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Voice control of Beosystem using Amazon Echo

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This post has 19 Replies | 4 Followers

frog
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frog Posted: Thu, Oct 27 2016 12:10 AM

hi,

just completed Integrating my ML system using a ML Gateway, a Raspberry Pi running Domoticz and an Amazon Echo Dot . With this combo, I can voice control any MLGW connected device in the house with simple commands like "Alexa, turn on the main TV" etc. 

 

Useful? Maybe - but it is cool.

 

Søren Mexico
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frog:

hi,

just completed Integrating my ML system using a ML Gateway, a Raspberry Pi running Domoticz and an Amazon Echo Dot . With this combo, I can voice control any MLGW connected device in the house with simple commands like "Alexa, turn on the main TV" etc. 

 

Useful? Maybe - but it is cool.

 

If it doesn't  work, try "et tu, Brute"

 

Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.

Jeff
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Jeff replied on Thu, Oct 27 2016 1:11 AM

What happens when you say "Tea, Earl Gray, hot" ???Smile

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

mjmedlo
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mjmedlo replied on Thu, Oct 27 2016 2:25 AM
Nice

I like Alexa.

I use it for a lot of functions in our home.

We use IFTTT triggers but it's a nice tool.

I think voice control is absolutely coming to virtually all technology.

beojeff
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beojeff replied on Thu, Oct 27 2016 12:04 PM

I, too, have been using IFTTT triggers to control my BLGW by voice commands to the Echo. It would be nice to see the BLGW gain the ability to interact with the Echo directly without IFTTT. I can also elect music from Spotify by voice commands to an Echo Dot paired with a BeoPlay A2. For choosing music from my iTunes library, I can speak the selection into my Apple Watch to control an iPhone paired with a BeoPlay speaker or for Airplay to an airport express connected to my BeoSound.

What we need now if for all of these parts to be connected into one simple system.

Weebyx
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Weebyx replied on Thu, Oct 27 2016 12:44 PM

Jeff:

What happens when you say "Tea, Earl Gray, hot" ???Smile

It calls the movers, get your stuff put in a truck, and ships you and the stuff to UK ;)

/Weebyx

frog
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frog replied on Thu, Oct 27 2016 1:57 PM

What happens when you say "Tea, Earl Gray, hot" ???Smile

 

It says that it isn't a replicator :0

 

I don't use IFTTT as I find it a bit clunky. The bridge code between the Alexa service and the MLGW is here just for interest (Python running on the Raspberry - same as Domoticz).

#!/usr/bin/python

 

import socket               # Import socket module

import time    # Import Time module for delays

import sys

import getopt

 

Debug = True

 

# Setup B&O datagrams

if Debug:

   serno = '01390000'.decode('hex')

 

MLNDict = {'BS3':'01','BV10':'02'}

MLNDevices = {'AppleTV':['85','00'],'Sky':['8A','00'], 'Radio':['81','01'], 'CD':['92','01']}

 

def buildMLString(device,status,source):

   MLString = '01010300'

   if Debug:

     print (MLString, device, status, source)

   if status == 'Off':

return(''.join((MLString,MLNDict[device],'000C00')))

   return(''.join((MLString,MLNDict[device],MLNDevices[source][1],MLNDevices[source][0],'00')))

 

 

s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)         # Create a socket object

try:

   hostname = ("192.168.0.22")    # Masterlink Gateway hostname

   host = socket.gethostbyname(hostname) # Connect to Mlgw.local

   port = 9000                # Reserve a port for your service.

   if Debug:

      print "Connecting to: ",host, port

except socket.gaierror,err:

   print "cannot resolve hostname: ",hostname,err

 

 

s.connect((host, port))

if Debug:

   print ("Connected")

   # Sending Serial Number Request

   print "Sending Serial Number Request"

   s.send(serno)

   print s.recv(255)

 

MLString = buildMLString(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2], sys.argv[3])

if Debug:

   print MLString

s.send(MLString.decode('hex'))

 

s.close                     # Close the socket when done

 

 

 

mjmedlo
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mjmedlo replied on Thu, Oct 27 2016 6:26 PM
beojeff:

I, too, have been using IFTTT triggers to control my BLGW by voice commands to the Echo. It would be nice to see the BLGW gain the ability to interact with the Echo directly without IFTTT. I can also elect music from Spotify by voice commands to an Echo Dot paired with a BeoPlay A2. For choosing music from my iTunes library, I can speak the selection into my Apple Watch to control an iPhone paired with a BeoPlay speaker or for Airplay to an airport express connected to my BeoSound.

What we need now if for all of these parts to be connected into one simple system.

