PSA conveyor limiter can be used as a conveyor valve

[ghkbrew]

If you connect the automation output and reset port on a conveyor limiter, it will function similarly to regular gas and liquid valves. 

Here I'm splitting 20kg packets into a continuous stream of 1kg packets:

 

 

The lack of packet merging on conveyor belts causes it to function a little differently than fluid and gas valves.  To get consistent packet sizes on the output, you need to use an output size that which divides evenly into 20kg (and make sure all input packets are 20kg).  If, for example, you set the the limiter to 15kg, you'll get a repeating serious of packets sizes (15kg, 5kg, 10kg, 10kg, 5kg, 15kg, ....) as the limiter splits incoming packets on 15kg boundaries. You are, however, guaranteed to never output a packet larger than the limit you set, which may be sufficient in some circumstances.

 

[wachunga]

Does this trigger the debris partial removal bug? Can't recall if you ever personally did a build using it.

 

If so, seems like an easier way than in the linked thread. Break the game so they have to fix it. 

[ghkbrew]

6 hours ago, wachunga said:

Does this trigger the debris partial removal bug? Can't recall if you ever personally did a build using it.

Good question. Somebody should test it . I haven't personally done one since it seemed pretty well explored by others (i.e. you)

I'm not even positive that bug hasn't been fixed sometime in the last year.

[ghkbrew]

@wachunga, I tested it.

Every 20th packet heats up significantly slower than the other 19.  I didn't calculated it, but the behavior looks consistent with that last packet having 20kg of thermal mass instead of 1kg.

I wonder what happens if you spit an already bugged debris pile?

[wachunga]

36 minutes ago, ghkbrew said:

I wonder what happens if you spit an already bugged debris pile?

From my guessed understanding of the limiter, you are already doing that with every split. The starting 20kg gets split into a correct 1kg and a 19kg bugged as 20kg. Then the 19kg gets split into a correct 1kg and a 18kg bugged as 20kg. And so on. Caveat of I might be misunderstanding the question or limiter operation. In my previous testing, running the bugged packet into a bridge or other such device didn't fix the packet, so I would guess running it into another limiter wouldn't either.

 

Putting aside talk of deliberate bug exploitation, this is a serious problem if limiter usage becomes commonplace. Previously the bug happened basically everywhere a loader was used, but at a low rate (just the last packet out of a loader). Now every packet going into a limiter is going to produce a bugged packet. Even a simple split from 20kg into 2 10kg packets will increase the available heat or cold by 50%.

[sakura_sk]

3 hours ago, ghkbrew said:

Every 20th packet heats up significantly slower than the other 19.

Cold temperatures are more easily visible. Need any visuals? 

Spoiler

40kg of igneous rock -80C, conveyor limiter meter set to 1 unit, 20 conveyor meters to slit a 20kg packet in 20 1kg packets. First packet leads the way and last packet split follows. Then I put 1kg 40C hydrogen to the mix. Yup! Last 1kg packet is weird...

Splitting a packet 10 times has even more interesting results

Spoiler

A starting packet of igneous -80C divided 10 times to leave 1kg packets in the rail (first meter 19, second 18 ...10th meter 10) and a 10kg packet in the last split. Guess which heats up first.

 

[ghkbrew]

3 hours ago, sakura_sk said:

Need any visuals? 

Always

3 hours ago, sakura_sk said:

Splitting a packet 10 times has even more interesting results

I think this fits with my understanding of how the bug works.  Each time you split a pile the original pile keeps the same mass (for temperature purposes) and the new pile has the correct mass. The first split leaves you with 1kg with an effective mass of 20kg. The second split creates a 1kg mass with 19kg effective mass, then 18kg, 17kg, etc.