RedPower shutoff on full MFSU?

HeadHunter67 · Jan 20th 2012

Here's what I'm trying to do:

I have a nuclear reactor feeding an MFSU. What I want to do is to send a shutoff signal to the reactor when the MFSU is full. I know how to accomplish that much - an EU detector cable and a NOT gate does the trick.
BUT, here's the part I can't figure out yet: When the MFSU goes below maximum, I want that signal to stop so the reactor turns back on and fills it again. Of course, the EU detetector and gate won't accomplish that, because the reactor is off and thus no current is flowing through the detector.

The goal is to reduce fuel wastage when the MFSU does not need it. I don't want to just redstone the MFSU and then put a detector cable on it, because I do want things down the line to be able to use the MFSU before it's full (otherwise, there'd be no purpose th this whole exercise). Is there a way to get the MFSU to turn off that redstone signal to the reactor?

I'm feeling like I'm missing something obvious - but I'm neither a programmer nor an electrician, so all these Boolean gates are kind of arcane to me.

catt0 · Jan 20th 2012

The next release is going to change the way storage blocks work. Instead of not outputting when redstoned they will emit redstone when they are full. Easy way to do the same and more <3
For now maybe use a RP timer to occasionally (like every 60s) unblock the line, if the MFSU needs power its going to keep it open, if not its going to close again. Will waste 1 reactor tick every 60s, so not really something to worry about.

EDIT or just use one solar panel or windmill to constantly feed 1 EU/t into the MFSU, if the power flows turn the reactor on, if not the MFSU is full.

HeadHunter67 · Jan 20th 2012

Good ideas, thanks. I know next release will make it easy, but in the meantime, your suggestions are worth consideration.
I'm always open to more ideas, of course.

[EDIT: I tried the solar panel for "trickle" power with the EU detector/not gate combo on it, and looks like it's going to do just what I need it to do! Many thanks!]

NotCoach · Jan 20th 2012

Use two storage blocks (or sets of storage blocks) and a detector cable after each storage block (or sets of storage blocks) and one after the reactor. When flow is detected through the detector after the second storage block but not the other two have your reactor automatically start and stay latched on for a set amount of time with the done timer resetting the latch. When the reactor stops the check is automatically done again as long as EU is being drawn from your second storage block (or set of storage blocks).

NotCoach · Jan 20th 2012

Just do this.

Display Spoiler

Alblaka · Jan 20th 2012

Quote from catt0

The next release is going to change the way storage blocks work. Instead of not outputting when redstoned they will emit redstone when they are full. Easy way to do the same and more <3

Note: The current idea is to set this via a GUI-button. AS that one is not implemented yet, it'S relinked to a global setting.
This setting is set to false initially but can be changed to true in the config.

Reason is, if forced to true, full storages could cause adjacent transformers to suddenly switch direction, blowing stuff up.

HeadHunter67 · Jan 21st 2012

Quote from NotCoach

Just do this.

Thanks... I think. So, for someone who (as I mentioned) is neither an electician nor a programmer, care to render that diagram into something I could make sense of and use?

FnordMan2 · Jan 21st 2012

Quote from Alblaka

Note: The current idea is to set this via a GUI-button. AS that one is not implemented yet, it'S relinked to a global setting.
This setting is set to false initially but can be changed to true in the config.

Reason is, if forced to true, full storages could cause adjacent transformers to suddenly switch direction, blowing stuff up.

or other nasty things like having an adjacent teleporter be always on, thus leaving you unable to get anywhere near the MFSU until it's out of power.

Corbald · Jan 23rd 2012

Well, you could have a HVTF off the side of the output of the MFSU, wired to an EU detector wire, and back INTO the MFSU. The EU Detector will turn off if the MFSU is EMPTY. Wire that and your full detector to a toggle gate and have that control your reactor.

Nevermind, seems you can't use this method to detect both full and empty. I'm working on that now..

Here ya go. This will 'Pulse' the storage device, allowing it to drain completely, then recharging it to full. While it's draining, your power source (reactor, in this case) will be OFF. While it's recharging, the power source both charges the storage device, and supplies power to the machines down the line, as the storage device will emit no power while it's charging.

Hope this helps!

And for completeness' sake, here it is in 'Charging' mode:

Just in case you are having trouble reading it here on the forums, that tiny text in the upper-left corner of the first image reads: "Replace all LVTFs with applicable voltage TFs!"

ferrelas · Jan 28th 2012

Good ideas (I think), didn't go over them too carefully as they all seemed kinda complicated, and I think I have an easier solution.

Wire the reactor to a storage block, then a detector cable to another storage block, then redstone from the detector cable to a repeater with a slight delay, and then through a NOT gate (look up how to build one or just use redpower), and then to the reactor.

When the block after the detector cable is full, energy will stop flowing through it and it will stop emitting a signal, the NOT gate will then start emitting a signal that stops the reactor. But how to start it again? Here is where the repeater with the delay comes in, it's there to ensure that the first block gets a small charge after the 2nd one is full, and thus, when the 2nd one is not full any more, energy will flow from the 1st to the 2nd, thus turning on the reactor again.

Corbald · Jan 29th 2012

What I have above is actually really easy to set up and use. Only the detector cables which are connected to the first storage device are required, the others being used exclusively to connect to RedPower lamps so I can see what state it's in at the moment.

Share