Factorio Forums

Hi all,

i'm trying to build a sensor which counts the amount of iron plate in my logistics network, based on that amount a decider combinator generates 1 blue signal. This with the intention of operating a smart smelting operation using simpler and faster checks.

The issue I run into is as follows; How do I get the decider combinator to check against the logistics network, and output the resultant signal into the logistics network.

I can probably solve the above issue with circuit linked smart inserters into passive provider boxes with normal items, but this is something I would like to avoid. I would also like to avoid connecting 300 storage boxes to the wired circuit network.

tl;dr how to get the combinators to accept wireless (logistics network) input and output?

I don't actually see any way to do that without wiring up specific chests. I've barely started to mess with the new circuit network features, but combinators appear to lack the logistics network functionality of smart inserters.

It's possible to bridge specific info from, or at least, results of simple tests against, the logistics network into a circuit network using smart inserters and a smart chest.

Just have a smart inserter putting a fish, or whatever, into the smart chest if the logistics network has, say, less than 5,000 iron plates. Then have one removing from that chest with reversed logic, say, if the network has more than 50,000 iron plates, with belts or inserters to pass it back around to the first inserter. You can then use a combinator hooked just that smart chest to test for the fish. If there is a fish, then your supply has dropped below 5k, and you could turn on full production. When there's no more fish, scale back down.