For those having Alexa integration reliability problems:
I’ve whipped up a new driver to test a theory that the combination switch+contact sensor could be problematic now for some reason. This driver takes a different approach so we can test if a contact-only device is more reliable as an Alexa trigger. It will take several of you trying this over a period of time to see if it proves to be more reliable. For those willing to give this a shot, instructions below:
Go to my test driver channel and choose to install ‘Alexa Multi-Trigger v0.1’.
Once available on your hub, do an Add device / Scan for nearby devices and a new device called “Alexa Multi-Trigger” will be created. Open this new device and you’ll see slots for 19 triggers - each with a name you can edit and a switch. Once you change the name to something other than ‘<unused>’ a new contact-only device will be created with that label. The switch controls the open/close state of the created contact device (on=open, off=closed). Configure one or more triggers then create Alexa routines to trigger off these contact devices. You’ll note they show up as true contact devices in Alexa.
In addition to the 19 trigger slots in the Alexa Multi-Trigger device, you notice at the top of the details screen there is also a button to ‘Create new device’. This is to create additional Multi-Trigger devices in case you need more than 19 triggers.
Caveats/Limitations
- This is a rush-job for testing only. Little testing has been done, so you could run into problems.
- This is a one-way solution for triggering Alexa routines only. If you really want to try using this to initiate an action from Alexa then you’d need to use a separate virtual switch-only device that you could control from Alexa and if desired, tie that switch device to the specific component switch in the Alexa Multi-Trigger device via an automation.
Please try this out and let me know your findings on reliability.