Factorio Forums

Currently we have the power graph (for manual visualization) and accumulator charge, but we have no way for a circuit network to measure actual power productions and consumptions.

A simple device - a power meter - could be place inline in a similar way as we use power switches, to generate useful signals with power flow measurements:

- Historical max. (the most that ever flowed through it... ever)
- Last 24 hours max.
- Current.
- There could be other signals like averages, minimums, etc... if desirable. But the above seem to be the most important, in particular the historical max.

A lot can be done by combining the above with existing circuit network devices. Precise power management would become possible (as opposed to the half baked hacks we currently do based on accumulator charges).

The most useful circuit that this enables is an alert that can ring before reaching a brownout (current designs only detect power problems once an accumulator is low... by which time the brownout - however slight - is already in progress and it is too late).

You are need just current powering situation. All other stuff can be done with combinators.

darkfrei wrote: Sat May 04, 2019 12:51 pm You are need just current powering situation. All other stuff can be done with combinators.

True, but it would be an annoying hassle solved once, then plop blueprint after blueprint.

At the very least I'd like to see current and historical max. The historical max is by far the most useful one.

When you say "flowed through it", do you mean through the power meter, or through the power network as a whole?

If you are talking about the actual power flow through the power meter, then this has already been suggested in the following thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=61502 power switch to expose power transferred to circuit network

As I have already stated in that thread, measuring power flow through a certain point is not possible, since power flow through individual wires is not simulated.

Tekky wrote: Sat May 04, 2019 4:09 pm When you say "flowed through it", do you mean through the power meter, or through the power network as a whole?

If you are talking the actual power flow through the power meter, then this has already been suggested in the following thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=61502 power switch to expose power transferred to circuit network

As I have already stated in that thread, measuring power flow through a certain point is not possible, since power flow is not simulated.

If it can't be done as "flowing through", the concept is still valid. Attach a meter to a network and get signals with global values for the network.

zOldBulldog wrote: Sat May 04, 2019 4:46 pm If it can't be done as "flowing through", the concept is still valid. Attach a meter to a network and get signals with global values for the network.

Yes, reading global values from the power network as a whole could be implemented quite easily.

zOldBulldog wrote: Sat May 04, 2019 2:45 pm

darkfrei wrote: Sat May 04, 2019 12:51 pm You are need just current powering situation. All other stuff can be done with combinators.

True, but it would be an annoying hassle solved once, then plop blueprint after blueprint.

At the very least I'd like to see current and historical max. The historical max is by far the most useful one.

Is it enough?
Circuit Power Measurement Pole

darkfrei wrote: Fri May 10, 2019 3:04 pm

zOldBulldog wrote: Sat May 04, 2019 2:45 pm

darkfrei wrote: Sat May 04, 2019 12:51 pm You are need just current powering situation. All other stuff can be done with combinators.

True, but it would be an annoying hassle solved once, then plop blueprint after blueprint.

At the very least I'd like to see current and historical max. The historical max is by far the most useful one.

Is it enough?
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Circuit_P ... ement_Pole

I will have to study it in detail, but from what I see I think it will do just fine.

Add a few circuits, some lamps and speakers for alarms... and it should be possible to make some very effective power management builds.

I am looking forward to playing with it.

I tried the mod. Seems useful.

I was able to build a contraption that lets me see what % of total power capacity (overall and by power type) I am consuming, and to alert me when my consumption reaches 80% of capacity. It is a bit clunky since there is no signal to tell us the max capacity or even how many of each type are present (i.e.: how many steam engines)... but it seems to work.

If anyone is curious I put a description of what I did in the mod's discussions (since I didn't find anyone else's designs).