Redpower Timer Alternative

[SmokeLuvr1971]

Dunno why, but I dislike setting up timers to repeatedly extract items from containers. I play SSP so lag isn't an issue. I just don't like using them. Maybe it's the clicking on them with an item in you hand and the game crashes?

Anyhow, I was designing my Pumpkin Methane farm and came up with an alternative method that pulls items from a barrel using a wooden pipe, powered by a redstone engine. The wooden pipe terminates into a relay which gets the items into the tube network. The tube network consists of 2 parts, one where the items are meant to go [usual RP stuff], and a tube loop back to the top of the barrel. The 2 tube networks are separated by a restriction tube, such that where the items should go is the shorter route.

As the items get pulled from the barrel, they pass through the relay and, if there's room for them at the intended destination, they go that route. When the intended destination, industrial centrifuge in my example, is full, they pass through the return loop and back into the barrel.

Limitations are it's slow, but only because I'm using Redstone Engines and there's no need for me to extract stacks in this setup. My centrifuges aren't overclocked so they fill back up before a batch is done processing. Where increased extraction speed is desired, an alternative MJ engine / REC could be attached to the wooden pipe.

Hope someone finds this useful.

 

[Shenzo]

Maybe mfr PRC(Programable RedNet Controller) can substitute a timer in all cases but it's a little expensive just for pulling itens out of a barrel and i don't know if they exist on 1.4.7
you can use a sorting machine in the mode it automatically pull itens out of a container, if you use it you'll need a little bit of blutricity

 

[mushroom taco]

Try immibis' redlogic. It adds (iirc) all of the old redpower gates, including that simple timer. (And red alloy wire)
Or Project red which is a semi WIP that basically recreates everything from RP2 (except blutricity and frames... But there is a frame replacement called Redstone in motion.)
I'm switching to Project red in 1.6 just for the alloy furnaces.

 

[lolpierandom]

I can't recommend item loops in good faith- they cause way more lag then necessary for pretty much any use.

 

[Daemonblue]

This talk of timers reminded me of the old water clocks you could make. This probably wouldn't be too hard to imitate using droppers and obsidian pipes, but would definitely take up more space than a simple timer.

Another interesting setup might be a timer based on the new drawbridges from TiC. You could have it set up so whenever a redstone bridge extended to a certain point it would close itself and open up another bridge. This way when the bridge is fully extended it gives off a pulse, and since the bridges take time to extend you could make it into a makeshift clock. This one would be a bit more complex since you'd have to use various gates to keep the drawbridges on and off respectively, though as long as you aren't removing what the redstone is being placed on it shouldn't be too difficult.

Edit: Also, if MFR has any machines that release a redstone signal when an item passes by or through them on a conveyor that could possibly work, but so far the better idea I can think of is an item dropping onto a conveyor, gets pushed onto a pressure plate, sucked up by an obsidian pipe, and then dropped back onto a pressure plate.

Edit2: Or another method is using a clock with multiple gates where after so many passes it sends this signal through, since the timers from extra utils and the rednet controller timer appear to only have 1 second clocks.

 

[Loufmier]

so vanilla timer with repeater(s), redstone and redstone torch doesnt cut it anymore?

 

[tedyhere]

Redstone clock from Extra Utilities

 

[shockwave95]

you could always use a computer with

while true do
redstone.setOutput(side, true)
sleep(amount of time 1 = to one second)
end

Edit:
this also wont cause lag like the RP2 timers and it allows for more versatility if you ever need to expand.

 

[Daemonblue]

so vanilla timer with repeater(s), redstone and redstone torch doesnt cut it anymore?

I've never actually seen a vanilla timer built only on redstone so I wouldn't know how that would work. The only problem with a water clock is the entities disappear after 5 minutes, hence a loop that would prevent it from disappearing would be one to work with. Or use a computer.

I think the issue is really you want a timer than doesn't just tick every second, but rather however often you want it to.

Oh and another one, if entities in buildcraft pipes never disappear you can set up a loop using buildcraft gates that whenever the block moves through the pipe it would send off a pulse using the wires and pass it along some structured pipe.

 

[Loufmier]

I've never actually seen a vanilla timer built only on redstone so I wouldn't know how that would work.

Spoiler

here is one, with transition to rednet cable.
you can configure it by adding delay to repeaters, and more repeaters

 

[Daemonblue]

Yea, didn't think of just mixing a pulser with repeaters to delay the signal. Guess that comes with wanting to over-engineer everything - you tend to miss the easiest solutions