Alexa Global Cache & Events

[billbingaman]

I control my home audio system using the Global Cache plugin. I have evens set up in HS to turn on & off different sources and zones. I would like to control these with Alexa. I read something about setting up virtual devices to control events, but need more information. Could someone please assist?

Also if someone has a better way to control the Audio system with HS and Alexa i am open to suggestions. Controlling the system with events is a little clunky doing things like raising and lowering the volume.

[will.i.am]

Just set up virtual devices for your sources and zones. You can make them simple on/off devices. Then have your events set to recognize when the device is turned on or off and activate the appropriate GlobalCache device in the event. When you discover devices with Alexa, you should see the virtual devices listed. Then you can command Alexa to turn on the virtual device, which will trigger the GlobalCache device to turn on the source or select the zone.

For example, I have a GCIR on my TV and created a virtual device called TV. I have events for TV ON and TV OFF. Alexa sees the device called TV, so I can say 'Turn on the TV', which triggers the event when the device status changes, and sends the GCIR command to turn on the TV.

You can get much more inventive. I also have the XBMC plug-in, so in addition to a simple TV on/off, I made the virtual device dimmable with statuses for each channel that I want to be able to set. Then I have events for each of my favorite channels. So I can tell Alexa to set the TV to channel 10, and the event has the command for the XBMC plug-in to change to that channel.

[waynehead99]

This may or may not help, but its what I am doing to control my Global Cache unit (I just recently started since I received it for xmas, I am working to add a lot more).

I don't use the plugin, I created a script to control things. Right now it just has the immediate things I wanted to have setup to be controlled by voice. I am using Jon's Alexa Helper scripts and created a few trigger words that run this script and parse out what is being said and take action based off that.

I highly recommend looking at Jon's helper as you could do what you are wanting without having to create virtual devices or run events.

For this, you see that I am only looking at either TV or Television being said to trigger the script, from there I look at what was said (like mute) and run that function.

I am not sure how well you are at scripting, I am new to it and this wasn't too hard with Google's help. You don't need to script to do what you want to do though, the helper really was a life saver in making all this work.

' import required modules
Imports System.Net
Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.Text
    Sub Main(ByVal parms as Object)
        Dim strCommand as string

        Dim Yammy_Mute = "sendir,1:1,1,38000,1,69,341,170,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,1517,341,85,21,3655" &vbCR
        
        Dim Yammy_UnMute = "sendir,1:1,1,38000,1,69,341,170,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,1517,341,85,21,3655" &vbCR
        
        Dim DTV_Pause = "sendir,1:3,1,38000,1,21,229,45,45,45,22,22,22,22,45,45,22,22,45,22,22,22,22,45,22,1143,114,45,45,45,22,22,22,22,45,45,22,22,45,22,22,22,22,45,22,1143" &vbCR
        
        Dim Yammy_Power_On = "sendir,1:1,1,38000,1,69,341,170,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,1517,341,85,21,3655" &vbCR
        
        Dim Yammy_Power_Off = "sendir,1:1,1,38000,1,69,341,170,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,1517,341,85,21,3655" &vbCR
        
        Dim DTV_Power_On = "sendir,1:3,1,39000,1,1,232,46,46,46,23,23,46,23,23,23,23,23,23,23,46,46,46,23,23,1155,116,46,46,46,23,23,46,23,23,23,23,23,23,23,46,46,46,23,23,1155,116,46,46,46,23,23,46,23,23,23,23,23,23,23,46,46,46,23,23,46" &vbCR
        
        Dim DTV_Power_Off = "sendir,1:3,1,39000,1,1,232,46,46,46,23,23,46,23,23,23,23,23,23,46,46,46,46,46,23,1155,116,46,46,46,23,23,46,23,23,23,23,23,23,46,46,46,46,46,23,1155,116,46,46,46,23,23,46,23,23,23,23,23,23,46,46,46,46,46,23,46" &vbCR
        
        Dim NEC_Power_On = "sendir,1:2,1,38109,1,1,343,171,22,21,21,21,22,21,22,63,22,63,22,21,22,21,21,21,22,63,22,63,22,63,22,21,22,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,22,21,22,21,22,63,22,21,21,21,22,21,22,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,22,63,22,63,22,63,22,63,22,1533,343,85,22,3661,342,85,22,3661,342,85,22,3800" &vbCR
        
        Dim NEC_Power_Off = "sendir,1:2,1,38000,1,69,342,171,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,1702,342,85,21,3663" &vbCR
        
