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Some new ideas about automations.


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HELLO GUYZ! (•ω•)

That’s a very long time I haven’t write a post.

 

Well, today I am going to introduce some ideas to the automation system.

Yeah, I do mean, it really need something better.

 

Here we go.

 

1. Flow count sensors

Spoiler

Sometimes it is hard to know how much fluid are flown or used.

If you really want to strictly restrict the consumption of the fluids (examples, water and hydrogen, the mostly used fluids), this thing may help you, but it may takes up some place (2×2).

 

Input-output contents:

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This thing consists of a pair of liquid input-output slot ,an automation output slot and an automation reset slot.

How to use it:

Spoiler

You can set a value of total fluid flow that will trigger the automation signal.

However it’ll keep counting until you reset its value. That’s why an automation reset slot is provided to reset value to 0.

As done in the game, it will be seperated into gas type and liquid type.

2. Pluse Gate

Spoiler

A device that turns a continuous signal into a short pluse only. You can adjust its pluse time length.

 

Input-output contents:

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Simply a pair of automation input-output slots.

 

Not quite useful, but I think the SR latch and Flow count sensors needs it.

3. Data wire and arithmetics system

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Actually I have wanted to introduce this for long.

Something that can make automation system smarter - We need some arithmetic operations.

 

3.1 data wires

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Data wires are different from automation wires. Instead of switch-on/off signals, it just simply carries data read from buildings.

 

Suggested readable contents:

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1. Detailed Storage contents

From storages, including gas tanks and liquid storages.

 

2. Temperature

From buildings and temperature sensors.

 

3. Flow counts

From my flow count sensors.

 

4. Gas pressure

From pressure sensor.

To support this system, some buildings will be provided with a new output socket.

 

A network of data wires can only carries 15 data (one variable counts as one data. Refer to the notes below this paragraph) unless you build a server to increase the limit by 10.

 

What will be counted as one ‘data’? (examples)

Spoiler

• Sum of one type of item/resource from all storage compactors or fluid tanks connected.

• Numeral values (except item contents, it is exclusively for storages) read from one building or sensor.

• An processed numeral value output by the arithmetic module.

 

3.2 Arithmetic Module

Spoiler

Performs arithmetic process with the selected data.

 

Input-output contents:

Spoiler

A pair of data input-output slot.

 

How to use it:

Spoiler

P.S. this will split a network into two like a transformer does.

 

To perform one arithmetic function (I do mean you can only perform one, as a limition), first you have to select datas (no up-limit for the number of data being processed) that you desired to process. Only one type of variable (e.g. temperature) can be processed.

Secondly choose an arithmetic function you need, such as ‘sum’ and ‘take average’.

 

A new value is processed at the output slot.

 

Warning: This device dumps more heat than other automation devices. Regularly check its temperature or use anti-overheat materials to build this thing.

3.3 Arithmetic Gate

Spoiler

This device is the link between the data system and the automation system.

 

Choose one variable form the data and set a value that will trigger the automation signal. It’s that simple.

 

4. Duplicant sensors

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I think lots of us wanted this for long. So again to support this nice idea I am putting this here to show we really need this.

 

Similar to critter sensors but it senses duplicants, suitable for lights control in your rooms.

5. Bypass Counter

Spoiler

A varient of the pressure plate. Instead of calculating mass, it senses anything passing over it.

Probably you can use it with duplicant checkpoints for duplicant traffic control.

 

Input-output contents:

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One automation output slot and one automatiin reset slot.

How to use it:

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Similar to my flow count sensor, you can set a value that will trigger the automation signal and reset whenever appropriate to set the counter to 0.

It has two modes - “All count” (critters bypass will be counted too) and “Duplicant only” (only duplicants are counted) mode.

 

6. Egg sensor

Spoiler

That might be what you need - Instead of making a complexed system to collect excess eggs, now we can make it simplier with this sensor and a sweeper plus a logic gate and a critter sensor.

 

Input-output contents:

Spoiler

One output slot.

How to use it:

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Like critter sensors, you can put this in a room and it will di the counting stuff for you.

 

It makes everything easier, right?

Except the part how to drop the egg off.

 

 

There’ll be new ideas updated soon if I have any.

 

Any ideas? 

Please comment! (•ω•)

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Excellent ideas, hopefully this will get noticed. I really like the bean counters for automation - this was something that I had reccomend with regards to airlocks or door for automation a long time ago. The resulting feedback was eventually digested and turned into the atmo suit station, rocket suits followed...amazing things can happen.

I have long wanted to see the machines simply have a second status logic port.  For instance: the refrigerators have a full/not full signal, this could be modified to turn the fridge itself on or off, but there would need to be internal logic. If it had two ports, one for on and off, another could interact with the gates you've described. Using thresholds - attention to it could be called.

So essentially we could have logic ports and automation ports - the latter being power cut, the former being sensory feedback.

I appreciate your ideas as they effectively differentiating the two, as many things are not necessarily binary and inherently need a sensory berth so to speak.

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On Sun Feb 10 2019 at 6:42 AM, Q the Platypus said:

You can build a pulse gate out of existing gates.  If you have a filter gate feeding into a not gate then and it with the orgial signal and and them together it will act as a edge detector.

 

20190210084917_1.jpg

So I can probably trash my idea about pluse gate.

:p

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Man, would I love to see a "custom integrated circuit". Basically, I would want to see a manufacturing device, where you could create a microscheme/plate of custom size and with custom amount of inputs and outputs, and you create a scheme you want, but inside that plate, without all that hemorrhoids with spreading around cables and logic modules. Complex logic may take stupid amount of space, as well as may require ladders and sometimes reconstruction because you accidentally connected two wires near each other.

