Problem with Arduino IOT Cloud on MAC

@zander Hi Ron,

Sorry I have been offline.   I am still not able to send private messages.

I have over 40 years of programming experience but as per my introduction I have been ill and bedridden for a few years.

The agent seems to be stable for the moment and the current problem is why does the ESP keep looping on that mailbox error and reseting itself ?

Glad of any help

Bob

@bubbab IGNORE the agent. These devices operate in a loop, thats normal. I just looked at my agent and it is also looping.

Why are you starting with the hardest cloud concept first, and 3 of them. Get rid of the Alexa stuff and leave that until you have some experience. Create a simpler version of whatever it is you want to do.

Its not the agent that's looping!!! I sent you the output from the serial monitor.   I will simplify (I have before and got the same result)

See the ESP sketch is looping on the MBX error.  I will simplify and revert to you.  Thanks

@bubbab I thought you were using the web editor to create an arduino cloud application. There is no Serial in that mix.

No just the Sketch editor.  

Well I simplified and now it work.  Just a switch and LED in the Dash and switch the Onboard  LED on on the ESP32......    Should learn too run before I walk after all theses years doh!!!

You replied to my other question:  Can the ESP raise an alarm/trigger that can be used in Alexa?   You know just like a ring door bell.  The device has a property that can be used to trigger an Alexa routine ??

@bubbab My best guess for that error about mail box is the agent is not running. Like I said, months ago when I saw Bill's video, I got and installed the agent and have NEVER looked at it since. It has a simple jobn to do in the background that is entirely invisible to me developing the arduino cloud app. In fact when you mentioned it it took me a while to even find it let alone see what it was displaying in it's log. Make sure it is there, I do that by starting up the arduino cloud via arduino.cc and select the top menu choice of IoT Cloud. Then look at the bar at the top of the screen perhaps on another window and see if a black arduino symbol is there. As long as it's there that is all you care about. The error above looks to me as if it is NOT installed.

@bubbab My experience with Alexa is the other way, I tell Alexa to do an action and that triggers a routine in my code to do something. The hard part was getting alexa set up, I am still not satisfied with it because she wants to put the thing in a room and it's not that kind of thing.

You replied to my other question:  Can the ESP raise an alarm/trigger that can be used in Alexa?   You know just like a ring door bell.  The device has a property that can be used to trigger an Alexa routine ??

I am not 100% sure what you are wanting to do. Give me more details. Which Alexa data type are you considering (you have looked at those I assume)

I found setting up Alexa was the hardest part, the code is trivial. It's just an onChange routine that gets triggered from the alexa switch where I then set some software switches to do what is needed.

I think PIR is the closest.  I guess when the PIR is triggered you set the variable to true on the ESP32 side, this then passes through the cloud and should appear to Alexa as  something you can trigger a routine on.

When this happens

        ESP PIR

Add Action

       ......... do something

I have set up a cloud PIR variable but even though it has been detected as a device it doesn't appear in the 'when this happens selection'.  For the ring doorbell it appears as Front door under Smart home.  but I can't find myPIR anywhere

@bubbab To work with Alexa, you need to check the Alexa compatible variables (see picture attached) and then Alexa will recognize it. It can take up to 30 mins to be populated though.

@bubbab I thought it might help to see my code as it applies to Alexa. There are several things to note.

The first pic may look like variable declarations but they are inside a comment block. The declarations are in the cloud, we just use them. If you look at all the Alexa variables you will see the majority are just bool or switches. I am actually controlling a 110VAC water valve with an SSR that is controlled by a logic pin on an ESP32 that is controlled by the digitalWrite(SSR, HIGH) statement as a result of the bool var TimerAlexaOn being set true in the onChange routine that is triggered under the covers between the Alexa and the Arduino Cloud and my ESP32 code. Does that help?

Thanks Ron

I found this - does not look hopeful.  I'll keep on looking

https://forum.arduino.cc/t/arduino-cloud-trigger-an-alexa-routine/636752

@bubbab They didn't wait long enough to populate Alexa. Programming Alexa was the hardest part for me. Tell me exactly what sensor you are using, and what datatype have you assigned it in the cloud app.

OK tomorrow now.  Its late here