This plug-in uses Alexa remote control shell script to execute TTS (Text-To-Speech) commands against your Amazon Echo. More info here.
On Vera before version 7.31 only TTS is implemented.
OpenLuup and VeraOS 7.32+ support routines, announcements and advanced commands. Please install jq package before proceding. This is a work in progress.
Tested with success with Vera Firmware 7.30+. YMMV. All the devices are implemented as standard Vera device types.
This is beta software!
If you find problem with the sh script, please refer to its author. Due to Vera's OS limited capabilities, only accounts with MFA (Multi Factor Authentication) disabled are supported at the moment. MFA accounts are OK on openLuup.
To install, simply upload the files in the package using Vera's feature (Go to Apps, then Develop Apps, then Luup files and select Upload) and then create a new device under Vera.
To create a new device, got to Apps, then Develop Apps, then Create device.
- Upnp Device Filename/Device File: D_VeraAlexa1.xml
- Upnp Implementation Filename/Implementation file: I_VeraAlexa1.xml
- Parent Device: none
After installation, ensure to change mandatory variables under your Device, then Advanced, then Variables. Please adjust Username, Password, MFASecret, DefaultEcho, DefaultVolume, AnnouncmentVolume, Language and AlexaHost/AmazonHost to your settings. Youn can find more information about the supported values in the original bash script.
If you don't opt in for announcements (see later), only single devices are supported. You can't sync TTS on multiple devices without announcements. You can use ALL to cycle all your devices.
Standard endpoint:
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"Say",
{Text="Hello from Vera Alexa", Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 3}, 666)
Where 666 is your device ID, Volume is the volume (from 0 to 50) and GroupZones your Echo (case sensitive!).
Language should be set globally, volume can be omitted (and AnnouncementVolume variable will be used instead), device can be omitted (and DefaultEcho will be used instead). You can omit Repeat param and 1 will be used as default. Volume will return to DefaultVolume after an announcement is played.
If you want to use DLNAMediaController1 or Sonos plug-in, the corresponding plug-ins must be installed.
DLNAMediaController:
luup.call_action("urn:dlna-org:serviceId:DLNAMediaController1",
"Say",
{Text="Hello from Vera Alexa", Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom"}, 666)
Sonos:
luup.call_action("urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:Sonos1",
"Say",
{Text="Hello from Vera Alexa", Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 3}, 666)
- urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1: Down/Up/Mute
- urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1: SetVolume (with parameter DesiredVolume and GroupZones)
- urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:Volume1: Down/Up/Mute
- (Deprecated) urn:dlna-org:serviceId:DLNAMediaController1: Down/Up/Mute
- (Deprecated) urn:dlna-org:serviceId:DLNAMediaController1: SetVolume (with parameter DesiredVolume and GroupZones)
If you want to upload the local device list, just use this code:
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1", "UpdateDevices", {}, 666)
Look for variable Devices for a comma separted list of these values (one device per line):
DeviceName, OnlineStatus, Serial, DeviceFamily
If you need to force a reset, just use this code:
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1", "Reset", {}, 666)
This will reset cookie and device list, and will download the bash script again.
When jq package is installed, the plug-in will automatically switch to the avanced version. jq can be installed on Vera starting with firmware 7.32 (now in beta).
On OpenLuup you can add jq via your OS package manager. OAthTool is supported too.
Routines are only supported with jq:
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"RunRoutine",
{RoutineName="YourRoutineName", GroupZones="Bedroom"}, 666)
Commands are only supported with jq:
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"RunCommand",
{Command="-e weather -d 'Bedroom'"}, 666)
You could specify LASTALEXA as a special device, to execute the command (TTS, automation) on the Last Alexa device you've interacted with:
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"Say",
{Text="Hello from your last used Alexa device", Volume=50, GroupZones="LASTALEXA", Repeat = 3}, 666)
Please see https://github.com/thorsten-gehrig/alexa-remote-control/blob/master/alexa_remote_control.sh for a complete list of supported commands.
You have to specifically enable announcements. This will give you the ability to have sync'ed TTS on groups (ie: Everywhere or your own defined groups). As per Amazon docs, Alexa excludes that device from announcement delivery if:
- Announcements are disabled. (To enable or disable announcements in the Alexa app, go to Settings → Device Settings → device_name → Communications → Announcements.)
