Virtual Sensor Device

vmsman · September 18, 2020, 5:08pm

I have a multisensor that measures motion, illuminance, temperature, humidity, and it has an led light that is color settable. This is the EZMultiPLI or HSM-200 as it is called in some places. The device is working perfectly. I also have an Iris V2 keypad that has limited motion detection and also measures temperature in addition to being a security keypad.

I would like the ability to create a virtual device with the type "Virtual Temperature Sensor" and then I would like to have the virtual device be able to follow just the temperature function on the multi-function devices mentioned above.

This may sound odd, but my reasoning is that I want to be able to:

Have an alias name for just the temperature function
I want a temperature only sensor because I can easily ask Alexa the temperature of a sensor, but she cannot recognize the temperature capability of the multi-function device.

I don't mind doing this in Webcore or Rule Machine, but I can't figure out the right means to achieve this functionality.

ideas?

thebearmay · September 18, 2020, 5:42pm

This might give you a starting point:

github.com

SmartThingsCommunity/SmartThingsPublic/blob/master/devicetypes/smartthings/testing/simulated-temperature-sensor.src/simulated-temperature-sensor.groovy

/**
 *  Copyright 2014 SmartThings
 *
 *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except
 *  in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at:
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed
 *  on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
 *  for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
 *
 */
metadata {
    // Automatically generated. Make future change here.
    definition (name: "Simulated Temperature Sensor", namespace: "smartthings/testing", author: "SmartThings") {
        capability "Temperature Measurement"
        capability "Switch Level"
        capability "Sensor"
        capability "Health Check"

This file has been truncated. show original

bertabcd1234 · September 18, 2020, 5:58pm

I don't have any problem getting Alexa to recognize multi-function devices as both temperature sensors and whatever else, though I've never used that exact device. I know some people had issues with some devices recently, but I think that was them showing up as primarily temperature instead of whatever else. If you haven't double-checked this, you might want to, but it's possible there are still problems here.

For the second part of your question: I once thought about doing something similar so I had "Alexa-friendly" names for voice, while still having the name I want for the device on the hub. Then I realized I could just create groups in the Alexa app and assign the sensor to that group. For example, I made an Alexa group called "Kitchen Sensor," put my kitchen motion/temperature sensor in it, and now I can ask Alexa, "What's the temperature of Kitchen Sensor?" without needing to create that name on Hubitat. I find this easier, though I understand that your preferences may vary.

...and that none of this will work unless you're able to get this device into Alexa at all, which is why you're asking about the first thing. But just throwing another idea out there for when all works normally.

eibyer · September 18, 2020, 6:09pm

Will this built in device type work?

You can have webCoRE update the temp as your physical device's temp reading changes.

sburke781 · September 18, 2020, 6:11pm

If there is a way to pass a variable into a custom command in RM then it should be possible by triggering a rule on a temperature change in your multisensor and then running the SetTemperature command on a virtual temperature device. From a quick look I could only pass in a static value to the SetTemperature call, so may need some assistance with that part if you want to use it.

sburke781 · September 18, 2020, 6:13pm

Alternatively you might be able to use one of the averaging community apps to store it in another device... Would have to check the output device for them takes on the temperature capability...

vmsman · September 18, 2020, 6:15pm

@eibyer, Rey, I had wanted to do that. My issue is that although it is easy to get a value for a field like temperature from a device in Webcore, it eludes me as to how I can set that attribute for (read virtual device) another device. Can you elaborate as to how?

eibyer · September 18, 2020, 6:21pm

Something like this?

Edit: Import code 2h2qy

vmsman · September 18, 2020, 6:22pm

@bertabcd1234, Robert, I agree with getting Alexa to recognize multi-function devices in general. The EZMultiPLI and the Iris V2 Keypad are exceptions to that rule. As an interesting aside, I made the command decision to get rid of Alexa Groups when I went from ST to HE. The reason being is that other than Alexa Routines, I wanted to take the tact that HE was my Automation center point and that Alexa, Hue, MyQ, Harmony, Nest, and BOND were merely peripherals to HE. That's de-complicated things a lot for me. The HE Groups and scenes app has been a huge help in letting me define those groups that I previously did in Alexa. I have to say that I even have groups with a single device just to achieve the name alias mentioned earlier.

vmsman · September 18, 2020, 6:45pm

@eibyer, Rey, you rock! Thank you so much. Sometimes this is just not intuitive.
Set virtual device from physical

NG582 · May 15, 2021, 9:07am

You can use the Rule Machine to set a virtual device value the following way;
Create a variable to contain your "real" sensor's value and an app to update it when temp changes, then use Rule Machine's "set custom action" function -> temperature-> string -> %variable-name%

system · September 22, 2022, 5:09pm

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