Difference between revisions of "U-shape Balancer"

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| Recipe        =  
| Recipe        =  
   {{Machine Recipe
   {{Machine Recipe
     | Input1Name  = Construction Parts
     | Input1Name  = Construction Parts II
     | Input1Qty  = 8
     | Input1Qty  = 8
   }}
   }}
| Electricity  = 20 KW
| Cargo        = [[:Category:Loose products|Loose products]]
| Cargo        = [[:Category:Loose products|Loose products]]
| Footprint    = 2x2
| Footprint    = 2x2
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| Variants      = [[Flat Balancer]]<br/>[[Molten Balancer]]<br/>[[Pipe Balancer]]
| Variants      = [[Flat Balancer]]<br/>[[Molten Balancer]]<br/>[[Pipe Balancer]]
}}
}}
The '''U-shape Balancer''' is a [[:Category:Transports|transport]] with four [[U-shape Conveyor]] ports. Its serves two different but important roles: to allow for the balancing of units between multiple inputs, multiple outputs, or both; and to give the capability to be able to input or output from a specific U-shape Conveyor connection.
The '''U-shape Balancer''' is a [[:Category:Transports|transport]] with 8 [[U-shape Conveyor]] [<nowiki/>[[U-shape Conveyor II|II]] • [[U-shape Conveyor III|III]]] ports. Its serves two different but important roles: To allow you to pick priority Input(s) and Output(s) of the '''balancer''' and to allow for the (strict) evening out of the resources between multiple inputs, multiple outputs, or both.


On one side, one port is marked <code>X</code> while the other port is marked <code>O</code>. The same is true likewise on the other side but with reversed coloring. While the metal bar holder atop the balancer is asymmetrical and the in-game description would seem to indicate that two must be inputs and two must be outputs, any of the 4 connections can operate as either inputs or outputs, though obviously there cannot be four input or four outputs at the same time. Input or output determination is done automatically using the belt direction of the conveyor attached to that port. Thus, rotating the balancer 180 degrees only has the effect of switching which side the <code>X</code> and <code>O</code> letters and chevrons appear on the transport graphically and rotating the balancer 90 or 270 degrees only serves to change which colors the port labels are on any given end.
Each of the 8 ports can be either input or output (or neither). The direction of the port is determined by the direction of the U-shaped conveyor connected to it.
 
The '''U-shape Balancer''' works as a balancer, without any options toggeled - it will balance any inputs and outputs (with the same level of priority), effectivly acting as an (double) [[wikipedia:OR_gate|OR Gate]].  The [[U-shape Connector]] has the same effect, thus being the preferred option for this use case (since the patch v0.4.13).
 
The '''U-shape Balancer''' can only be connected to [[U-shape Conveyor]]s [<nowiki/>[[U-shape Conveyor II|II]] • [[U-shape Conveyor III|III]]], it can not be connected directly to buildings.


==Balancer UI==
==Balancer UI==
The player can open the balancer's UI by clicking on the transport. Three toggles are available:
The player can open the balancer's UI by clicking on the transport.  
 
Two toggles are available under "Even I/O ratios":
* Enforce strictly even inputs
* Enforce strictly even outputs
 
Under "Prioritization" each port can be prioritized and it also dislpays whether it's an input or output port.
It is possible to prioritize none, one, two,  ... ,  or even all of the ports simultaneously, depending on the desired use case.
 
On the right side of the UI is "Priority", which sets the power/manpower/maintenance priority for this building. It is advised to keep this fairly high for any of the balancers, as they will severely damage any resource chains when out of order and they do not actually consume any of manpower nor maintenance, only 20 KW of power.
 
==Strictly Even inputs or outputs==
If both the first and the second toggles are activated, the transport will only pull equally from connected ''input ports'' and push equally to connected ''output ports'', effectivly acting as an (double) [[wikipedia:AND_gate|AND Gate]].


* Prioritize incoming products to port marked X
Which means that if one of the ''output ports'' is full (blocked) then any resources won't be sent through any other ''output ports'' either.
* Prioritize outgoing products from ports marked X
* Use alternative priority ports (O) instead of default (X)


In other words, the first toggle is provided to mark the incoming <code>X</code> port as the one receiving input priority. The second toggle does the same for the outgoing <code>X</code> port. The third toggle changes all instances of the letter <code>X</code> to <code>O</code> on the UI and applies the equivalent logic to balancer. It is possible to enable one, two, or even all three toggles simultaneously depending on the desired use case.
Similiarily when an ''input port'' is lacking resources, no resources are brought in from any other ''input ports''.


==Balancing inputs or outputs==
Enforcing strictly even inputs/outputs resets any priorities set for the ports.
If neither the first nor second toggle are activated, the transport will attempt to pull equally to from the number of connected inputs and push equally to the number of connected outputs. In this case, the third toggle has no impact whether set to on or off. This means that that a single balancer can act as a perfect "1-to-2", "2-to-1", "2-to-2", "1-to-3", or "3-to-1" balancer simply by connecting conveyors with the desired direction of flow.


==Priority input or output==
==Priority input or output==
The only limitation is when both priority input and priority output are desired at the same time ''and'' there are two inputs and two outputs connected. In this case, the priority choices can be only be "from X to X" or "from O to O" as the the third toggle swaps the letters of both ports at the same time. This limitation can be bypassed by swapping the two input conveyors or two output conveyors physically and is typically not an issue except in very compact builds.
Any prioritized port is prioritized over a nonprioritized port. All nonprioritized ports are equal, all prioritized ports are equal.


