SmartThings + Amazon Echo Official Integration

Didn’t I read a blurb in the Echo app FAQ somewhere that you can also use your phone as a microphone to Alexa?

I had feeling the update was for the v2, super happy was for echo integration also. Figures 3 days after I write an endpoint to talk with Alexa it comes out. Still super happy it did then not using my amazon cloud time for usage. Also shows the popularity of SmartThings to be integrated!

Alexa discovered my two Sonos speakers and I checked the box to add them to the Convenience group, but when I give the command “Alexa, turn on Kitchen Sonos”, the response is the device is not responding. I can turn on the Sonos from the ST app without issue. Since Alexa discovered the device, assumed I could control?
I did go into the Alexa app and even though the Sonos devices were listed under “Connected Home”, they showed to be offline. Assume its just not a supported feature yet, but wonder if there is a work around.

Also, I have a Honeywell Z Wave thermostat I would like to set the temperature through Alexa? Any ideas?

Thanks

This exact command is working for me. Does Alexa not recognize the command or does nothing happen when she does recognize the command?

I’m using a virtual switch to trigger a hello home phrase to set a specific thermostat state. There are several threads about creating virtual switches.

Someone could possibly write a virtual dimmer device type and SmartApp to create true thermostat control.

Looks like the thermostat thing already exists:
FAQ: Amazon Echo: The Official SmartThings Integration is here!

@milkman55,

I use virtual switches to control Thermostat Setpoints via Echo/Alexa.

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There is a command to “pair” which will let you temporarily pair a Bluetooth device with echo. At that point echo becomes a Bluetooth speaker for the other device. So it works the same way as any other Bluetooth speaker. You control sound selection and volume from the other device, not the echo. You can’t do any other echo commands, I think, during that time. You have to pair before you go back to using echo as echo.

So it’s the foundation for something, but not something most people will use in its current state.

This won’t be the case very soon. :wink: We’ll be launching in EU.

I’m sorry, I could have worded that question differently. I did not mean our voice commands to Alexa to control ST. I was wondering what Amazon Echo commands we can send from Smartthings to Echo - i.e. Play Music…

@JDRoberts I was thinking of using a momentary switch, even though there is no “Simulated” Momentary switch. I was looking at the 2 SmartApps the work well with IFTTT but on a momentary switch I don’t want it to turn to a different HH phrase when it is off.

Any ideas?

OK, I figured out the Sonos voice command, just a lot of places to configure and discover on both the ST and Alexa side of the house. Its working great.

I have had my ST since last Christmas, but just have not sat down and spent hours familiarizing myself. I just mounted the Honeywell thermostat yesterday. Once I figured out how to turn off the programmable features of the thermostat and let ST take over, its working great. Now on to the voice commands.

For the thermostat, I added SmartTiles and will be learning how to setup virtual switches, just going to take some time.

II am still looking for a Z Wave controller to go in my ceiling fan housing to control both the fan and the light. I have the little remotes they sell at the big box stores and that’s fine, but I want to give my fans voice commands through Alexa. Will keep looking.
The wall box controls don’t work for me as all my switches are in two or four gang boxes and they just don’t fit.

Thanks for all the help.

The “momentary button tile” in the IDE is a simulated device type. There’s no physical device associated with it, just a tile on the things screen. That’s what I’m using.

Here’s my complete set up:

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Nothing right now. You use Voice commands with echo, and echo passes those along to smartthings. There’s no smartthings to echo direction, yet nor are there for any of the other brands that work with echo.

[quote=“April, post:46, topic:20902”]
in EU
[/quote]Guess again eh :wink:

There is some decent non-cloud-based voice processing is: Android AutoVoice can run offline and it is quite effective. As I may have mentioned before in the forums, I’ve been experimenting with AutoVoice running on an Android tablet, connected to the Android automation app Tasker, which communicates with my SmartThings set-up via SharpTools (an app which is pretty awesome, if you’re an Android user). Because AutoVoice runs offline, there’s no delay for cloud processing.

The biggest impediment I’ve run into is decent mics. The cheapest, competent home automation mic array I can find is more expensive than an Echo. The mic array in the Echo is really impressive. It’s hard to find that kind of audio input technology in consumer-grade products.

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Excellent integration and much needed for Smartthings. Will look for more functionality to replace the sonos to give feedback to the user like door opened status, hello phrases etc…

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Well, that was about as easy as it gets. Set it up in just a few minutes (using JD’s list) and it runs all the on/off and dim commands I ask it to, including my Sonos! I set up a few virtual switches for my HH commands and, vóila, great control. For those looking for a way to make HH commands work easily, I’ve been using SmartRules and it’s been seamless. My ‘on’ command triggers the HH run, as well as an ‘off’ command to reset the virtual switch to off so it’s ready to go again. Day 1: success! We’ll see how tomorrow goes!

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So just to confirm - I cannot currently use my echo to control my locks? Except for setting up a hello home command?

you can’t control it directly as a connected home device from Echo. You can set up a virtual switch that Echo can control and then have either a hello home action trigger from that or some other custom SmartApp. Or you could even even use IFTTT to trigger the lock off the virtual switch if that seems simpler to you. Sometimes it just comes down to what method you’re familiar with.

Can’t wait for the ability to push sound out of my Echo’s speakers (ala Sonos).

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