too. I wonder if I “forget those” duplicates in the App, if that will allow me to rename the lights to their preferred name. Time to do some playing around with the app! Thank you VERY much for the help and insight!

slief · June 5, 2016, 8:34pm

I played with groups in the app. As a test, I made a group called good night that shuts all my lights off or on. Seems to work well. Now I need to put more thought into how I can use groups. After reviewing the list of smart home devices in the app, it seems Echo retains devices in its device list even when they are deleted from the Device Config program and even after a new discovery. Forgetting the duplicate and or unused devices in the App solved the issue I was having with the couple duplicate devices when I gave Alexa commands. It allowed me to go back to my preferred command names.

I’m really glad I installed this program. Voice control over Vera was a big upside to having the Echo. While I did get it as a gift, up until now, I had very little use for Echo. My wife likes to use it to play music but beyond that, I really had no use for it.

Next thing for me to do is get the Simple Control (Roomie Remote) Hub so I can control my home theater setup via Echo. I use an app called Roomie Remote to control my home theater and bedroom TV/AV hardware. It also controls Vera devices and scenes through the same app. Voice control over Roomie would be another upside to Echo in my home but it does require a special hardware based hub. Being able to tell Alexa to Turn DirecTV On, Turn KODI On, Turn Bluray On etc and have the TV turn on, AV receiver turn on, then switch inputs to the correct input etc would be pretty nifty to do via voice! ;D I have an activity in Roomie called Good Night that shuts the home theater off, turns all the lights off through Vera and locks the front door through Vera. Voice control over all that is next on my agenda.

Again, thanks for your help and also thanks to the people who put the bridge together! It’s nice to have a good use for Alexa!

conchordian · June 16, 2016, 2:13am

[quote=“Javelin, post:25, topic:191465”]In the log file I found multiple entrys of this

I have hundreds of those log entries too. The bridge is working, but is this normal behaviour?

Do you have to configure anything on the Vera for this to work like adding a hue plugin?

No, nothing on the Vera side.