Spare power to mass fab system?

  • first: I know there's this old thread and system but that one never worked right for me and also required 3 MFSU's. Given i'm a more than a bit starved for diamond this isn't exactly an option.
    I do have one MFSU already and I was wondering if there was a clean and easy way to have "spare" power go to a Mass Fabricator. Right now my system is a bit of a mess and can't handle a massive power dump from the MFSU. (like say... recharging q-suit stuff)
    I've been trying to come up with something for a while now and drawing a big blank (having a derp moment.. gimme a break) and was wondering if anyone had any insights?
    Right now I just have one energy source but i'd like to eventually add at least one more. (nuclear! make stuff glow! :) ) Assume power comes in as HV (via a wind farm, EV packets and a HV transformer)
    Ideally it involves a MFSU that feeds all my gear but i'm open to suggestions here. I could probably scrape together enough diamond to build another MFSU if needed.

    • Official Post

    first: I know there's this old thread and system but that one never worked right for me and also required 3 MFSU's. Given i'm a more than a bit starved for diamond this isn't exactly an option.
    I do have one MFSU already and I was wondering if there was a clean and easy way to have "spare" power go to a Mass Fabricator. Right now my system is a bit of a mess and can't handle a massive power dump from the MFSU. (like say... recharging q-suit stuff)
    I've been trying to come up with something for a while now and drawing a big blank (having a derp moment.. gimme a break) and was wondering if anyone had any insights?
    Right now I just have one energy source but i'd like to eventually add at least one more. (nuclear! make stuff glow! :) ) Assume power comes in as HV (via a wind farm, EV packets and a HV transformer)
    Ideally it involves a MFSU that feeds all my gear but i'm open to suggestions here. I could probably scrape together enough diamond to build another MFSU if needed.

    In the next release storage blocks emit redstone power, which with a bit of wiring could be used on a splitter cable to allow excess power to be directed to a mass fab.

    Lesson 1: Watch over your crops....

  • In the next release storage blocks emit redstone power, which with a bit of wiring could be used on a splitter cable to allow excess power to be directed to a mass fab.


    How well would that work with an intermittent draw like from an always warm induction furnace off the chain a bit?
    Also sorta wondering if there's anything I can do until that comes out? If I have to recharge the q-suit pieces parts of the grid start shutting down. (like power to the forestry fermenter)

  • Once the next release is out, you can just use the signal from the full storage to kick off the mass fab, and a timer to turn it off again (or redstone pipe to detect a completed uum). This method should work well with constant draw stuff, since if you're producing more than you're using, you should get at least an occasional pulse when it fills up.


    In the meantime, you might be able to stick a wind gen or two on the input to guarantee a constant flow, and use a detector cable on it to see if it stops, which should indicate that it's full. Again, if you set up a circuit to run the mass fab long enough to use 500kEU or whatever every time your detector trips, it should still work.

    • Official Post


    How well would that work with an intermittent draw like from an always warm induction furnace off the chain a bit?
    Also sorta wondering if there's anything I can do until that comes out? If I have to recharge the q-suit pieces parts of the grid start shutting down. (like power to the forestry fermenter)

    Because the storage blocks can take a little bit more than what they are rated to hold, it shouldn't be a problem. Plus Induction furnaces don't pull that much, even one mfsu pulse 512 eu, would keep a few running for a while...

    Lesson 1: Watch over your crops....

  • Something I came up with which may be of some use to you.



    Bottom is EV in from the right, HV out to the bottom. EUs are stepped down and fed to a batbox (so the MFSU doesn't draw too much when charging), which, in turn, feeds a MFSU. The MFSU will fill up, then start to 'leak,' triggering a cut off of the incoming current and a cessation of the redstone which is keeping it in 'fill' mode. It'll feed the Mass-fab until it runs out of stored EUs, then revert to charging state.


