Alexa (local)
Alexa (local)| This function block allows the
controller to be operated by voice commands via an Alexa speaker.
The controller directly emulates a Philips Hue bridge on the local
network — unlike the older "Alexa" block, no additional
software (HA Bridge) is required. Each block appears to Alexa as a dimmable lamp using the configured voice command as its name. "Switch <name> on/off" sets the EA outputs, "Dim <name> to 50 percent" sets the WT outputs (0-100). |
Inputs |
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| FG |
Enable |
Optional enable input; if the input is not
connected, the block is enabled automatically. |
Outputs |
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| TR |
Trigger |
When a voice command is recognized, a positive
edge is output here (pulse, automatically reset after
3 seconds). |
| EA |
On/off | Bit output; depending on the function, either a bit, a value or both are linked. A KNX dimming actuator, for example, has addresses for bit and percentage value. With the command "Switch light off" the bit address is set to 0, with "Dim light" the percentage output is set to the corresponding value. |
| WT | Value | |
Parameters |
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| Voice command |
Voice command / device name. The exact wording must be entered here. Note that Alexa does not recognize all commands, especially uncommon names. After a change, the device discovery must be repeated in the Alexa app. | |
| Number of
outputs |
Number of output pairs (EA/WT). |
|
| Debug |
Outputs debug messages via the runtime, e.g. whether a discovery request was received, which devices were queried or which command arrived. Active as soon as the parameter is enabled on at least one block. Default: off. | |
| Port |
Test option, only visible when Debug is enabled: port of the HTTP server of the Hue emulation, default 8080. If Debug is not active, the runtime always uses the default port 8080. On the controller, 8080 must be used — the web server of the controller forwards port 80 to the emulation. A different port is only intended for tests under Windows. | |
The Alexa speaker and the controller must be in the same IP network (subnet). Device discovery is started with the voice command "Alexa, discover devices" or in the Alexa app via Devices → Add device → Light → Philips Hue. The blocks then appear as lamps named after the configured voice command.
After changing a voice command or when migrating from the older "Alexa" block, the old devices should be deleted in the Alexa app and the discovery repeated.
Device discovery uses UPnP/SSDP (UDP multicast to 239.255.255.250, port 1900); the commands run over HTTP on port 80 of the controller. Both only work on the local network: multicast and device discovery do not cross network/subnet boundaries (routers).
The controller is not found during device discovery.
Most common cause: the Alexa speaker is in a separate WiFi network
(e.g. behind an additional WiFi router) while the controller is in the
LAN. If the devices are in different subnets, the multicast search
cannot reach the controller — the same behavior as with Sonos
speakers in a separate WiFi network. Check: the IP address and subnet
mask of the speaker and the controller must belong to the same
network.
Same subnet, but still no discovery.
IGMP snooping or client/AP isolation in the switch or access point can
block the multicast packets. The same applies to a firewall: UDP port
1900 (incoming to the controller) and TCP port 80 must be allowed.
Testing the reachability of the controller.
Open the address http://<controller-IP>/api/description.xml in
the browser of a device on the same network. If no XML description is
shown, the HTTP connection is not working (check network/firewall).
Device was found but no longer responds.
The voice command was changed or the project was rebuilt. Delete the
old devices in the Alexa app and run the device discovery again.
Remote access/VPN.
Device discovery and the Alexa connection only work on the local
network of the controller, not via a VPN connection.
Important: This function can only be used with Alexa speakers (e.g. Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show), not with devices that have Alexa integrated.
Note: This block uses an emulation of the Philips Hue bridge. There is no guarantee that Amazon will continue to support this connection in future Alexa or Echo versions. The function can therefore not be guaranteed for future versions of the Alexa software.