Alexa Speaks

Setting Up the Automation

1. First, go to the Drivers code and click New Driver.

   

2. Copy and paste the below code in to the new Driver window.  Then click Save and then Drivers code to exit the editor.
   

   /**
    *  MQTT Notifications
    *
    *  MIT License
    *
    *  Copyright (c) 2023 This Old Smart Home
    *
    *  Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
    *  of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
    *  in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
    *  to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
    *  copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
    *  furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
    *
    *  The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
    *  copies or substantial portions of the Software.
    *
    *  THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
    *  IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
    *  FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
    *  AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
    *  LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
    *  OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
    *  SOFTWARE.
    *
    */
   
   public static String version()      {  return "v1.0.3"  }
   public static String name()         {  return "MQTT Notifications"  }
   public static String codeUrl()
   {
       return "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TOSH-SmartHome/Hubitat-MQTT-Notifications/main/mqtt_notifications.groovy"
   }
   public static String driverInfo()
   {
       return """
           <p style='text-align:center'></br>
           <strong><a href='https://thisoldsmarthome.com' target='_blank'>This Old Smart Home</a></strong> (TOSH-SmartHome)</br>
           ${name()}</br>
           <em>${version()}</em></p>
       """
   }
   
   metadata {
       definition (name: name(), namespace: "TOSH-SmartHome", author: "John Goughenour", importUrl: codeUrl()) 
       {
           capability "Notification"
       }   
       
       preferences 
       {
           input(name: "mqttBroker", type: "string", title: "<b>MQTT Broker</b>", description: "Enter MQTT Broker IP and Port e.g. server_IP:1883", required: false)
           input(name: "mqttUsername", type: "string", title: "<b>MQTT Username</b>", description: "Enter MQTT broker username", required: false)
           input(name: "mqttPassword", type: "password", title: "<b>MQTT Password</b>", description: "Enter password for your MQTT Broker", required: false)
           input(name: "mqttTopic", type: "string", title: "<b>MQTT Topic</b>", description: "Enter MQTT Topic to publish to", required: false)
           input(name: "infoLogging", type: "bool", title: "<b>Enable Description Text</b>", defaultValue: "true", description: "", required: false)
           input(name: "debugLogging", type: "bool", title: "<b>Enable Debug Logging</b>", defaultValue: "true", description: "", required: false)
           input name:"about", type: "text", title: "<b>About Driver</b>", description: "Publish notifications to MQTT. ${driverInfo()}"
        }
   }
   
   def installed()
   {
   	if(infoLogging) log.info "${device.displayName} is installing"
   }
   
   def updated()
   {
   	if(infoLogging) log.info "${device.displayName} is updating"
   }
   
   def uninstalled()
   {
   	if(infoLogging) log.info "${device.displayName} is uninstalling"
   }
   
   // handle commands
   def deviceNotification(message)
   {
       if(infoLogging) log.info "${device.displayName} is sending notification message: ${message}"
       if(mqttBroker && mqttUsername && mqttTopic) {
           try {
               if(debugLogging) log.debug "${device.displayName} settting up MQTT Broker"
               interfaces.mqtt.connect(
                   "tcp://${mqttBroker}",
                   "${location.hub.name.toLowerCase().replaceAll(' ', '_')}_${device.getDeviceNetworkId()}",
                   mqttUsername, mqttPassword
               )
               
               if(debugLogging) log.debug "${device.displayName} is sending Topic: ${mqttTopic} Command: ${cmnd}"
               interfaces.mqtt.publish(mqttTopic, message, 2, false)                      
           } catch(Exception e) {
               log.error "${device.displayName} unable to connect to the MQTT Broker ${e}"
           }
           interfaces.mqtt.disconnect()
       } else log.warn "${device.displayName} MQTT Broker and MQTT User are not set"
   }
   
   // parse events and messages
   def mqttClientStatus(message)
   {
       switch(message) {
           case ~/.*Connection succeeded.*/:
               if(debugLogging) log.debug "MQTT Client Status: ${device.displayName} successfully connected to MQTT Broker"
               break
           case ~/.*Error.*/:
               log.error "MQTT Client Status: ${device.displayName} unable to connect to MQTT Broker - ${message}"
               break
           default:
               log.warn "MQTT Client Status: ${device.displayName}: unknown status - ${message}"
       }
   }

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3. Next, go to Devices and then click Add Device.

   

4. Click the Virtual button.

   

5. Fill out the Device Information as follows:

   1. Enter the Device Name, I like to use the type of virtual device it is.
   2. Enter the Device Label, something discriptive.
   3. Set the Type to MQTT Notifications.
   4. Optional, add the device to a room.
   5. Then click the Save Device button.
   

6. Now we need to set up the MQTT settings.

   1. Enter the MQTT Broker IP address and port.
   2. Click the Set Mqtt Broker button.
   3. Create a topic.
   4. Click the Set Message Topic button.
   5. In the Preferences, set MQTT Password.
   6. Finally, click the Save Preferences button.
   

7. Next, hop over to your Home Assistant instance and go to Settings and Automations & Scenes.

   

8. Click the blue Create Automation button.

   

9. Choose Create new automation.

   

10. Click Add Trigger, then select MQTT from the list of events.

    

11. In the topic box, enter the exact topic we created for the Hubitat driver.  Click Add Action and select Call Service.

    

12. You’ll need to fill out the service call as follows:

    1. Select the Notifications for the Alexa device you desire.
    2. In the data enter type:ttr
    3. You will need to type {{ trigger.payload }}

    However when you do you will drop into YAML editor.

    

    

13. Success: That’s It! In the bottom right-hand corner, click the blue Save button.  Next, name the automation and click save again.

    

14. Head back over to the device we created in Hubitat, so we can test the set up.  In the Device Notification Text box enter a message then click the Device Notification button.  You should hear your device speak the message.