I need some support today because reading the docs didn’t help me up to now.
Have upgraded from OH 3.4.5 through OH 4.3.8 to OH 5.0.3. On OH 3.4.5 various item states have been presented to Alexa “for read only” and worked out perfectly.
Now, on either OH 4.3.8 or OH 5.0.3, the devices are detected by Alexa but if trying to ask for them, i get first a “waiting for openHAB” and then “the server doesn’t react”. The reading is equal to the lower range number defined, e.g. 0 or -5000 for another device. If i change OH settings from “not controllable” ON (read only) to OFF, i get a slider in Alexa and can change the values in OH (only the item states but not something at the hardware (e.g. CO2 sensors which are read only). This is strange, but shows that the basic setup between Alexa and OH is working.
A normal switch item or a rollershutter works out normal as before on OH 3.4.5.
It may have to do with item state and UoM but i am not able to find the trick. Already tested various items with different units.
Tried to install a workarround using “Home Assistant” (HA).
Published a couple of openHAB item states from various sensors to MQTT.
Subscribed these MQTT topics in HA and updated “virtual” devices.
Tried to expose these devices to Alexa.
Now i got notes that Alexa doesn’t support the devices. Tested normal switch devices like plugs and lights, and those worked out immediately.
Thus, the behavior using HA is pretty much the same as observed here in openHAB. This lets me conclude, that the whole issue is probably caused by Amazon?
Have observed another thing. Tested a switch item and a temperature controller in both directions Alexa → OH and vice versa:
If the switch is used in Alexa, everything behaves as expected and the states in OH are updated, ON and OFF. This leads to the conclusion that everything looks okay for a switch.
If i trigger the switch in OH, neither the ON nor the OFF state is updated in Alexa. Thus, nothing is okay.
Same is valid for temperature controllers.
And sensors don’t longer work at all (initial issue).
Thus, it seems like Alexa currently can’t retrieve/update item states. As far as i have tested, all kind of devices are affected by this phenomenon. Temperature controllers, sensors and switches. For me this doesn’t look like its dependend on the OH version.
Can anybody confirm this behavior or see any difference in OH 3.4.5 / 4.3.8 / 5.0.3?
Yes, I can confirm that. I didn’t notice that for a long time cause I never check the devices in the Alexa app. Probably it’s got something to do with the new binding.
Err, no. that has nothing to do with the echo-binding but with the alexa skill.
@sihui : Do you see this problem that status changes coming from OH are not recognized in the Alexa App too?
Yes, BUT: since a couple of month my items are published through the Matter binding metadata (matter="xyz"), not anymore through the Alexa metadata (alexa="xyz").
But I am seeing the same problem and did not notice it either because I also never use the Alexa app …
After reading a little about the problem I think it has always been that way: The skill cannot reliably report back to Alexa. This seems to be a limitation by amazon.
@dk8pn : Are you sure that it worked reliable before in this direction?
Out of curiosity: Does that provide any advantages vs. Alexa skill?
You just install the matter binding, create a matter controller, change the metadata and that’s it? Do you need a controller at all for this direction?
It seems to be much more reliable and it provides local control.
I have, in addition to the Matter Bridge, also a Matter Controller Thing because I bought some Matter devices.
But according to the docs a Controller Thing is not necessary (haven’t tested that).
Yes, but don’t forget to delete your Skill devices in the Alexa app first, otherwise you create double entries and that is a mess
I am at least sure, that it worked out consistently for a couple of years for the following devices in OH 3.4.6:
CO2 sensors.
Battery levels of PV batteries.
Sunpower of 3 different module arrays.
Temperatur sensors.
None of them work now. But i actually cannot state, that its related to the openHAB version. The root cause could also be Amazon.
I basically also don’t use the Alexa app primarily. Instead of this is, i use the Alexa voice commands and related Alexa speech feedback. If i command switches through Alexa, i don’t recognize that the item state is not updated. For sensors and battery levels i get either a zero as feedback or the lowest value of the defined range. I usually used “Other.RangeValue” as type in OH metadata settings. But i also tried “battery.level” and others without success.
First i thought, that it would probably be related to item state and introduction of UoM. But dimensionless item states also don’t work.
Many thanks for this hint. I thought up to now that it would require Matter compatible special devices. Didn’t know that it works out with many OH devices using related metadata setup.
Have just tested a switch device (plug) with Alexa, and it works out with item state updates in both directions.
So, thats definetely a significant advantage vs the current OH Alexa skill.
Am limited in device types like e.g. “thermostat”. The list is limited vs what i have read in the community threads. But i can’t find the trick how to update. Have OH 5.0.3 and te related matter binding.
Thanks for pointing me into the right direction. But am not sure if i can integrate my “old” Livisi (RWE / innogy / eQ3) temperature controllers using matter metadata. Up to now, i am not successful.
Existing OH things seem to need at least some matter compatibility in order to be exposed as real matter devices to Alexa?
Comming back to the initial issue of this thread, it would be nice to know who of the openHAB Alexa skill coders could verify the point and probably resolve it?
The matter binding is a good alternative for many existing “old” openHAB things in order to expose them to Alexa, but can’t replace the openHAB Alexa skill at 100%.
I have also I think the same issue, I have a battery for my PV using MQTT, and I am exposing it to Alexa using the metada as Other.BatteryLevel, which worked for some time, not sure when it stopped.
I checked today and I get Server is unresponsive Battery Level 0 Percent.
Other devices work, like switches, I did not change the config, maybe just an update
Connecting via Matter or Amazon skill are completely different things. The skill can break anytime Amazon changes something. And a proper update speed of the status (direction OH to Alexa App) cannot be guaranteed.
I’m about to change my devices to matter exposure because
it’s local (except speech recognition)
it’s faster
it’s more robust (as it’s a standard)
reliable in both directions
Until now I only connected switches and plugs and those work great. I’m curious to see how my rollershutters and my color lights will perform.
