Home Assistant Alexa Smart Home Skill

This skill provides an interface between the Home Assistant REST API and Alexa

Setup

Install the SDK

Follow this tutorial

Set up environment variables

• Rename /config/env.sample to /config/env
• MANUFACTURER: The manufacturer to be displayed in the Alexa App
• API_URL: Url to your Home Assistant API
• API_TOKEN: HA Long Lived Access Token
• INCLUDE_PATTERN: Regex pattern to filter which Home Assistant entities to include (leave empty to include all)
• EXCLUDE_PATTERN: Regex pattern to filter which Home Assistant entities to exclude (leave empty for no exclusions)

Deploy

First time

1. Install dependencies

   npm i
   

2. Bundle and upload

   zip -x "*out*" -x "*.git*" -r lambda.zip . && aws lambda update-function-code --function-name <name-of-your-lambda-function> --zip-file fileb://lambda.zip

Subsequent times

1. Bundle and upload (without node_modules if no changes)

   zip -x "*node_modules*" -x "*out*" -x "*.git*" -r lambda.zip . && aws lambda update-function-code --function-name <name-of-your-lambda-function> --zip-file fileb://lambda.zip

Special Devices

To add custom behavior you can add special devices.
That way you can for example make a switch control a TV.

Adding special devices requires an entry in the special_devices.json as well as a handler file in the special_devices/ directory.

Special Devices config

• categories: Alexa display categories
• capabilities: Alexa capability interfaces
  • currently supported:
  1. playback
  2. volume
  3. power
  4. channel
  5. scene
  6. input
• handler: name of the handler file in special_devices/

Utterances

General

• Turn on: "Alexa, schalte {HA friendly name} an
• Turn off: "Alexa, schalte {HA friendly name} aus

Special Device TV

• Turn on: "Alexa, schalte {HA friendly name} an
• Turn off: "Alexa, schalte {HA friendly name} aus
• Switch HDMI input: "Alexa, Eingang HDMI{number}" (probably only works if no other media was started after turning on)
• Switch to TV: "Alexa, Eingang TV" (does not work, for whatever reason...)
• Switch channel: "Alexa, Kanal {number}"
• Switch channel by name: "Alexa, schalte auf {channel name}"
  • Requires a script.tv_channel{channel name} in HA
• Volume up: "Alexa, {HA friendly name} {number} lauter"
  • Might work without {HA friendly name} if no other media was started after turning on
  • {number} is optional, +1 if omitted
• Volume down: "Alexa, {HA friendly name} {number} leiser"
  • Might work without {HA friendly name} if no other media was started after turning on
  • {number} is optional, -1 if omitted
• Volume mute: "Alexa, {HA friendly name} lautlos"
  • Might work without {HA friendly name} if no other media was started after turning on