EvoControl - custom Alexa skill for Evohome

[philchillbill]

Is there potentially a related issues with viewing line charts? I get the same performance

Zone > View > More > Line Chart

Gives me a flash of a UI, then reverts to schedule set points.

I just found that, plus another one you hadn't triggered yet so all fixed now. Apologies.

[s.w.webb1]

Nothing to apologise for - really appreciate your efforts with this!

A question is on HA integration. HA instance is remotely accessible over https connection, created LLAT, input it to reg page, all checks out. HA icon now visible top right but red. On clicking on it I get “No known error(s)”.

Don’t see any graphs of actual over my zone graphs yet & still reading to 0.5 degrees. The HA instance is working just fine & reading from evofw3 dongle.

Finally, on the echo show, is it possible to have the skill running in the background, or do I always have to preface a command with “Alexa, launch smart heat and….” If the skill isn’t visible at the time?

[philchillbill]

A question is on HA integration. HA instance is remotely accessible over https connection, created LLAT, input it to reg page, all checks out. HA icon now visible top right but red. On clicking on it I get “No known error(s)”.

Don’t see any graphs of actual over my zone graphs yet & still reading to 0.5 degrees. The HA instance is working just fine & reading from evofw3 dongle.

In your HA schema entity, your Box Room zone has no sensor/actuators defined, so you should check your config. I'll be adding error messages for these kinds of things as they shows up in real life but for now this was unforeseen and hence no message of explanation. If you very recently set up HA it can take up to 24H for all the ramses_cc stuff to populate properly so might just be a question of giving it time to settle.

 "08": {
                    "_name": "Box Room",
                    "class": "radiator_valve",
                    "sensor": null,
                    "actuators": []
                }

Finally, on the echo show, is it possible to have the skill running in the background, or do I always have to preface a command with “Alexa, launch smart heat and….” If the skill isn’t visible at the time?

Unfortunately not possible. I call it 'appliance mode' and I've been asking Amazon for it for years but no joy — invocation is always required for custom skills. Did you get the widget to show up or is that still broken on Amazon's end?

[s.w.webb1]

In your HA schema entity, your Box Room zone has no sensor/actuators defined, so you should check your config. I'll be adding error messages for these kinds of things as they shows up in real life but for now this was unforeseen and hence no message of explanation. If you very recently set up HA it can take up to 24H for all the ramses_cc stuff to populate properly so might just be a question of giving it time to settle.

 "08": {
                    "_name": "Box Room",
                    "class": "radiator_valve",
                    "sensor": null,
                    "actuators": []
                }

No luck on the widget, can only get the skill to launch. I can't find a way to search widgets, instead just have to scroll through, and asking Alexa to add the SmartHeat widget doesn't work either.

As for config - I've found the actuator ID I'm missing (and also another error while I was there), although when I set the state through HA in developer tools, it gets overwritten shortly after. Do I need to force the schema now I know it through known list?

Thanks for all your help. Very much at the start of my HA journey....

[philchillbill]

No luck on the widget, can only get the skill to launch. I can't find a way to search widgets, instead just have to scroll through, and asking Alexa to add the SmartHeat widget doesn't work either.

As for config - I've found the actuator ID I'm missing (and also another error while I was there), although when I set the state through HA in developer tools, it gets overwritten shortly after. Do I need to force the schema now I know it through known list?

Not your fault — there is no way to search widgets so scrolling is the only way. The widget is actually called EvoControl rather than Smart Heat but if you don't see it then that won't work either. On the next certification round for the skill I'll bet the widget returns but for now it's gone

It's definitely best to use a known list with HA once you have all the details.

[philchillbill]

As for config - I've found the actuator ID I'm missing (and also another error while I was there)

FYI, the error about Amazon DynamoDB being temporarily offline was being caused by the database not accepting a key/value pair where the key is null. That was caused by your actuators array being empty for Box Room. I've now modified the code to replace the value null by a string of 'null' when this happens, so you should get further now with your HA integration showing the other zones at least. You will likely have to ask Alexa to 'update my configuration'.

[s.w.webb1]

I’ve set the known list in my HA config, coming through on the schema on HA fine, have updated config on the skill and HA icon still showing red, but no known issues. Any suggestions?

Also, tried asking for EvoControl skill, no luck.

[philchillbill]

I’ve set the known list in my HA config, coming through on the schema on HA fine, have updated config on the skill and HA icon still showing red, but no known issues. Any suggestions?

You need to refresh your skill config because while it knows you have HA, the discovery process for HA is incomplete so you're in a limbo-state. Visit settings and hit the refresh icon.