    This lets me 'pulse-feed' the Mass-fab, and keeps max draw on my power-grid to 32eu/t. Note that once the batbox is full, it'll actually drop to BELOW 32eu/t, because the batbox isn't passing current when the MFSU is in discharge mode.

  • In the meantime, you might be able to stick a wind gen or two on the input to guarantee a constant flow, and use a detector cable on it to see if it stops, which should indicate that it's full. Again, if you set up a circuit to run the mass fab long enough to use 500kEU or whatever every time your detector trips, it should still work.


    I did say EV from the wind farm. have 32 up at the top of the world at the moment. I'm probably not reading this right or something but this isn't making complete sense to me at the moment.
    Oh.. wait. Detector cable on the MFSU to a NOT gate controlling a switch cable to the Mass fab? That way if it's charging the mass fab gets cut off?
    Interesting idea there but it almost seems it regulates the MFSu to just recharging duties. Although with enough windmills to provide constant power to everything I use right now this isn't a huge problem.


    Something I came up with which may be of some use to you.
    <image snipped>
    Bottom is EV in from the right, HV out to the bottom. EUs are stepped down and fed to a batbox (so the MFSU doesn't draw too much when charging), which, in turn, feeds a MFSU. The MFSU will fill up, then start to 'leak,' triggering a cut off of the incoming current and a cessation of the redstone which is keeping it in 'fill' mode. It'll feed the Mass-fab until it runs out of stored EUs, then revert to charging state.


    This lets me 'pulse-feed' the Mass-fab, and keeps max draw on my power-grid to 32eu/t. Note that once the batbox is full, it'll actually drop to BELOW 32eu/t, because the batbox isn't passing current when the MFSU is in discharge mode.


    Hmm.. interesting concept there. Would require some serious adapting as i'm sorta feeding HV to a lot of places at the moment. Also have power split all over the place to various devices.

  • That way if it's charging the mass fab gets cut off?

    Invert the signal from the detector. The mass fab should be held off all the time until it gets a signal, then allowed to run for a set amount of time to make space in the MFSU, then it shuts off and waits for storage to fill again.

  • In the next release storage blocks emit redstone power, which with a bit of wiring could be used on a splitter cable to allow excess power to be directed to a mass fab.

    Is there a thread on these forums that gives details about futures releases? Besides the suggestions forums which are very vague and nonspecific to actual releases and their possible content. Apologies in advance if I have overlooked such a thread.

  • Got a temporary half hack-job system in for now.
    Have a single water strainer hooked up to the MFSU via a EU detector cable. (needed a steady stream of power, the wind mills are bursy as heck due to the EV packetization)
    From there I have a transition to a RP2 red wire than back to a single dust square to shut off the power to the mass fab (via splitter cable) if the MFSU's recharging. The odd part is the dust wasn't energizing the RP2 wire, had to use a double NOT gate.

    • Official Post

    Is there a thread on these forums that gives details about futures releases? Besides the suggestions forums which are very vague and nonspecific to actual releases and their possible content. Apologies in advance if I have overlooked such a thread.

    No there isn't, though that is a good idea, I just go off of what iv'e implemented and the changelog I posted in the beta releases (non public). I'll throw the idea of a future release content thread to the team...

    Lesson 1: Watch over your crops....

  • No there isn't, though that is a good idea, I just go off of what iv'e implemented and the changelog I posted in the beta releases (non public). I'll throw the idea of a future release content thread to the team...


    I have to say no to that. Mainly because when you reveal what you intend to do int he future people get impatient and start feeling cheated when things don't get released. That is a downward spiral into "modern flamewar 3" that lowers the quality of posts on the forums.


    ...


    Or something like that.
    Point is, never reveal what you are making and when it might be done because that turns into "They PROMISED to deliver this (with added sprinkles on top times 9001) before my birthday, it's my birthday so i demand my birthday present NOW!!! NOW NOW NOOOOW!"

