AE2 question

[Brian Cherrick]

I know by default you can only interact with 8 channels at a time. I know that ME controllers add to it (or do they?), but not sure how much. I am in the middle of building a relatively large network, and want everything to be able to communicate with one another, so what exactly do I need to add for this to happen?

I have 1 ME controller at present.

 

[fyCrafter]

You can only have one controller per network so keep that in mind but what I and most people I play with do is using P2P tunnels. I'll try to explain it with pictures here:
PS: My English is not perfect so I'm sorry if you don't understand anything..

Spoiler: Image 1

Now to try and explain this if you didn't understand.

P2P Tunnel connected to the Controller has 32 Channels because that's how much one Controller side gives - right now it's got 16 channels left because I have 8 machines with one Import Bus and one Interface each. The Thermal Expansion side is getting it's channels from P2P Tunnel number #2 which is linked to P2P number #1. Same with the IC2 side. The Mainline is only using 4 channels because the only devices that are connected are 4 P2P tunnels. With this set up you can have 32 P2P tunnels connected to one line of Glass Cables which means you can have 256 devices connected to one line of cable.

I know this explanation isn't the best and I'm sorry for that.

 

[Brian Cherrick]

I think I understand now ... question I have though is does it matter what type of cable I use (fluix, quartz fiber, dense, smart) for the sections in between the p2p tunnels ?

 

[fyCrafter]

I think I understand now ... question I have though is does it matter what type of cable I use (fluix, quartz fiber, dense, smart) for the sections in between the p2p tunnels ?

You can use either ME Glass Cables, ME Covered Cables or ME Smart Cables. The Quartz Fiber cable only transfers power so you cannot use that, the setup I use tries to avoid using the ME Dense Cable as much as possible.

EDIT: Also check out http://ae-mod.info/Channels/ for more information about channels. The video there is very helpful.

 

[Brian Cherrick]

You can use either ME Glass Cables, ME Covered Cables or ME Smart Cables. The Quartz Fiber cable only transfers power so you cannot use that, the setup I use tries to avoid using the ME Dense Cable as much as possible.

like transfers power between the p2p tunnels ? I'm still trying to figure out how you are getting up to 256 devices on this setup ... I know I definitely gotta redo mine a bit cause I wasn't using p2p tunnels. There any tool that calculates how many are being used?

 

[fyCrafter]

like transfers power between the p2p tunnels ? I'm still trying to figure out how you are getting up to 256 devices on this setup ... I know I definitely gotta redo mine a bit cause I wasn't using p2p tunnels. There any tool that calculates how many are being used?

No power is being transferred here except AE Power. I'm not using any Quartz Fiber at all. Give me a few minutes and I'll try to explain it better with a better image

 

[Brian Cherrick]

No power is being transferred here except AE Power. I'm not using any Quartz Fiber at all. Give me a few minutes and I'll try to explain it better with a better image

Appreciated ... will be going to bed soon since I gotta get up early for work .. just trying to get most of this done. The cable being used looks different from what I used, but in reality I think is the same.

 

[fyCrafter]

Appreciated ... will be going to bed soon since I gotta get up early for work .. just trying to get most of this done. The cable being used looks different from what I used, but in reality I think is the same.

Okay here we go again, I hope this explains it a little bit better.

Here you can see we have 64 ME Drives, each need one channel. The Pink Dense Cable is giving Channels to the P2P tunnels - NOT THE ME DRIVES -. Each P2P tunnel needs a Channel and right now the Pink Dense Cable is using 9 channels because that's how many P2P Tunnels there are. The P2P Tunnel connected to the Controller(right above the Pink Dense Cable) has 32 Channels because again, that's how much one Controller side gives. Now we're out of channels on the P2P tunnel above the Pink Dense cable. To solve this we need to add another P2P tunnel ABOVE the P2P tunnel that's already on the controller, go to next image.

Spoiler: Image 1

Now we've put another P2P Tunnel on the Controller so that we can use 32 more channels on our main line. Go to next image

Spoiler: Image 2

All the bays(64 Channels) are getting powered through one Cable that can only handle 8. I know my explanation sucks, if you're on a server I would gladly assist you... Play around with it and watch the video on the link I gave in the other post go 3 minutes in and the Mod Author shows you how P2P is working.

Spoiler: Image 3

 

[namiasdf]

Don't P2P channels have to be linear now, or is that only with non-ME P2P channels? I tried having multiple power sources send energy, through their own P2P port, to a single P2P port which fed into a bank of energy cells (and then have a similar set up for having my energy going out, distributed by AE).

 

[fyCrafter]

Don't P2P channels have to be linear now, or is that only with non-ME P2P channels? I tried having multiple power sources send energy, through their own P2P port, to a single P2P port which fed into a bank of energy cells (and then have a similar set up for having my energy going out, distributed by AE).

Do you have a pic of your setup? If I understand you correctly you are trying to link multiple sources of power to multiple p2p tunnels which are then linked to only one p2p tunnel?

 

[namiasdf]

Well think of it this way:


Power source A -> P2P A -------
-----------------------------------|-------------> P2P C
Power source B -> P2P B --------

i.e. P2P A & B have power going into them, with P2P C having the combined output. I don't think this works, unless I have to link C to B & A, instead of A to C and B to C separately. (Order matters iirc).

 

[fyCrafter]

Well think of it this way:


Power source A -> P2P A -------
-----------------------------------|-------------> P2P C
Power source B -> P2P B --------

i.e. P2P A & B have power going into them, with P2P C having the combined output. I don't think this works, unless I have to link C to B & A, instead of A to C and B to C separately. (Order matters iirc).

No you can't have two sources of power. You can only have one source P2P linked to multiple power outputs. Like this where the Magmatic Dynamos are the power source and the Energy Cells are receiving power through P2P.

Spoiler: One Input, Multiple Outputs

 

[namiasdf]

Hmmmm. Saves me a lot of channels and organization. Lemme go retrieve those 1 diamond P2P buses... >_>


And just to be more clear...


It goes:

Power source A -> P2P A(in) -> P2P A(out) -> Energy cell bank -> P2P C(in) -> P2P C(out) -> Machine bank A
Power source B -> P2P B(in) -> P2P B(out) -> Energy cell bank -> P2P C(in) -> P2P D(out) -> Machine bank B

i.e. Power source A & B have separate P2P lines, A & B, respectively. Then P2P C(in) is used to route energy to P2P C(out) and P2P D(out), successfully.

 

[fyCrafter]

Hmmmm. Saves me a lot of channels and organization. Lemme go retrieve those 1 diamond P2P buses... >_>


And just to be more clear...


It goes:

Power source A -> P2P A(in) -> P2P A(out) -> Energy cell bank -> P2P C(in) -> P2P C(out) -> Machine bank A
Power source B -> P2P B(in) -> P2P B(out) -> Energy cell bank -> P2P C(in) -> P2P D(out) -> Machine bank B

i.e. Power source A & B have separate P2P lines, A & B, respectively. Then P2P C(in) is used to route energy to P2P C(out) and P2P D(out), successfully.

This what you mean?
A IN is linked to A OUT, C IN linked to C OUT.

Spoiler: Image

Edit: Michine bank...

 

[namiasdf]

As you've described it, PWR SOURCE B has to have it's own P2P channel, inputting energy into the energy bank.

But as you've described the output, yes that's how I've interpreted the allowed usage of P2P channels.

Single input, multiple outputs. This includes the situation of single input to single output. Multiple outputs cannot link to a single input.