[s.w.webb1]

You need to refresh your skill config because while it knows you have HA, the discovery process for HA is incomplete so you're in a limbo-state. Visit settings and hit the refresh icon.

Yes I've tried that a couple of times & no success. I just checked there & noticed the HGI80 integration was disabled on the Echo, presume that was revoked from your end? Either way, I deleted the association on smartskills config page, created a new LLAT, recreated the connection & updated my config on the skill, still showing HA red icon & no known errors.

Thanks for your help as I'm at a bit of a loss on this currently, can't spot anything useful in HA logs and debugging Echo show is not my wheelhouse!

[philchillbill]

Yes I've tried that a couple of times & no success. I just checked there & noticed the HGI80 integration was disabled on the Echo, presume that was revoked from your end? Either way, I deleted the association on smartskills config page, created a new LLAT, recreated the connection & updated my config on the skill, still showing HA red icon & no known errors.

Thanks for your help as I'm at a bit of a loss on this currently, can't spot anything useful in HA logs and debugging Echo show is not my wheelhouse!

Yep, I had cleared certain DB entries at my end. Please try refreshing again now. I just spotted something odd and corrected it

[s.w.webb1]

Yep, I had cleared certain DB entries at my end. Please try refreshing again now. I just spotted something odd and corrected it

Seems to be working now. On oddity is that when I have the HGI80 integration enabled, some of the zones show a scheduled setpoint underneath the tile.

When HGI80 is disabled:
IMG-3640.jpg

When it is enabled:
IMG-3641.jpg

All zones have schedule B uploaded. Have checked my HA config & can't see anything particularly different about those zones which would cause it. As a result, when I try view the chart for those zones which are displayed differently it doesn't work, for those displaying as expected the chart shows fine.

The only thing that has changed between those photos is the checkbox for HGI80 enablement.

[philchillbill]

Seems to be working now

What version of HA are you running? The results from the API for your climate.xxx entries look quite different to the results Bruce and I saw when beta-testing the HA integration.

The expected data has this form:

{
  "entity_id": "climate.bedroom",
  "state": "off",
  "attributes": {
    "current_temperature": 21,
    "temperature": 5,
    "hvac_action": "off",
    "preset_mode": "none",
    "zone_idx": "06",
    "heating_type": "radiator_valve",
    "mode": {
      "mode": "follow_schedule",
      "setpoint": 5
    },
    "config": {
      "min_temp": 5,
      "max_temp": 35,
      "local_override": true,
      "openwindow_function": true,
      "multiroom_mode": false
    },
    "schema": {
      "_name": "Bedroom",
      "class": "radiator_valve",
      "sensor": "34:123456",
      "actuators": [
        "04:123456"
      ]
    },
    "params": {
      "config": {
        "min_temp": 5,
        "max_temp": 35,
        "local_override": true,
        "openwindow_function": true,
        "multiroom_mode": false
      },
      "mode": {
        "mode": "follow_schedule",
        "setpoint": 5
      },
      "name": "Bedroom"
    },
    "schedule": null,
    "schedule_version": null,
    "icon": "mdi:radiator",
    "friendly_name": "Bedroom"
  },
  "last_changed": "2023-07-25T14:52:08.349935+00:00",
  "last_updated": "2023-07-25T14:52:08.349935+00:00"
}

while your HA is producing

 {
      "entity_id": "climate.guest_room",
      "state": "off",
      "attributes": {
        "current_temperature": 16.3,
        "temperature": 5,
        "preset_mode": "none",
        "status": {
          "setpoints": {
            "this_sp_from": "2023-07-25T10:00:00+01:00",
            "this_sp_temp": 5,
            "next_sp_from": "2023-07-25T17:00:00+01:00",
            "next_sp_temp": 5
          },
          "zone_id": "1234567",
          "active_faults": [],
          "setpoint_status": {
            "target_heat_temperature": 5,
            "setpoint_mode": "FollowSchedule"
          },
          "temperature_status": {
            "temperature": 16,
            "is_available": true
          }
        },
        "friendly_name": "Guest Room"
      },
      "last_changed": "2023-07-25T14:56:24.517989+00:00",
      "last_updated": "2023-07-25T14:56:24.517989+00:00"
    }

so you are missing the mode subsection and the actual 1234567 Honeywell ID is showing for the zone instead of a ramses_cc 04:123456 id.

EDIT: To recover the missing appendages under the tiles, try asking "Alexa, reset the system mode" when inside the skill

[s.w.webb1]

Huh, that's really quite different!