    • Official Post

    I'll end the quote train here :3


    I do agree to that, quite frankly when I posted that I was about 50/50 on going either way. Guess you'll have to deal with the hints we give here and there as to new features :whistling:

    Lesson 1: Watch over your crops....

  • I'll end the quote train here :3


    I do agree to that, quite frankly when I posted that I was about 50/50 on going either way. Guess you'll have to deal with the hints we give here and there as to new features :whistling:

    Giving hints is the same thing as letting people know what will come. I don't see how it is any different. People will respond the same way if a hint never goes live as well. Just my two cents. I am not one to ever complain about content in ostensibly free software, so not likely to ever complain about something not being implimented. Thank you for the response though.

  • here's my 2 cents


    I use a splitter cable usually. my logic is that if the workshop line is full the rest will go to the mass fab, (please let me know if this is wrong), you might only get a max of half eu/s produced to the workshop but that is usually enough.


    this way you can pile on the power and hopefully just have excess going to the mass fab and enough going to the workshop.

    Hell, prove me wrong, Happy to be so 99% of the time, then I can learn stuff :)

    • Official Post

    Giving hints is the same thing as letting people know what will come. I don't see how it is any different. People will respond the same way if a hint never goes live as well. Just my two cents. I am not one to ever complain about content in ostensibly free software, so not likely to ever complain about something not being implimented. Thank you for the response though.

    Well when hinting in public, 99.9% of the time, the feature is already coded and works.

    Lesson 1: Watch over your crops....

  • here's my 2 cents


    I use a splitter cable usually. my logic is that if the workshop line is full the rest will go to the mass fab, (please let me know if this is wrong), you might only get a max of half eu/s produced to the workshop but that is usually enough.


    this way you can pile on the power and hopefully just have excess going to the mass fab and enough going to the workshop.


    except it gets messy when you have a small forest of power going everywhere.
    only really became an issue when the MFSU started sucking up the power. At least the mass fab's making enough diamond to supply my diamond needs for now. Even finally have enough for a couple teleport pipes. woo! (can clean up the royal mess of pipes and make the walls look nice again)

  • This prototype is my solution to sending spare power to a mass fab.


    The diagram below should hopefully be fairly self explanatory.

    The design is a little messy in the diagram but it should be fairly easy to expand and implement into a live scenario.


    There were a few things that I wanted to achieve here.

    • I wanted all my "house hold" machines to always have power. ie. Extractor, Induction Furnace, Macerator etc.
    • I also wanted to make a extra area charging tools or storing extra energy. Which could be later expanded on to include other systems, such as defence or teleportation. Just add the new system to the AND gate and you're good to go.
    • Finally, after all systems are powered, the leftover energy should be sent to the mass fab.


    The timer should be set long enough so that the other systems will get a nice helping of EU. But not long enough so that your "house hold storage" runs dry.


    I messed around a little with detector cables but couldn't come up with anything that compared to this design.


  • I use a splitter cable usually. my logic is that if the workshop line is full the rest will go to the mass fab, (please let me know if this is wrong), you might only get a max of half eu/s produced to the workshop but that is usually enough.


    If any IC2 devs can answer this:
    Do splitter cables actually enforce a 50-50 split like many people seem to think? Or is the redstone-triggered disconnecting their only function?


    edit: fixed quote

    Disappointed with the bugs and nerfedness of AtomicStryker Corp's Advanced Machines, and the unupdatedness of Snyke's Enterprises?
    Need low-lag renewable power?
    Come to ImmTech Intragalactical this thread for free UUM!

    Note: UUM may stand for Unnerfed Unbuggy Updated Machines and may not be actual UUM. The extra U was lost due to a bit error.
    Battery snot included.

  • Do splitter cables actually enforce a 50-50 split like many people seem to think? Or is the redstone-triggered disconnecting their only function?


    From the wiki:

    Quote

    The Splitter Cable is a special cable which prevents EU from flowing through it when a redstone current is applied.


    I can also confirm from my own testing. See my image above for an idea of what you can do with splitter cables.