Factorio Forums

Hello all,
i like to build an outpost to defend my base properly. The problem is that my constr. robots are often destroyed. I’d like to build a train station that calls a train when my robots in the port drops under 10.

So my questions are here:
Do i need 2 stations. 1 for logistic bots 1 for constr bots? If 2 stations then 2 filter inserters right? Because theres more stuff on that train like ammo etc

Do i have to connect all roboports together via green or red cable and then to a train station? Or just connect 1 roboport to a train station and what if robots are empty in roboport cause they are in another one waiting or just repairing walls atm? Does that still count then being in the roboport system (10/100 are busy means that theres just 90 in the port or still 100?) ?
Maybe someone can explain a setup form e

Thx for helping

You can read the entire logistic/robot network from one roboport.

So you can use total robots of either kind to then enable/disable an inbound station and have one train with supplies always standing by.

I'll take some screenshots of my no-mods outpost and post it here with an explanation of how it works.

You don't have to do this based directly on the bots in the network. You can keep a chest with a few bots at an outpost. And insert into the network from that chest (limit the inserter depending on the network statistics). Then call a train when the bots in the chest fall below a certain number. That way the number of bots in the network stays constant, but you don't call a train whenever a single bot is destroyed

As already described, a single wired roboport can be set to "read robot statistics" to read the amount of (available) bots in the entire network. When applied the port sends out signals on the wire which can be used to limit both inserters for logibots (enable inserter when signal Y<100) and conbots (enable inserter when signal T<100).

Available bots mean bots that are waiting inside a tower to perform a job. You you have 0/100 bots available, all bots are busy. Then you can consider to set a higher total value. (if they are not stuck). You could also use the signals X and Z to add more robots automatically when all bots are busy(enable inserter when X<10). But you have to be careful with that, since things can get out of hand when you don't check the total number of bots (for example when they can't find a place to dump wood). signals Y and T are recommended in this case. My take on outpost robot supply: (as there are multiple ways to Rome here) I use combinators in the station to read if products are below a treshold. These combinators are hooked up to the trainstop, and enable the trainstop if any signal is given (any item below treshold). 0 items means no signals here, i prevent that by hooking up a constant combinator with signals (1) for all the items i want checked.
When the train stop is enabled a mixxed supply train arrives. To mix multiple items in a single wagon i use slot filters (middle mouse button) in the wagon inventory. The supply train also has an empty wagon, to load recyclables from the yellow chests of the outpost.

EDIT:
And to determin which items have to be unloaded from the train either cap the chest (limit the amouts of slots in a chest) or (better) connect the inserters to the logistic network, and limit them based on the content of network. (so all chests in the network are checked and not only the one in the station).

Here is a simple setup that
- activates the supply station if the number of bots falls below a set lower limit (MN)
- unloads bots until the number of bots is above a set limit (MX)

The min and max limits are set as negatives, because then they automatically can be subtracted from the numbers read from the roboport by simply connecting these signal emitters (port and const combinators) with a circuit wire.
Copy blueprint

And to answer your question which bots count toward the bots in the logistic network ("total bots"):
All bots which have a roboport within that log net as their base. No matter if they are inside the port or outside to do something.

If you only want the number of those, which are sitting idle in the port(s), that would be the signals which are named "available bots".