==Example use cases==
==Example use cases==
* Priority input: to ensure that a [[Loose Storage]] is emptied before accepting stock from a main conveyor line
* Priority input: to ensure that a [[Loose Storage]] is emptied before accepting stock from a main conveyor line.
* Priority output: to ensure that sufficient {{infoicon|Coal}} is used to continuously run a [[Boiler (Coal)]] making {{infoicon|Electricity}} before allowing a [[Basic Distiller]] to be fed
* Priority output: to ensure that sufficient {{infoicon|Coal}} is used to continuously run a [[Boiler (Coal)]] making {{infoicon|Electricity}} before allowing a [[Basic Distiller]] to be fed.
* Balancing inputs: to ensure that {{infoicon|Uranium Ore}} brought in from a [[Cargo Ship]] is pulled equally from multiple [[Loose Modules]]
* Strictly even inputs: to ensure that {{infoicon|Uranium Ore}} brought in from a [[Cargo Ship]] is pulled equally from multiple [[Loose Modules]].
* Balancing outputs: to ensure that {{infoicon|PCB|plural=s}} from an [[Assembly (Electric)] are equally fed into two of the same making {{infoicon|Electronics}}
* Strictly even outputs: to ensure that {{infoicon|PCB|plural=s}} from an [[Assembly (Electric)]] are equally fed into two of the same making {{infoicon|Electronics}}.


{{Navbox/Machines}}
==See also==
* [[U-shape Conveyor]] [<nowiki/>[[U-shape Conveyor II|II]] • [[U-shape Conveyor III|III]]]
* [[U-shape Sorter]]
* [[U-shape Connector]]
* [[Pipe Balancer]]
* [[Molten Balancer]]
* [[Flat Balancer]]
{{Footer Infobox}}

Latest revision as of 15:14, 17 May 2023

Transports.png
U-shape Balancer
U-shape Balancer.png
Allows distributing and prioritizing products using any of its two input and output ports.
Construction
Construction Parts II.png
8
ElectricityElectricity.png 20 KW
Footprint2x2
CargoLoose products
Required ResearchTransports Balancing
DesignationTransports Transports.png
VariantsFlat Balancer
Molten Balancer
Pipe Balancer

The U-shape Balancer is a transport with 8 U-shape Conveyor [II • III] ports. Its serves two different but important roles: To allow you to pick priority Input(s) and Output(s) of the balancer and to allow for the (strict) evening out of the resources between multiple inputs, multiple outputs, or both.

Each of the 8 ports can be either input or output (or neither). The direction of the port is determined by the direction of the U-shaped conveyor connected to it.

The U-shape Balancer works as a balancer, without any options toggeled - it will balance any inputs and outputs (with the same level of priority), effectivly acting as an (double) OR Gate. The U-shape Connector has the same effect, thus being the preferred option for this use case (since the patch v0.4.13).

The U-shape Balancer can only be connected to U-shape Conveyors [II • III], it can not be connected directly to buildings.

Balancer UI

The player can open the balancer's UI by clicking on the transport.

Two toggles are available under "Even I/O ratios":

  • Enforce strictly even inputs
  • Enforce strictly even outputs

Under "Prioritization" each port can be prioritized and it also dislpays whether it's an input or output port. It is possible to prioritize none, one, two, ... , or even all of the ports simultaneously, depending on the desired use case.

On the right side of the UI is "Priority", which sets the power/manpower/maintenance priority for this building. It is advised to keep this fairly high for any of the balancers, as they will severely damage any resource chains when out of order and they do not actually consume any of manpower nor maintenance, only 20 KW of power.

Strictly Even inputs or outputs

If both the first and the second toggles are activated, the transport will only pull equally from connected input ports and push equally to connected output ports, effectivly acting as an (double) AND Gate.

Which means that if one of the output ports is full (blocked) then any resources won't be sent through any other output ports either.

Similiarily when an input port is lacking resources, no resources are brought in from any other input ports.

Enforcing strictly even inputs/outputs resets any priorities set for the ports.

Priority input or output

Any prioritized port is prioritized over a nonprioritized port. All nonprioritized ports are equal, all prioritized ports are equal.

Example use cases

  • Priority input: to ensure that a Loose Storage is emptied before accepting stock from a main conveyor line.
  • Priority output: to ensure that sufficient Coal is used to continuously run a Boiler (Coal) making Electricity before allowing a Basic Distiller to be fed.
  • Strictly even inputs: to ensure that Uranium Ore brought in from a Cargo Ship is pulled equally from multiple Loose Modules.
  • Strictly even outputs: to ensure that PCBs from an Assembly (Electric) are equally fed into two of the same making Electronics.

See also

Machines
General Machines.png General Machines
Water Extraction & Processing.png Water Extraction & Processing
Food Production.png Food Production
Metallurgy & Smelting.png Metallurgy & Smelting
Power Production.png Power Production
Crude Oil Refining.png Crude Oil Refining
Waste Management.png Waste Management
Transports.png Transports
Storage.png Storage
Buildings.png Buildings
Buildings (For Vehicles).png Buildings (For Vehicles)
Housing & Services.png Housing & Services
Cargo Docks.png Cargo Docks
Landmarks.png Landmarks
Planned or Proposed
* Only available in the Supporter Edition
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