Need help setting up a simultaneous toggle for two Broadlink IR devices

Configuration Frontend
1

I have learned IR power codes with the Broadlink integration for two devices, samsung_monitor and denon_media_server. I have tested both with an action like

service: remote.send_command
target:
  entity_id: remote.universal_remote
data:
  device: denon_media_server
  command: power

Now what I want to do is have a card with a button that will toggle both devices at the same time. Should I do that just with the YAML in the card, or set up a script? In either case, how do I structure the YAML to allow it to perform both actions? I don’t think I can just paste the above twice with two different devices. Or can I?

2

You could try making a custom Broadlink switch for each device, then combining the two in a group.

3

Is a group an entity in HA? I ask because I am trying to get these devices exposed to Alexa.

4

Yes. You should be able to expose that to Alexa.

5

A switch is not that good of an idea for a remote, as you don’t get feedback on the state of the switch.
Your first idea to combine them in a script is the way to go. You add two actions, one remote.send_command for each of the remotes. You can directly expose this script to Alexa.

6

Not sure what you mean - it’s a normal switch entity.

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7

Block the IR transmitter and toggle the switch. Do you still have the correct state?
If you don’t get feedback on the state it is a cleaner way to work with stateless entities. For the purpose of this thread a switch will probably do the job, you just end up with an entity that might have the wrong state, that’s all I’m saying.

8

You can never have the correct state of a device controlled by IR - communication is one way. A switch gives you an assumed state, which is the best you can do. :grin:

9

The reason I’m asking about this is because I currently have a script called toggle_media_center that uses a remote.send_command to each device. That is not offered as something I can expose to Alexa. Should it be? In fact, there is not a lot I can expose to Alexa that I’d want to. None of my lights, etc., show up in the list.

10

How are you integrated with Alexa? If you have a Nabu Casa subscription you can add them (and the script) in Settings | Voice Assistants | Expose.

Edit: If you haven’t got a subscription, there seems to be an integration in the June release. Don’t know the details.

11

I do have a subscription. Yesterday when I first set it up, there was almost nothing exposable. I just went back and most everything is.:man_shrugging:Must take it a while to find everything.

So no need to set up switches or groups. I was thinking it was kind of silly to copy the codes into script data when there is already a remote.send_command that will run the codes that automatically.

1 Like
12

I’ve seen others suggest you can use a power monitoring smart switch and use the voltage to tell for sure if they are on or off based on current they are drawing. Sounds like a lot of trouble to me.