Modulated Item Stream

[ssilk]

As in
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... =898#p6234
written I want to make something like a blood-stream. A cycle, where all the items are "flowing" in the right "concentration" and the output-items are on the same belt as the input-items. This could be a good idea, cause
- reduce production of "unneeded stuff"
- easier, more compact layout
- faster build up
- avoid jam and so unneeded production

I made several tries and came to a solution which more or less "worked". Not well, but it behaved better than thought.

Conclusion first: The the result is in total discrepancy to the afford. But I will document it - maybe there are other, that will work further.

In next posts I'll add the pics...

[ssilk]

Clipboard01.jpg (281.78 KiB) Viewed 18379 times

This is it. This are the parts: On the left is the input (cole and copper). Then it goes into the circle, where all smelters are. I simulated them with inserters, which take copper and cole out. The belt goes down, copper is reduced to nothing, then it goes to the first sensor, which uses the green wire and then the backup-sensors, which uses red wire. Then the belt makes two bows and starts from beginning.

[ssilk]

Same pic, but with directions of inserters, filters etc.

[ssilk]

Now I turned the inserters, which pulled the item out of the stream, off. This is for example the situation, when the burners doesn't work anymore. The first "sensor" (green wire) begins to work and as you see on the left: The input into the circle reduces slowly, cause the chests on the right side are filled up in sum, cause the output from the right chests gets more and more crowded.

[ssilk]

Now the first sensor / green wire is "full", every inserter stopps. The copper "breaks through" and the second inserter (red wire) begins to work.

[ssilk]

Here, on the left side inserters in the loop (only red wire), you see a trick: The inserters are smart inserters, but the output are only fast inserters. Fast inserters are a little bit slower, than smart inserters (not very logic by the way). So when the stream continues, the chest is filling and this is the signal for the left inserters to stop completly. And as you see, this is the case, on the left nothing is inputed into the stream.

[ssilk]

Now I restarted production (the inserters are taking the items out of the stream). It takes a while, till the circle empties, but....

[ssilk]

at some point the line is empty and the insertion restarts (see left).

... btw. the bows are just because I'm stupid and had no more desire to rebuild it and I like this ridiculous bows...

[ssilk]

"Ok, but you said you wanted to place also the resulting items from smelting into the stream?"
Yes, of course. I simulated that by placing iron plates into the stream (can be seen better).
You see here a picture you might know: The smelters (as said here simulated with the inserters) take the copper out of the stream. I placed one inserter to insert the iron plates (top right side) to fill the belt slowly.

[ssilk]

... belt is filling with stuff, everything keeps moving...

Ok, I know that this must be tested, with real burners, but where to put all the production? There should be a test-mode, where you have a black hole where you can throw all in.

[ssilk]

You see, the belt is really full with stuff. but the process is already in progress, but of course very slow.

[ssilk]

This is a view into one of the left inserters. It works only if the red network (the second sensor) is empty and in the first sensor (green wire on the right) lesser than 10 in. All other inserters are configured to stop work at lesser items.

[ssilk]

This is the green network. This is an example for the right inserters (which take the items from the belt into chest). Most other inserters stop working at less items.

Whats not seen here is the example for the green network inserters. The two inserters (one for cole, one for copper) stop working when more than 30 items in the chest, but this need more tweaking.

[ssilk]

Conlusion - as already mentioned: Too much afford for questionable results.

Really anoying for me was the built up and repeat editing the programming for the inserters (because what you see is not the first try). There should be a copy function... and second annoying was the wires. It took me some minutes to check, that I don't need to put the wires on the top (which would be logic), but in the bottom. And I also don't like, to make a connection

The result works more or less well, but is far away from reaching the maximum. Other tests showed me, that it should be possible to feed with just a single normal belt for about 14 to 16 smelters, without other belt types. This is possible when you feed a good relation of copper vs. cole.

In other words: The modulated item stream in this form makes only sense, if you can control the input as mentioned in the article.

[And the next idea I want to check out was to make it like a token ring. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/token_ring_network.html
When a token passes, I take it out, add the aprobiate load (about 9-10 copper and one cole) and reinsert the token with the load into the ring.]

[MF-]

Oh, so many new posts.... The avalanche discourages me from attempting to read though.
One note comes to my mind, though - You might consider switching your game to English when making screenshots with in-game texts (speaking mostly about the filter-inserter UI)

PS: The forum feel overloaded.

[ssilk]

Ahm, sorry for that. But I thought it's a good idea. And after I had made all pics I recognized, that I can upload only one per reply and I won't stop there, and I also won't put the pics on other servers (I hate that). So I decided to make it like this. Maybe, it's a better idea to make a video from it or to put a savegame online, but that's all no very satisfying ideas for me.
So or so it should take a while look at all the pics...

[n9103]

Was an interesting read.
I agree that English is probably preferred for posting online in general terms.
Also, for something detailed like this, a video (YouTube or otherwise) would be superior, assuming you have the patience and ability to produce one as well as this.. slideshow? :p

The multiple posts in a row is generally frowned upon (especially more than one in a row,) but in this case, I would say it wasn't a full abuse.
I would recommend getting used to using an image sharing site however, as the forum is somewhat slow to retrieve images (relatively) and as you found out, makes for something akin to spam.