So sorry for this posts, I’m trying my best to search and try before asking, but something is wrong. Well I had my some integration working before which are not anymore (Elgato key light (go one working not the other), Govee, elgato stream deck, Logitech harmony (getting there with this one) and an echo glow from Amazon. So those are the things I still need to research and see if I can get back online into SmartThings.
Well I’m trying now to bring an echo glow into SmartThings and so far from what I understood I have to create a virtual switch in SmartThings which I did, then a routine in Alexa app. But it’s been hit and miss thing, it barely works.
Here is what I did:
Created a contact sensor using virtual edge creator.
Using Alexa app create a routine that: when vEdge contact is on, turn echo glow on.
Another routine, when vEdge contact is off, turn off echo glow.
If I keep tapping on the SmartThings virtual switch eventually once in a while it responds. But it does miss a lot.
Virtual switches which had been previously reliable became flaky some months ago. Which one are you using? I would suggest replacing it with this one, if it’s not what you’ve already got - and make sure you’re detecting the option to create the separate contact switch:
Hi Mark thanks for taking the time to reply I’ll take a closer look into the link you posted. I believe I’m already using the vEdge creator by TAustin.
So I tried this 2 ways. I do get some responses few times but more often it doesn’t work. It seems there is a time interval that it can be triggered. Trying to trigger it on and off nonstop it takes sometime to be trigger again.
I tried 2 methods.
1: creating a switch (either contact or Alexa switch) in SmartThings, setting Alexa with 2 routines, one to turn on and one to turn off.
2: creating 2 switches in SmartThings. Switch 1, switch 2. In Alexa making a routine for switch 1 to be on, switch 2 to be off. It seems a little more reliable but it’s not working all the times either. Also you have to toggle twice with that option.
Hey Mark, so I just tried the Alexa Multi Switch. I’m not home right now but looking from the app it seems that it’s been responding perfectly fine. It took a little time to understand it but I guess I managed to get it working.
What I did is enrolled to the multi switch channel, scanned to find it. So it gave an option to create a switch (actually 19), when entering a name a new device was created, that’s when I got lost, that was no switch on those devices. So I finally was able to create a routine and trigger it on and off. Then from there I used the routines I create in SmartThings in the Alexa app routines.
I’ll double check when I get home, but so far so good.
The Alexa Multi Trigger is one of two solutions that @TAustin gave us when Amazon spoilt the old virtual switch, but it is a one-way trigger for running Alexa routines. It works great for (e.g. as I use rules it allows me notifications in Alexa) that, is more lightweight, but it is more difficult to use in keeping track of routines.
The other solution is a double contact/switch which is what I think you might need, and what @MarkTr is referring to here
So I tried a contact switch again, but nothing is working now. So testing it out I found that when creating a new virtual device in SmartThings it responds on the Alexa app. For example if I close or open I can see it changes in the Alexa apps. So the virtual switch is not the issue anymore. But what I figured is that my routines are not triggering actions, something is broken with Alexa routines.
Routine works if I click on the play button in Alexa routines directly, but doesn’t work when device chances status (open, close)
There is currently a problem with Alexa routines running from the virtual devices. Started around 12 hours ago. A few different people have reported it.
@mlchelp has reported below that there was indeed a new problem occurring on 14 November 2023 with triggering Alexa routines, but that it appears to be better now.
I have both types and neither one is working from around 3 pm yesterday, I know Alexa was having an issue with AWS outage. Just wanted to make sure @leandroestacio knew about this while he was trying to get it to work.
Edit. My Alexa Multi Trigger devices seem to be working again now albeit a little slow.
Thanks everyone. I’ll just wait and see. I’m able to get some automation happening again, but just like before more less than often. But I’ll give it some time, try to run again latter on and see if it’s not a server issue. Thanks again.
