# "Error circular" using node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [16 December 2019 07:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216 "2019-12-16T07:24:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Harpau](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/harpau/32/8425_2.png) [@Harpau](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Harpau)\
**Post date:** [16 December 2019 07:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/1 "2019-12-16T07:24:43Z")

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I get a debug warning message "Error circular" as soon as I configure a node "alexa smart home v3 state".  
If I'm using an "Alexa smart home v3" set to "Auto Acknowledge = true" only, everything is working fine.  
But as soon as I connect these both identically configured nodes together, this warning shows up every minute. Setting "Auto Acknowledge" to true or false doesn't make any difference.  
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?  
Thanks a lot!

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [16 December 2019 11:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/2 "2019-12-16T11:58:45Z")

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When ever I start a thread I try to provide

1. the platform I'm running on
2. version of NR
3. version of node.js
4. version of dashboard
5. a `small` flow showing the issue (as small as possible so the people that I want to help me won't waste their time diging thru my code)
6. the full names of any contrib nodes that are used in the flow
7. a good explaination of the steps to reproduce my issue and what I've tried to debug it
8. a copy of the debug output - if it is showing the issue

> [@Harpau](#):
>
> I connect these both identically configured nodes together

See, this is not clear - are you conneting the output of the first to the input of the second and the output of the second to the input of the first? Or are you connecting them in another way?

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**Author:** ![Harpau](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/harpau/32/8425_2.png) [@Harpau](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Harpau)\
**Post date:** [16 December 2019 22:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/3 "2019-12-16T22:47:42Z")

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Thank you for your reply.

Platform: HomeMatic CCU3 running RedMatic  
Node-RED Version: v1.0.3  
Dashboard: v2.19.2

Flow:

```auto
[{"id":"feb8706a.5d8148","type":"alexa-smart-home-v3","z":"2c365b33.c94664","conf":"8364d58.7014928","device":"4755","acknowledge":true,"name":"Licht Flur hinten","topic":"","x":120,"y":1360,"wires":[["74c80173.ee3838","3363a7bd.365518"]]},{"id":"74c80173.ee3838","type":"alexa-smart-home-v3-state","z":"2c365b33.c94664","conf":"8364d58.7014928","device":"4755","name":"Licht Flur hinten","x":660,"y":1360,"wires":[]},{"id":"3363a7bd.365518","type":"debug","z":"2c365b33.c94664","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","x":280,"y":1420,"wires":[]},{"id":"8364d58.7014928","type":"alexa-smart-home-v3-conf","z":"","username":"Username","mqttserver":"mq-red.cb-net.co.uk","webapiurl":"red.cb-net.co.uk"}]

```

After deployment every minute the following message is produced:

16.12.2019, 23:37:53  
msg : string[14]  
"error-circular"

16.12.2019, 23:38:53  
msg : string[14]  
"error-circular"

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**Author:** ![danleighton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/danleighton/32/7711_2.png) [@danleighton](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/danleighton)\
**Post date:** [17 December 2019 22:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/4 "2019-12-17T22:19:04Z")

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I'd love to know if you solved this?

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**Author:** ![Harpau](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/harpau/32/8425_2.png) [@Harpau](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Harpau)\
**Post date:** [19 December 2019 05:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/5 "2019-12-19T05:58:36Z")

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No, I haven't solved this yet.

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [19 December 2019 09:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/6 "2019-12-19T09:28:10Z")

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What happens if you uncheck the "Auto Acknowledge"?

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**Author:** ![Harpau](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/harpau/32/8425_2.png) [@Harpau](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Harpau)\
**Post date:** [19 December 2019 22:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/7 "2019-12-19T22:37:56Z")

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Checking or unchecking "Auto Acknowledge" does not make any difference.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [19 December 2019 22:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/8 "2019-12-19T22:48:46Z")

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Try adding a `catch` node connected to a `debug` node (set to display the complete mag object) and see if that gives you any more info

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Harpau](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/harpau/32/8425_2.png) [@Harpau](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Harpau)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2019 06:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/9 "2019-12-20T06:52:43Z")

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I have added a catch node connected to a debug node but it doesn't give me any more information. I should mention that the "error-circular" message is displayed with an orange bar, so it seems to be a warning.  
Also interestend: This message shows up even with no valid configuration for the Alexa nodes.  
Thank you for your support!  
Harald

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**Author:** ![coldfire84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@coldfire84](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/coldfire84)\
**Post date:** [29 December 2019 16:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/10 "2019-12-29T16:04:20Z")

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@Harpau I've tested with your example flow and cannot replicate the "error circular" issue - is there anything in the console logs to suggest what might be going on? I'm on the Node-RED slack work space if you can share further information?

@danleighton did you have a similar issue?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![coldfire84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@coldfire84](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/coldfire84)\
**Post date:** [29 December 2019 16:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/11 "2019-12-29T16:18:04Z")

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Just to add to this, are you using [contextStorage](https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/context) at all? If so, have you got the default set to localfilesystem? From what I've read this could cause the issues you're experiencing.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Harpau](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/harpau/32/8425_2.png) [@Harpau](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Harpau)\
**Post date:** [29 December 2019 20:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-circular-using-node-red-contrib-alexa-smart-home/19216/12 "2019-12-29T20:32:25Z")

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Thanks a lot, this seems to have been the reason. I have now changed the default to memory and I do not get these errors any more.  
Harald