Conditional Lab Activation

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vanatteveldt
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Re: Conditional Lab Activation

Post by vanatteveldt »

Note that you can also disable beacons by using an inserter to take the modules out (or at least you could in .13 or so). That might make it easier to switch beacons off while monitoring lab consumptions?

Trebor
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Re: Conditional Lab Activation

Post by Trebor »

Here's the way I do this. It also uses a isolated lab (the one in the upper right) that is powered (and only it is powered) by an accumulator.
Lab Power
Lab Power
Screen Shot 2018-09-02 at 9.32.25 PM.png (2.78 MiB) Viewed 1219 times
This setup has multiple power networks: the main power comes from the lower right, the main research area (including all inserters even the one for the isolated lab), the isolated lab (which is turned on only when resources are available to create resource packs [this can be merged with the next if you don't track resources separately]), an accelerator drained by the isolated lab.

The way this works is like this: turn on research the isolated lab drains the accumulator the main lab turns on to finish the research. Once the research is done the isolated lab stops draining the accumulator then the main lab turn off. Another thing that happens when the accumulator drains is power is turned on to charge it.

The circuit is just a simple clock to keep power on for the main lab so it doesn't flash on/off. I've currently got the clock set to 200 ticks but can probably drop it to 5 without it breaking. The power switch for charging the accumulator does flash on/off but that is not a problem.

The only thing you need to watch for is if the isolated lab runs out of a science pack research will stop (and the inserters will loose power) so you will have to manually insert the missing packs. That's one of the reasons this prevents power to the isolated lab, it only does research when science packs can be made.

xfir01
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Re: Conditional Lab Activation

Post by xfir01 »

Interesting solution. I like it!

Can you post a blueprint string?

Trebor
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Re: Conditional Lab Activation

Post by Trebor »

Here's a blueprint with just the four labs in the pic:


And here's all the labs:

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