Smart Transport Belt

[dmorenus]

I'd like to see a transport belt that could be connected to a logistics network and provide an a signal whether that segment currently contains a particular item. It could be crafted from, say, an express transport belt plus an advanced circuit.

I find a lot of my supply chains end, not in chests, but in transport belt dead-ends or terminal loops and this would make it possible to control production directly from a transport belt without intermediate belts having to fill up first.

Such a technology might become available at a new Logistics 4 tech.

[ssilk]

Edit: a little bit better English....

This idea is relatively old. But I still like it.
And cause there is no special thread for it I keep it here.

What else can be done with such a belt (I took the ideas from my memory, cause it was now too difficult to find the threads):

- if connected to the red/green wires it can control any inserters:
--- a closed belt-circuit for production of complicated stuff: Any item is taken from this belt and the produced item goes on the same belt.
--- balancing of left and right lane of a belt (yes, I think it should be possible to count the left and right side of the belt separately, if needed, for the wires only)
- counting the number of items running through this belt (for lifetime?)
- statistics (like production statistics) - because I count the items on the belt I can couple it with an alarm, if the "production" (= number of items on the belt) goes down
- see, if biters or the car running through
- creating some "density" on a belt. For example for a ring of gun turrets the ammunition belt, which should have a more or less low density to spare ammunition.


The "counterpart" for this belt would be a piece of belt, which can be speed-controlled:
- the default speed can be adjusted
- max speed is faster than then express-belt.
- Any signal (red/green/logistic) can be used to slow down or speed up this belt.
- needs of course power for that (so with advanced circuit logic in v0.12 and up, it can be completely turned on/off).
- more speed, more need for power.
- has a fixed length (2-6 tiles?).

Edit: The regulation needs 6 knobs: default speed and default items, min-speed and and min items and max-speed and max-items. For example: The default speed is 2 for 100 items, min speed is 0 for 1000 items and max speed is 6 for 50 items. This means, that the belt drives fastest, if there are equal or less than 50 items and it stops, if we have more than 999 in our chests. Between these the belt calculates the right speed based on nice formulas, sinoids or so.

[bulldog98]

I also like the idea, because it adds so many new and cool possibilities into the game, which enhance the gameplay.

[ssilk]

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=4726

[micomico]

Joined, cause identical -- ssilk

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Hi there everyone. My first suggestion, that's not a rant disguised as a bug report:

I would like a smart belt, that you could attach to the circuit network, just like a smart chest.

In the most basic functionality, this smart belt would send a signal to the circuit network on whether items are flowing through the belt or not. Ideally, it would report items/min flowing through the belt.

A belt full of items that are not moving would report no items flowing or 0 items/min.

I'm sure folks would find applications for this. I basically want to start or stop inserters based on this value.


Edit: Clarification of behavior of full belts.

[DerivePi]

The work around for what you are requesting is to place a smart inserter, smart chest and then a standard inserter in line with your belt (use underground belt under the inserters and chest). The smart inserter should be set to operate when the item count in the chest is less than "x" (say 10 items). When the chest item count is greater than 0, there are items on the belt. When the chest is = to "x," the belt is sorta full (will fluctuate). If you are really interested on whether the belt is full, use 2 fast inserters and a smart chest limited to one stack. A full stack in the chest means the belt is full (an empty chest doesn't mean an empty belt though).

My idea of a smart belt would be one that can be turned on or off through the red/green circuit system.

[micomico]

The work around for what you are requesting is to place a smart inserter, smart chest and then a standard inserter in line with your belt (use underground belt under the inserters and chest). The smart inserter should be set to operate when the item count in the chest is less than "x" (say 10 items). When the chest item count is greater than 0, there are items on the belt. When the chest is = to "x," the belt is sorta full (will fluctuate). If you are really interested on whether the belt is full, use 2 fast inserters and a smart chest limited to one stack. A full stack in the chest means the belt is full (an empty chest doesn't mean an empty belt though).

This is nice.

My idea of a smart belt would be one that can be turned on or off through the red/green circuit system.

And this is a good idea too.

Unfortunately, I think your workaround won't be able to tell apart a full belt where the items are moving totally packed and a full belt of stopped items, since the inserter will not be able to empty the chest in both cases.

[ssilk]

Joined into this thread

Clarification of behavior of full belts: https://forums.factorio.com/wiki/inde ... ts/Physics