Controlling the Honeywell WiFi Thermostat using Amazon Echo

In my previous article I reviewed the Amazon Echo. In further integrating it with my home automation setup, I want the Echo to control my Honeywell RTH9580WF WiFi thermostat through voice commands. Honeywell does not have any plans to allow its My Total Connect Comfort system to integrate with the Amazon Echo, and I have little hope that they will. But by creating our own Amazon Echo app, and using my previously discussed python script to control the thermostat, we can make it happen. Let's get started!

Preparing your webserver

While you are capable of using Amazon's AWS Lambda free tier for this, I will be covering how to do it with your own server. You need to have a web server that is accessible online and is configured to use HTTPS SSL encrypted connections. Amazon enforces HTTPS for the Echo. But you can create your own self-signed certificate and supply it to Amazon as a temporary development solution. For a cheap SSL certificate, I use Comodo Positive SSL.

Python script for My Total Comfort

Make sure you have configured my python script, as mentioned on my previously article, and that it is working correctly. Also verify that it is executable by the same user that runs your web server (http,  www-data, wwwuser, etc...).

PHP file to interface with the Amazon Echo

You will need my PHP file that the Amazon services will send the request from your Echo to. The one I created is a modified version thanks to OurAce.com. Their version is available here. I am not very experienced with web-based programming, so I am glad they provided that 'Hello World' example that I can hack.

Link to my PHP file

Place the PHP file in a directory that will be accessible by Amazon through the web. Make sure to edit the variable $cmd to correctly point to where you have the thermostat python script!

I have added comments and set configurations as variables so you can copy my PHP file and use it for any other projects that would like to interact with Alexa. The section of interest would be Responses. You set two things: 1. The speech Alexa will respond with. 2. The little web card that appears on your Echo homepage.

Create an Alexa Skill

If you do not have one already, create an Amazon developer account. We will create a new "Alexa Skills," which is what Amazon calls the scripts/applications that the Amazon Echo can use.

When ready, go to your Developer Console. At the top menu go to App & Services, and then select Alexa in the submenu.

Skill Information

1. Click on the Add a New Skill button. 
2. Set the Name to be any name you want to call this Skill (for reference).
3. The Invocation Name will be the name you tell Alexa to let it know it is your application. I set it to thermostat.
4. Set the Endpoint to the address you have the PHP file on your web server.
5. Press Next.

Interaction Model

1. The Intent Schema is the JSON data structure that our PHP file will be parsing. You pair a name with a data type. Data type options are available here. The structure I am using is below:



{
    "intents": [
 {
     "intent":  "SetTemp",
     "slots": [
  {
      "name":"action",
      "type":"LITERAL"
  },
  {
      "name":"temp",
      "type":"NUMBER"
  },
  {
      "name":"duration",
      "type":"NUMBER"
  }
     ]
 }
    ]
}



2. The Sample Utterances is very important! This is essentially how the Echo will understand what you are saying. You should place every type of voice combination that you think you will say. The first word, in this case SetTemp, references the data structure in the Intent Schema. The rest are words that are to be said after "Ask Invocation_Name." So for my setup with the Invocation Name thermostat, I will not be writing the "Ask thermostat" part here. I will add any words that follow it. Do not use any numbers- spell everything out. My structure is below:



SetTemp {eighty|temp} degrees
SetTemp {eighty one|temp} degrees
SetTemp {eighty two|temp} degrees
SetTemp {eighty three|temp} degrees for {one|duration} hour
SetTemp {eighty four|temp} degrees for {two|duration} hours

SetTemp set my temperature to {eighty |temp}
SetTemp set my temperature to {eighty one|temp} degrees
SetTemp set my temperature to {eighty two|temp} fahrenheit 

SetTemp set my temperature to {eighty |temp} for {one|duration} hour
SetTemp set my temperature to {eighty one|temp} degrees for {two|duration} hour
SetTemp set my temperature to {eighty two|temp} fahrenheit  for {three|duration} hour



3. Press Save to check for errors. Then press Next.

SSL Certificate

Select the corresponding certificate setup that you are using. If you are using a purchased SSL certificate that is correctly set up, keep the first option. The other options are self-explanitory. 

Testing

You are now ready to begin testing your script. Go to your Echo homepage. On the left side you should see Skills under Alarm. Go in there and make sure the Skill we created is enabled. If you are using my setup, you can now ask Alexa to control your thermostat. Some examples are:

• Alexa, ask thermostat for status.
• Alexa, ask thermostat for settings.
• Alexa, ask thermostat for 78 degrees.
• Alexa, ask thermostat for 78 degrees for two hours.
• Alexa, ask thermostat to cancel.

If Alexa does not respond with anything after you ask it, check the Sample UtteIrances you have set. It is very picky. For example, I had "eighty one" as an invocation. So when I said "eighty," it did not understand and I had to add it.

If Alexa responds that there was an error, check the Echo homepage for more information such as an issue with your SSL certificate. Use your web card to debug as well as PHP error_log functions to get more information.

Success!

I would prefer to say "Alexa, set thermostat..." but it seems to be a keyword reserved for other devices. Alexa will reply that there are no devices set up with that name. Hopefully my steps have been successful for you and you are now dangerous with the Amazon Echo. I found the Echo to be a great additional to my home automation setup! I'm excited to see more creative applications people can come up with.