My wish would be a multi-track alternator (up to 8 alternations).
Another point, I would like to always be able to configure the time period between each activation.
In advance, thank you to anyone who will help me finalize this creation.
Re: Upper alternator with two outputs
Posted: Mon May 27, 2024 6:11 pm
by Tertius
This seems a circuit that enables one belt for 100 ticks, then the other for 100 ticks, then repeat.
You vary the interval by changing I in the constant combinator.
To extend this to more belts, it depends on what you want. In case you want to control 8 belts, and enable the first belt for 100 ticks, then the next for 100 ticks, then the third also for 100 ticks and so on until the 8th, you could do this:
Add an additional signal P (period) to the constant combinator with the value of 100.
Belts * period = interval, so if belts = 8 and period = 100, interval = 800.
So set I (interval) to 800.
Change the formula in the arithmetic combinator to T / P. Change output to Q (quotient).
T runs from 0..799, so if P = 100, the quotient is 0 for 100 ticks, then 1 for 100 ticks, then 2 for 100 ticks and so on up to 7.
Now remove the two combinators on the right and wire the belts directly to the output of the arithmetic combinator.
As conditions in the belts, set Q=0 in the first belt, Q=1 in the second belt, Q=2 in the third belt and so on up to Q=7 in the 8th belt.
This way the first belt will be active on the 0th period, the second belt on the 1th period, the 3rd belt on the 2nd period and so on.
Keep in mind this is not an efficient means for limiting or balancing throughput. Instead, try to build consumers that will not consume more than provided. Or the other way round: build producers that produce slightly more than can be consumed.
If this is the case, items will accumulate and create backpressure, and if the belts are connected through splitters, the backpressure will make items flow to the other belts on their own, without active control.
Re: Upper alternator with two outputs
Posted: Mon May 27, 2024 7:02 pm
by Binoculars
Thank you for your detailed feedback. Despite my limited skills in logical networking, I will try to do what you advise me to do.
With this creation, my desire is not to limit or balance the flow of my factory. This is for the creation of a perfectly balanced manufacturing line that I have been working on for a long time (you may have read some of my posts here).
This text was translated via google trad (I am French).
Re: Upper alternator with two outputs
Posted: Mon May 27, 2024 7:42 pm
by Binoculars
Your explanations were clear, so I managed to create this.
Thank you so much !
For those who would be interested in this creation (but I doubt it), here is the plan.
I spotted a small accuracy error (not your fault but mine). The counter counts from 1..800, not from 0..799, so Q=9 for one tick when T=800, so for one tick the first belt isn't activated where it's supposed to be.
This is a correction, with a smaller period and interval. If you need exactly the same number of items on each belt within one period, you also need to incorporate belt speed into the period length calculation. On a blue belt with 45/s, exactly 3 items are released for a period of 8 and interval of 256. Smaller consistent groups aren't possible, because 8 isn't dividable by 3.