So not sure if others are seeing this or not. I was creating a simulated switch to control a light strip from Alexa. I named the switch for the light it was going to control, “TV Backlight” and selected simulated switch and filled in the rest of the required data in the device creation window. Alexa alerted me to its availability and I went to create the routine in ALexa. When I went to switches in alexa it was not there. I then searched for it in devices and found it had been identified as a light. I deleted it and tried again, same result. I then tried a simulated Alexa switch and using the same naming the same result was observed. I deleted that device as well. I should point out that in the IDE all those devices were listed as switches. I created a sim switch and named it switch one and it appeared in Alexa as a switch. I did the same with a sim Alexa switch and named switch two and the same results, it appeared as a switch. Edit the name to “TV Backlight” and it changes to a light in Alexa. This was before I tried to create a routine in Alexa. I deleted the offending items and recreated Switch two as a Alexa sim switch and then created the routine and then changed its name the device changed to light but the routine now works. Switch one is still a switch because it was not renamed ( I assume). So has anyone else experienced this as well?
Note: I have migrated and had a few minor issues.
TL:dr - Alexa is changing the device type from switch to light.
I have found that Alexa reads the device name and decides it is a light of the name contains “light” or “bulb”.
I had to rename a couple of v-switches to get them into the “switch” category in Alexa
Rontalley, Thanks for the idea but there appears to be a difference between some of the devices. The device created as a Alexa Sim switch does not offer the ability to change the device type. The device created as a Sim Switch does allow me that ability.
The Virtual Switch sends events with ‘isStateChange’ true so consecutive on or off events are propagated.
The Simulated Switch includes the old Relay Switch capability and has more features for simulating a hardware switch - Health Check, physical on and off, and mark as online or offline.
Thanks for the suggestions and I did note that the sim switch works as well as the Alexa Sim switch but, the aim of the post was to pass on the issue with the naming of the switch may cause it to be mis-identified by alexa as a light and lights do not show up as a trigger device in alexa. That caused me some extra time trying to figure it out, hopefully we saved others some grief.
Thanks to all for the input, much appreciated!!
Cheers