Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Posted on
Tue Jan 31, 2017 1:45 am
autolog offline
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Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Version 2.0.11 of the Alexa-Hue Bridge has just been released and is now available on Github. :)

This release has corrected processing of special characters (umlauts).

Documentation has been corrected and updated for new version :)

UPDATE: Now the official recommended release - there is no change since version 2.0.11 was released as a pre-release version. :)

Posted on
Sat Apr 01, 2017 10:39 am
donwexler offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Love this plug-in. Actions as virtual devices allows all my devices to work with Alexa....even X10 and iR linc for my TV. Thank you !!!!!

Posted on
Tue Jul 11, 2017 1:20 pm
sarahcat offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

I've only recently become interested in Alexa as a voice interface for Indigo, since I had previously hoped that Siri would fill that niche. I can see that Apple licensing has made that currently impossible.

I've read about the Alexa-Hue Bridge plug-in. If I understand it, devices now controlled by Indigo are viewed by Alexa/Echo/Dot/Whatever voice interfaces as virtual or emulated Phillips Hue bulbs. If I install the Alexa-Hue Bridge, then I would need to create virtual devices for each physical device now controlled by Indigo, allowing Alexa to access these devices, yes? I admit I have not followed anything about using Alexa thus far and I don't know what type of protocol it uses to connect to anything, including Indigo. The most common protocol would be Z-Wave. Does Alexa communicate with Indigo via Z-Wave?

Thanks!

Posted on
Tue Jul 11, 2017 1:37 pm
durosity offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

@sarahcat just FYI you can do Siri control of indigo using Homebridge-indigo. Have a search on the forum for it if you haven’t already considered it. (Lots of people do prefer Alexa to Siri but I’ve found it to be completely useless.. randomly activates without the ‘hey alexa’ keyword and she most certainly doesn’t like my thick Scottish accent.. where as Siri is far more reliable for me. Not to say she doesn’t get the occasional thing wrong though...)


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Computer says no.

Posted on
Tue Jul 11, 2017 1:45 pm
jay (support) offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

I'd recommend reading the Readme on the Github site for the plugin - it describes how to use the plugin (you don't necessarily need to use virtual devices). The plugin communicates with the Echo over wifi just like a Hue Hub would. The plugin then performs the necessary Indigo commands (turn on/off/dim/brighten).

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Tue Jul 11, 2017 5:16 pm
sarahcat offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Thanks, Durosity. I regret that Alexa finds your accent challenging :?

Thanks, Jay. I have read the 'readme' from Github. The bridge plugin seems pretty straightforward. I ordered a couple of Amazon Dots on Prime Day and I'll give them a try. On-Off and Dim controls would be fine. Mostly, I would like to turn lights on and off, so the Hue emulation would be interesting.

Thanks for the responses, guys!

Posted on
Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:36 am
agame offline
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Am I missing something....to enable the skill on Amazon, it is requesting a button press on the Hue bridge.


I assume the Hue skill needs to be enabled before device discovery will work. ..but this step doesn't appear to be working.


Does the plugin handle the enablement of the skill? (or is a real Hue Bridge required to get to this point?).

Posted on
Sat Jul 15, 2017 6:00 am
autolog offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

You don't need the skill to be running AFAIK. :)

Alexa telling you to "press the button on your bridge" is referring to a real Hue Bridge - As the Alexa-Hue Bridge plugin is pretending to be a real Hue Bridge, you don't need to do anything other than make sure the Hue Bridge device you have set-up is in discovery mode. Check out the documentation here: https://github.com/IndigoDomotics/alexa-hue-bridge

Posted on
Sun Jul 23, 2017 2:10 am
sarahcat offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

I had that argument with Alexa, too! :roll:
I think the equivalent to 'pressing the button on the bridge' is for Discovery to be 'on' in Indigo. That worked for me and other than having to tell Alexa to turn my door lock 'on' to lock it and 'off' to unlock it, the emulation works really well.

I'm not complaining at all. It's just that Hue bulbs don't know anything about lock states. :oops:

Posted on
Sun Jul 23, 2017 6:33 am
autolog offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

That's exactly right; I have to tell my window curtains to turn on and turn off rather than close and open. :)

Posted on
Sun Jul 23, 2017 2:04 pm
Mitchemi offline
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Joined: May 23, 2006

Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Help!! I just keep getting this log error. When I go to the terminal window it tell me that it is the HDhomerun box but I have unplugged it and don't know what to do.

Jul 23, 2017, 12:57:50 PM
Alexa-Hue Bridge Hue Bridge 'new device' Host: 192.168.1.68
Alexa-Hue Bridge 'new device' has no devices published
Alexa-Hue Bridge Starting Hue Bridge 'new device' web server thread
Alexa-Hue Bridge Starting Hue Bridge 'new device' discovery thread as 'Auto Start Discovery' requested
Alexa-Hue Bridge Error Responder startup failed because another app or plugin is using the UPNP port.
Alexa-Hue Bridge Error Open a terminal window and type 'sudo lsof -i :1900' to see a list of processes that have bound to that port and quit those applications.

Posted on
Mon Jul 24, 2017 7:07 am
autolog offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Mitchemi wrote:
Help!! I just keep getting this log error. When I go to the terminal window it tell me that it is the HDhomerun box but I have unplugged it and don't know what to do.

Jul 23, 2017, 12:57:50 PM
Alexa-Hue Bridge Hue Bridge 'new device' Host: 192.168.1.68
Alexa-Hue Bridge 'new device' has no devices published
Alexa-Hue Bridge Starting Hue Bridge 'new device' web server thread
Alexa-Hue Bridge Starting Hue Bridge 'new device' discovery thread as 'Auto Start Discovery' requested
Alexa-Hue Bridge Error Responder startup failed because another app or plugin is using the UPNP port.
Alexa-Hue Bridge Error Open a terminal window and type 'sudo lsof -i :1900' to see a list of processes that have bound to that port and quit those applications.


I haven't got an HDhomerun box but you must have an HDHomerun application or process that is running on your Apple Mac. That is what the lsof command is telling you.
Is there an HDHomeRun helper app or tv viewer app that is active?

You could try using the Activity Monitor to find and kill the process that the lsof command is identifying as the problem. :)

Posted on
Tue Jul 25, 2017 5:47 pm
agame offline
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

thanks!. working fine now. it discovered the devices overnight rather than immediately.

Posted on
Wed Jul 26, 2017 2:33 am
yassi offline
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Location: Germany

Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

I'm using this plugin since a while with no issues, worked very well with my Echo Dot.
Now, I've got another Dot and sometimes this one makes troubles.

The first answers on "Alexa", the second on "Echo".
The Echo sometimes doesn't recognizes the devices (it's not available, or switches the wrong one). I have sometimes to try a few times.
The weird thing is, with the Alexa one it recognizes the device at first command.

Any idea what could be wrong?

Yassi

Posted on
Wed Jul 26, 2017 3:00 am
autolog offline
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Re: Alexa-Hue Bridge Version 2.0.11

Hi Yassi,
If your Alexa Dot works, then the Echo one should as well as the discovery is done for the Amazon Account that you Dots belong to. :)

Can I suggest that you check the Settings > History in the Alexa App to see what Alexa/Echo thought you said when a command doesn't work?
That might give a clue as to what is going wrong.

Also check the Settings > Smart Home > Devices to see if the devices are online.

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