        Dim DTV_Digit_9 = "sendir,1:3,1,38000,1,21,229,45,45,45,22,22,22,22,22,22,45,22,22,45,22,45,45,45,22,1143,114,45,45,45,22,22,22,22,22,22,45,22,22,45,22,45,45,45,22,1143" &vbCR
        
        Dim Yammy_DTV = "sendir,1:1,1,38000,1,69,341,170,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,1517,341,85,21,3655" &vbCR
        
        Dim Yammy_CD = "sendir,1:1,1,38000,1,69,341,170,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,21,21,64,21,64,21,64,21,1517,341,85,21,3655" &vbCR
        
        If Instr(parms,"pause") then 
        Call IRSend(DTV_Pause) 
        hs.setdevicestring(2393, "I have paused the TV", true)
        End If
        
        If Instr(parms,"mute") then 
        Call IRSend(Yammy_Mute)
        hs.setdevicestring(2393, "I have muted the TV", true)
        End If
        
        If Instr(parms,"unmute") then 
        Call IRSend(Yammy_UnMute) 
        hs.setdevicestring(2393, "I have unmuted the TV", true)
        End If
        
        If Instr(parms,"news") then 
        Call IRSend(Yammy_Power_On)
        hs.waitsecs(1)
        Call IRSend(Yammy_DTV)
        hs.waitsecs(1)
        Call IRSend(DTV_Power_On)
        hs.waitsecs(1)
        Call IRSend(NEC_Power_On)
        hs.waitsecs(1)
        Call IRSend(DTV_Digit_9)
        hs.setdevicestring(2393, "I have turned on the news", true)
        End If
        
        If InStr(parms,"television on") orElse InStr(parms,"tv on") then
        hs.setdevicestring(2393, "I have turned the TV On", true)
            Dim TV_Watts as integer = hs.devicevalue(824)
            If TV_Watts = 0 then 
                hs.CAPIControlHandler(hs.CAPIGetSingleControl(824,true ,"on",false,true))
                hs.waitsecs(2)
            Else
                'Do Nothing
            End If
        Call IRSend(Yammy_Power_On)
        hs.waitsecs(1)
        Call IRSend(Yammy_DTV)
        hs.waitsecs(1)
        Call IRSend(DTV_Power_On)
        hs.waitsecs(1)
        Call IRSend(NEC_Power_On)
        End If
        
        If InStr(parms,"television off") orElse InStr(parms,"tv off") then
        hs.setdevicestring(2393, "I have turned the TV Off", true)
        Dim TV_Watts as integer = hs.devicevalueEX(822)
            If TV_Watts > 50 then
                Call IRSend(Yammy_Power_Off)
                hs.waitsecs(1)
                Call IRSend(DTV_Power_Off)
                hs.waitsecs(1)
                Call IRSend(NEC_Power_Off)
            Else
                'Do Nothing
                hs.setdevicestring(2393, "TV is already Off", true)
            End If
        End If
        
        If InStr(parms,"russound") then
            Dim Stereo_Power as integer = hs.devicevalue(833)
            Dim TV_Power as integer = hs.devicevalue(822)
            Dim Russound_Zone as integer = hs.devicevalue(1336)
                If Stereo_Power < 30 then 'Stereo Off
                    Call IRSend(Yammy_Power_On)
                    hs.waitsecs(1)
                    Call IRSend(Yammy_CD)
                Else
                    Call IRSend(Yammy_CD)
                    hs.waitsecs(1)
                    Call IRSend(NEC_Power_Off)
                End If
                
                If Russound_Zone = 0 then
                    Call IRSend(Yammy_Power_Off)
                End If
        End If
End Sub

Sub IRSend(ByVal strCommand as object)
        Dim tcpClient As New System.Net.Sockets.TcpClient()
        tcpClient.Connect("10.0.254.19", "4998")
        Dim networkStream As NetworkStream = tcpClient.GetStream()
        Dim strResponse As String
        strResponse = "No response"
        If networkStream.CanWrite Then
            Dim sendBytes As [Byte]() = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(strCommand)
            networkStream.Write(sendBytes, 0, sendBytes.Length)
            Dim bytes(tcpClient.ReceiveBufferSize) As Byte
            networkStream.Read(bytes, 0, CInt(tcpClient.ReceiveBufferSize))
            Dim returndata As String = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytes)
            strResponse = "Device responded: " & CStr(returndata)
        Else
            If Not networkStream.CanWrite Then
                strResponse = "Error: Cannot write data to the device"
                tcpClient.Close()
            End If
        End If
        hs.writelog("iTach Script", strResponse)
        tcpClient.Close()

End Sub