Do the entities differ for where they display correctly vs incorrectly? i.e. do living room & bedroom have the same structure?

I'm on HA 2023.7.3 & Ramses_CC 0.21.40

[philchillbill]

Huh, that's really quite different!

Do the entities differ for where they display correctly vs incorrectly? i.e. do living room & bedroom have the same structure?

I'm on HA 2023.7.3 & Ramses_CC 0.21.40

Your Living Room zone does have the expected format

{
      "entity_id": "climate.living_room",
      "state": "off",
      "attributes": {
        "current_temperature": 20.4,
        "temperature": 5,
        "hvac_action": "idle",
        "preset_mode": "none",
        "zone_idx": "01",
        "heating_type": "radiator_valve",
        "mode": {
          "mode": "follow_schedule",
          "setpoint": 5
        },
        "config": {
          "min_temp": 5,
          "max_temp": 35,
          "local_override": true,
          "openwindow_function": true,
          "multiroom_mode": false
        },
        "schema": {
          "_name": "Living Room",
          "class": "radiator_valve",
          "sensor": "34:259472",
          "actuators": [
            "04:041290",
            "04:041302"
          ]
        },
        "params": {
          "config": {
            "min_temp": 5,
            "max_temp": 35,
            "local_override": true,
            "openwindow_function": true,
            "multiroom_mode": false
          },
          "mode": {
            "mode": "follow_schedule",
            "setpoint": 5
          },
          "name": "Living Room"
        },
        "schedule": null,
        "schedule_version": null,
        "icon": "mdi:radiator",
        "friendly_name": "Living Room"
      },
      "last_changed": "2023-07-25T15:58:34.330254+00:00",
      "last_updated": "2023-07-25T15:58:34.330254+00:00"
    }

Handling the unexpected version is fairly trivial so I can add it and the skill will then handle either variant (or more if they show up as other users start adding HA). Can @bruce_miranda shed any light on why the 2 different formats are showing?


EDIT: Looking in detail at the unexpected format, it does actually match the TCC nomenclature much more closely. I wonder why David never mentioned having 2 versions of the climate schema?

EDIT2: I've added handling both situations. Where I am now I don't have access to HA to test but give it a whirl and we shall see if I got it right.

[s.w.webb1]

It could be on my config end.

I've just dug into those zones in more detail - for each of those displaying correctly, my HA instance has an entity for [climate.zone] & [climate.zone_2]. For those which weren't displaying correctly there is only an entity for [climate.zone] (i.e. no second entity with '_2' suffix).

All those with only 1 entity are the different structure those with 2 entities (e.g. living room) the first zone is the structure you were expecting and the second was the incorrect one, but you never queried it anyway so it didn't pop up.

climate.living_room:

hvac_modes:
  - auto
  - heat
min_temp: 5
max_temp: 35
target_temp_step: 0.1
preset_modes:
  - none
  - temporary
  - permanent
current_temperature: 20.5
temperature: 5
hvac_action: idle
preset_mode: none
zone_idx: '01'
heating_type: radiator_valve
mode:
  mode: follow_schedule
  setpoint: 5
config:
  min_temp: 5
  max_temp: 35
  local_override: true
  openwindow_function: true
  multiroom_mode: false
schema:
  _name: Living Room
  class: radiator_valve
  sensor: '34:259472'
  actuators:
    - '04:041290'
    - '04:041302'
params:
  config:
    min_temp: 5
    max_temp: 35
    local_override: true
    openwindow_function: true
    multiroom_mode: false
  mode:
    mode: follow_schedule
    setpoint: 5
  name: Living Room
schedule: null
schedule_version: null
icon: mdi:radiator
friendly_name: Living Room
supported_features: 17

climate.living_room_2:

hvac_modes:
  - 'off'
  - heat
min_temp: 5
max_temp: 35
preset_modes:
  - none
  - temporary
  - permanent
current_temperature: 20.5
temperature: 5
preset_mode: none
status:
  setpoints:
    this_sp_from: '2023-07-26T17:00:00+01:00'
    this_sp_temp: 5
    next_sp_from: '2023-07-26T21:00:00+01:00'
    next_sp_temp: 5
  zone_id: '6237753'
  active_faults: []
  setpoint_status:
    target_heat_temperature: 5
    setpoint_mode: FollowSchedule
  temperature_status:
    temperature: 20
    is_available: true
friendly_name: Living Room
supported_features: 17

I'm not familiar enough yet with HA to know how to purge the entities & then have Ramses_cc rediscover. I see there is an eavesdrop input for ramses_rf, but I'm not sure how to clear out old entities yet.