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3 hours ago, anton_stezhkin said:

1. compare gate (signal one is greater or less then signal two). E.g. from 2 pressure sensors.

That would require analog signals. Pressure sensors only give 1 or 0 signal, there`s no way to compare those unless we get a special type of sensor or build a gargantuan machine with 10+ sensors scaled for different pressures and automation for that which would take even more room.

I`d like to have tools to compare pressure/temperature values but it`s not doable with the current automation.

3 hours ago, anton_stezhkin said:

2. pressure plate with direction. OK, maybe it can be made of 2 pressure plates and a memory gate, but still...

I`d love a counting door/gate/checkpoint that counts dupes that passed one way and can send a signal at a certain amount.

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On Tue Feb 19 2019 at 5:53 PM, anton_stezhkin said:

What I lack in the automation is
1. compare gate (signal one is greater or less then signal two). E.g. from 2 pressure sensors.
2. pressure plate with direction. OK, maybe it can be made of 2 pressure plates and a memory gate, but still...

That’s why my data wires just come in handy.

instead of binery signal, it transfers datas read from various sensors and you can do compare function using my Arithmetic Gate, resulting binery signals transferred by the automation wire in the game.

 

If you are talking about monodirectional pressure plate...

That’s what I need too...

 

 

And I hope to have some limitions in my data wire system.

Besides max. data limit, I can think of nothing.

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No, no, nooooo trashing the pulse gate idea, I love it!

Arythmetic data stuff would be priceless to optimize my steam powerplants.

And a reminder: WATTAGE SENSOR, both with arythmetic output and active/standby output, we do need that.

And NAND/NOR gates, we do need those (and no, puting a NOT gate behind the AND/OR gate is not an option, I DESERVE AND DEMAND those NAND/NOR gates).

Once I suggested minimised coder/decoder blocks - those would have 3 inputs, 3 outpust and would be programmable, so we could do things like:

000->010

001->011

010->010

011->110

100->100

101->000

Using a 2x3 gate and not 11 NOT gates together with 12 ANDs and 6 ORs. A real space saver for industrious duplicants. A little programmable wonder of technology to switch and turn off machines with a respect to the clocked sequence and do it without those horrible, disgusting buffer contraptions.

And a clock. A regular, oscillating, 1 tile clock, this would be a REAL TREAT <3

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On 2/18/2019 at 4:28 PM, avilmask said:

Man, would I love to see a "custom integrated circuit". Basically, I would want to see a manufacturing device, where you could create a microscheme/plate of custom size and with custom amount of inputs and outputs, and you create a scheme you want, but inside that plate, without all that hemorrhoids with spreading around cables and logic modules. Complex logic may take stupid amount of space, as well as may require ladders and sometimes reconstruction because you accidentally connected two wires near each other.

I have posted an idea a few months ago about a automation computer that can run operations on the inputs and outputs with commands. I said it should have a logic gate ui that will convert the logic gates to code. I am going to repost it in some time plus a next tier of it

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I worked with automatic and i found some loss.

1) we need pulser, now it is too large and use 6-8 tiles

AUZAviyn2yBEI7aufj8pN02NHNmeWcFbP04NI5B_

2) flip-flop switch. Now it is VEERY LARGE (4x5 without pulse protection). flip-flop switch is extremely useful for making binary counters. 4 switches can store 32 states.

IPowLz8sjVBtHEg7VRGdjef47kAD1Ne7eFK1t0Ff

 

3) May be NAND for more compact circuits

4) Delay-repeater module (memorize all signals, and send em with delay). Requiresat least  simple data compression like «200 ticks x TRUE, then 10 ticks FALSE».2 delays Can be used as microprogram, that can store sequence and send it everytime instead calculating circuit each time. May be direct programming with png 1 bit file will be good (white = true, black = false, reading rows). Simple and built-in compression. Image formats are very cool to store boolean and 3d-4d vectors.

5) Radio-connection module to get rid of Loooooooong logic cables. Radio can be switched to recieve only or send only, channels of course.

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On 15.03.2019 at 9:08 AM, TG pro said:

I have posted an idea a few months ago about a automation computer that can run operations on the inputs and outputs with commands. I said it should have a logic gate ui that will convert the logic gates to code. I am going to repost it in some time plus a next tier of it

Programmable chips will be very cool and useful! Part of my circuits do not make decisions, they only do cyclic work.
And chip-blueprint can be stored. Chip should have output, pause slot and on/off slot, that also works like reset (after ON it start translate program from beginning)

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21 hours ago, HitrPr said:

Programmable chips will be very cool and useful! Part of my circuits do not make decisions, they only do cyclic work.
And chip-blueprint can be stored. Chip should have output, pause slot and on/off slot, that also works like reset (after ON it start translate program from beginning)

I imagine something like a 3x3 construction, with 8 I/O programmable ports. 
When clicked, a window opens, allowing to edit the internal circuitry and port direction (setting a port to be input or output). It will be very useful for almost anything, from a simple water control to  complex rocket silo automation! 

And, to make programmers like me happy, a variation of the same circuit, but with LUA code editing.

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I think this way: duplicants can develop such blueprints with special building. And you can make shape and quantity of ports.

Then they can build it. 8 i/o ports mean 2x4 or 3x3 tiles building. It is not necessary most the time.

Lua is nice but direct block-construction will be simplier and more playable, more visible.

May be code as alternative, when 2d is not enough (Space Engineers did both ways)

May be color-channels. Not just true-false but more expensive 8bit and 16 bit channels cable.
It worked very nice in one Minecraft`s mode.

 

Anyway  I see that many players or streamers are familiar with logic, programming and such games.

And one, who is not, can just grab someone`s blueprint as file and use it.

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