- The device is actively in a call or drop-in.
- The device is in Do Not Disturb mode.
Manage Announcements in the Alexa mobile app. Go to Settings > Device Settings > device_name >Communications > Announcements to configure settings for each Alexa device in your household.
Announcements are opt-in and could be configured with these variables:
- UseAnnoucements: set to 1 to enable, 0 to disable
- DefaultBreak: default to 3 secs - it's the time between repeated announcements
- AnnouncmentVolume: the volume used to play the announcements, if an explicit volume is not specified
- DefaultVolume: the default volume to be restored after an announcment is played, if the current volume cannot be determined
You can execute any spoken command (ie: to engage Alexa Guard, or a complex command) using this code:
-- execute a spoken command on Bedroom device
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"RunCommand",
{Command="-e textcommand:'Alexa, I’m leaving' -d 'Bedroom'"}, 666)
-- routines
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"RunRoutine",
{RoutineName="cane", GroupZone="Bedroom"}, 666)
-- any command you want: play weather on Bedroom device
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"RunCommand",
{Command="-e weather -d 'Bedroom'"}, 666)
-- sounds - see https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/custom-skills/ask-soundlibrary.html
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1",
"RunCommand",
{Command="-e sound:amzn_sfx_trumpet_bugle_04 -d 'Bedroom'"}, 666) -- sounds only work on device, no groups
-- different voices, SSML - see https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/custom-skills/speech-synthesis-markup-language-ssml-reference.html
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1","Say",
{Text='<voice name="Kendra"><lang xml:lang="en-US">Hello from Vera Alexa</lang></voice>',
Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 3}, 666)
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1","Say",
{Text='<voice name="Matthew"><lang xml:lang="en-US">Hello from Vera Alexa</lang></voice>',
Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 3}, 666)
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1","Say",
{Text='<voice name="Amy"><lang xml:lang="en-GB">Hello from Vera Alexa</lang></voice>',
Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 3}, 666)
-- different styles -- see https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/blogs/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/2020/11/alexa-speaking-styles-emotions-now-available-additional-languages
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1","Say",
{Text='<voice name="Amy"><lang xml:lang="en-GB">Hello from Vera Alexa</lang></voice>',
Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 3}, 666)
-- different language using a custom voice
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1","Say",
{Text='<lang xml:lang="it-IT"><amazon:domain name="conversational">Ciao, da Vera Alexa</amazon:domain></lang></voice>',
Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 1}, 666)
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1","Say",
{Text='<amazon:domain name="music">Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses became one of their most successful singles, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. Slash’s guitar solo on this song was ranked the 37th greatest solo of all time. Here’s Sweet Child O’ Mine.</amazon:domain>',
Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 1}, 666)
luup.call_action("urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1","Say",
{Text='<amazon:domain name="conversational">I really didn’t know how this morning was going to start. And if I had known, I think I might have just stayed in bed.</amazon:domain>',
Volume=50, GroupZones="Bedroom", Repeat = 1}, 666)
The device is working and supported under OpenLuup and AltUI. In this case, if you're using an old version of AltUI/OpenLoop, just be sure the get the base service file from Vera (automatically done if you have the Vera Bridge installed).
Sometimes cookie will not get generated. See the steps to get it manually.
Thanks to @E1cid, One Time Passcode are now supported. This makes easy to renew a cookie when dealing with 2-factory authentication (2FA). Amazon will send you a One Time Passcode via e-mail or SMS. You can use tasker/automate/whatever to send text with OTP to renew cookie with 2FA.
http://veraIP:3480/data_request?id=variableset&DeviceNum=666&serviceId=urn:bochicchio-com:serviceId:VeraAlexa1&Variable=OneTimePassCode&Value=OTPVALUE
Before asking for support, please:
- change DebugMode variable to 1
- repeat your problem and capture logs
- logs could be captured via SSH or by navigating to
http://VeraIP/cgi-bin/cmh/log.sh?Device=LuaUPnP. More Info
If you need help, visit SmartHome.Community and tag me (therealdb).