I have an aeon siren that I was using as a door chime with the InControl home automation software. The door sensor would trigger a scene that would activate the siren to come on for 500ms then turn off every time the door was opened. The siren didn’t make the prettiest sounds but it was capable of 4 tones at 3 different volume levels each so I could audibly differentiate between the back and front doors being opened.
Is there such a thing with smart things? Is anybody using any kind of z wave siren as a door chime? Last week I’ve made the switch from IncontrolHA to Smart Things v2 and I’ve got this and 2 other features standing in the way of my home automation bliss. PLEASE HELP!!
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I do exactly this. I created a virtual switch called “Beep”. I then turn on “Beep” via Smart Lighting for door opens, etc.
In addition, I have a small bit of code that actually ties the virtual switch to the the siren. It’s really easy.
/**
* Siren Beep
*
*/
definition(
name: "Siren Beep",
namespace: "KristopherKubicki",
author: "kristopher@acm.org",
description: "Quickly Pulse a Siren",
category: "My Apps",
iconUrl: "https://s3.amazonaws.com/smartapp-icons/Developers/whole-house-fan.png",
iconX2Url: "https://s3.amazonaws.com/smartapp-icons/Developers/whole-house-fan@2x.png")
preferences {
section("Sirens"){
input "sirens", "capability.alarm", title: "Which?", required: true, multiple: true
}
section("Virtual Switch"){
input "dswitch", "capability.switch", title: "Which?", required: true, multiple: false
}
}
def installed() {
initialized()
}
def updated() {
unsubscribe()
initialized()
}
def initialized() {
subscribe(dswitch, "switch.on", switchHandler)
}
def switchHandler(evt) {
sirens?.siren()
dswitch.off()
sirens?.off()
}
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Kristopher, I’ve got things set up as you described and your method seems to be working well. Thanks for the assistance!
JDRoberts, Thanks for the tips! I’m using ecolink door sensors to trigger
@Jbell, I am also trying to do this with an Ecolink door sensor, but it doesn’t seem to let me use this as a trigger as it asking for a “Switch” and my Ecolink is setup as a sensor, not a swictch. I did get it to work with a light switch but it wasn’t really a “chime” but pretty high volume. What am I doing wrong? Did you have to change the code?
Cracken, I did exactly what Kristopher detailed to get the chime working this morning and there is no way of adjusting tones and volumes using this method. I put a piece of tape over the speaker to muffle the sound so it’s not so loud.
In the settings for the Aeon gen 5 you can change the volume a little and the tone slightly.
Using for motion, I did the same install creating a Simulated Switch and SmartApp from @Kristopher code. Instead of using Smart Lighting, I used a Smart Home Monitor Custom Rule. That way I can specify how frequently I want to have it sound when there is continuous motion on my patio.
Can anyone recommend a way to disable the door chime for 2 minutes then automatically re-enable is so I can slip out the door on early mornings without disturbing the fam?
All, Any help you can provide on this topic would be helpful as I’m swimming in circles on something that seems so easy.
Goal: Trigger an Aeon Siren for a short duration (<1min which appears to be the standard in default ST published apps) when motion (Aeon multi-sensor) is sensed. I’ll have 2 independent zones; “Front Door” (1 Motion Sensor & 1 Siren) & “Back Door” (1 Motion Sensor & 1 Siren).
Progress: None… Preface: My current programming experience is very limited. I’ve copied Kristopher’s code exactly as listed in this thread, created a custom App, and published it (I can see it from my phone) but nothing happens and I have some issues. Does the code require modification to assign “values” to devices or siren durations?
Problem #1 - When I choose the “Virtual Switch” selection, the only items listed are the Sirens.
Problem #2 - I created and publish a “Virtual Button” to my phone with the logic of triggering the Siren via a “Virtual Button” when motion was sensed. I could not get the “Virtual Button” to be visible to several Apps I tried. Note: I could trigger the Siren manually under the “Things” page.
I anyone help you out, I am looking same answers to your questions, wish someone describes for NOOBS…help anyone, Kristopher ? Rouse
Kristopher, Could you detail out steps for Noobs…like me, thank so much, rouse
Hi @unfiled
Sure thing. I’ve learned a little bit since this last post, so let me show you the update.
1.) Open the IDE and go to “My Devices”. Create a new device called “Beep”, and set the device type to “Momentary Tile Button”.
2.) Go to My Smartapps and create a new App. Copy and paste the code from here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KristopherKubicki/smartapp-beep/master/smartapp-beep.groovy
3.) Once installed, open your mobile app and click “Connect new device” -> New Smartapp -> “My Apps” -> “Siren Beep”. Under Sirens, click your alarm device. Under Virtual Switch, click “Beep”.
Now, anytime you click that tile you’ll hear a short pulsed siren lasting less than a second. The key here is to use this in conjunction with something like SmartLighting or Rule Machine. For example, everytime a door is opened you can turn on this virtual switch (it’s a momentary tile, so it will turn off automatically), resulting in a beep.
If you wanted the alarm to go off for longer intervals, modify the switchHandler() part. Insert sleep(1000) in between the siren commands where 1000 is the number of milliseconds you want the siren to be on.
Best luck,
Kristopher
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You are real…
I am trying now, thank you so much for the reply, will report soon, rouse
My Smart App work…in simulator.
Could not create New Device under ‘My Devices’. its asking for “Device Network Id *”, sorry for being so NOOB…help please.
My Guru Kristopher…THANK YOU, I got it working, Thank you Thank YOU. Great Help, much appreciated. Rouse
PS: I had to put some random numbers in Device ID, is that the best practice, its mandatory field…;
Yeah you can throw anything in there. It has to be a unique ID across all of your devices. That field is used as an internal ID for all kinds of different things, but for virtual devices almost anything goes. Stay away from 1-3 digit numbers and you’re fine.
Got it, Thank you. Do you know if there is why to backup Smart Things hub / data.
7 days into a new hub, my phone app got unresponsive yesterday, Today I had to pull batteries to restart to shutdown automated lights, it worked fine after restart, curious what experts do to gain peace of mind (backup), I hope I can remember to rebuild all that I am learning… There are 2 usb for future dev I guess…
Hi…so…this sort of worked for me. I copied the code and made the app. I modified the siren so it is a momentary tile button. I’ve published and set it up. However…no sound comes out of the device. When I manually try to activate it through the app, or when I try to set up the lighting app…nada
However, it is definitely recognizing that I am pushing it (shows up in log)…it just isn’t spitting out any sound…sooo…
Background - I made a custom pressure mat connected to an ecolink door sensor. So when the dogs step on the mat (cause they want to come in), I get a push notification. Would like to get a sound notification instead, so I got the aeon siren, thinking I could make that work.
Anyway I think what I am missing (maybe?) is how to link the custom app to the siren itself? When I open up the app, all it asks me for is a name and a “set for specific modes” option. I don’t see a “Sirens” or “Virtual Switch”?
Thanks for the example, it helped me cut my teeth with this. I started with your solution and landed in a very different place. No need for the additional device or routine, plus I added a reminder tone if the door is left open, as my kids love to do:
EDIT:
The above groooovy will only work with this custom device handler to use for your Aeotec siren, I added a beep method:
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