Coming soon I think
Stan
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Stan replied on Thu, Oct 27 2016 7:06 PM

I got an email the other day pitching me on Harmony remote / Alexa integration.  I use a Harmony remote to control my BV8.  Supposedly, this is is another path if one doesn't want to tinker with BLGW, IFTTT, etc.

Stan

frog
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frog replied on Sun, Nov 13 2016 3:29 PM

Just finished the integration. Whole home integration with voice. It is a handy second method of controlling most things.  Using general purpose open-source home automation software is a cheap and extensible way of getting there.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H5SFppTW_qM

 

Millemissen
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Kind of cool.

Please keep us posted, how you - in the long run - prefer to 'control' the tv?

Voice contolliing or remote controlling?

Can you do more, than what you showed?

If you live with a family - what do they think/prefer?

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV

Millemissen
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Kind of cool.

Please keep us posted, how you - in the long run - prefer to 'control' the tv?

Voice controlling or remote controlling?

Can you do more, than what you showed?

If you live with a family - what do they think/prefer?

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV

elephant
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elephant replied on Mon, Nov 14 2016 9:46 AM
Millemissen:

Kind of cool.

Please keep us posted, how you - in the long run - prefer to 'control' the tv?

Voice controlling or remote controlling?

Can you do more, than what you showed?

If you live with a family - what do they think/prefer?

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV.

Via an Apple TV I use Siri voice control for generic searching for content and interacting with Hue lights via HomeKit. That's as adventurous as I get. Big Smile

BeoNut since '75

badgersurf
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badgersurf replied on Mon, Nov 14 2016 11:00 AM

Hi Frog,

Looks good, can you control which source is selected via Alexa or change channel?

Think I will have to try this over the Christmas break.

 

frog
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frog replied on Mon, Nov 14 2016 11:38 AM

The controls are limited by what Alexa will recognise (although the MLGW though can really do everything and more that the remote can), so channel up and down are OK, but say asking to go to a particular channel number is problematic unless you have set that channel up as a macro.

if you only want to control one TV, an easier route is to use the Logitech harmony hub which sends control info via IR and doesn't need the MLGW. It already has an Alexa app (a 'skill') but It is more expensive though if you have the MLGW already. It also has similar Alexa recognition limitations. 

 

 

Gary Nelson
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Hi Frog,

As usual I am playing catch up and suppose that your Alexa/BEO system has evolved still further.  Any recent updates?

Shadowing you I have an underused MLGW and plenty of B&O hardware throughout the house.so am quite envious of what you have achieved.

This Christmas I have bought the missus an Amazon Echo Show and the kids Echo dots so they can chat to their hearts content.  So on Christmas morning I will have the stuff hopefully that will allow me to do some home automation.

Would it be possible for you to give me a shopping list of other hardware I need to emulate your set up, i.e. Raspberry Pi etc and where I stick your code etc.

Cheers

Gary

frog
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frog replied on Sun, Dec 9 2018 11:31 AM

Sure, no problem.

 

i recommend a raspberry pi 3 (£35) (with the extras you need; SD card psu), a RFXCom RFXTX433e  (£80) (useful for controlling 433Mhz devices), Domoticz software from www.domoticz.com (open source) and you should be good to go. To link to Alexa, you can either use Controlix (which has a small annual charge) or build your own skill - both options are in the Domoticz forum. I’d suggest using Controlix as it would be very simple to set up. You can set up switches in Domoticz which would link to the MLGW so that Alexa can switch on and control various B&O devices.

In terms of new software, there haven’t been any changes to the code as it works reliably and I haven’t had any need to change it. 

frog
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frog replied on Sun, Dec 9 2018 11:35 AM

Having said that, there are changes to the code tat make it more functional, but this forum is absolutely rubbish for posting code segments. I’ll see about setting up a Dropbox location for two pieces of code tat you could modify.

Gary Nelson
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Thanks for the info Frog.

Whilst this forum is not great for sharing code, it is good though.

I'm off to spend my Christmas money on a Rpi etc.

Cheers

Gary
ebnrob
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ebnrob replied on Fri, Jun 5 2020 12:34 AM

Hi Frog, I'm thinking about getting a used MLGW to allow me to control my z-wave lights from the remote through http json requests to homeseer as well as hue lights to the bridge in the same way, which I gather can be done with custom strings. What I'm also interested in though is feeding my hikvision IP camera on the porch through to the gateway which has an MJPEG stream and be able to bring up the video feed on my beovision 11 which apparently has a 'home control' menu. I've not come across this in the menus so I presume it activates automatically when a gateway is present on the network, but do you know if the MLGW is compatible with this BV menu or whether it needs the newer BLGW to do this? I thought I'd ask as that looks like a BV 11 in your alexa demo youtube video together with the MLGW :) Many thanks! Rob.

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