Thermal Expansion energy cell and BuildCraft gates

[deadvole]

I'm trying to get a BuildCraft gate to tell me if a Thermal Expansion energy cell is full or not. When I put a BC pipe next to the energy cell then put a simple gate onto it, then there aren't many options in the gate's left-hand box: one possible input is whether there's a redstone signal and the other is if energy is traversing the pipe. In other words, it's not reading the energy cell next to it. I've tried different sorts of pipes: a cobblestone structure pipe, stone conductive pipe and wooden conductive pipe. When a gate is attached to any of them, the input options are limited.
It looks like the pipe isn't connected properly to the energy cell. Is that the problem? Here's a screenshot:

I'm using FTB Monster Pack (with a few mods disabled), version 1.05 for MineCraft 1.6.4. BuildCraft is version 4.22; Thermal Expansion is version 3.0.0.2.
What am I doing wrong? Please help!

 

[Wagon153]

Nothing wrong. It's just that Thermal Expansion's compatibility with Buildcraft as far as gates and such are now limited. I hear however that comparators work, and turtles are possible.

However, you can try using an iron AND gate from buildcraft. That could be your problem too. first.

 

[AlanEsh]

Looks like the structure pipe isn't even connecting... have you tried changing that face of the energy cell to blue or yellow in your testing?

 

[Golrith]

Chuck a comparator next to the engery cell. It will then output a signal representing how full the cell is.

I then use MFR rednet cable system to test this signal strength, and output a redstone signal when above 14 to turn off my steam dynamos (thus any stored RF still in the dynamos can still go into the cell)

You can still use the BC pipes to disable an energy cell from outputting energy, very useful when using BC laser system. Has work condition on the table, then structure pipe and wire to another gate next to the cell.
Saves wasting RF when the lasers are idle.

 

[deadvole]

Thanks very much for your replies!

@AlanEsh: I've tried all the different colours in my testing, but it doesn't connect.

@Wagon153: what you say sounds right: cells and gates are simply no longer compatible. I don't think I'll even try an iron gate.

@Golrith: I'll try the comparator. I was playing with MFR rednet PRCs the other day -- wonderful stuff!

 

[rhn]

Yeah it is one of the thing that baffles me with the new TE. Integration with other mods automation like BC gates and Nuclear control Sensor kits etc. would be pretty high on my list. But sadly it doesn't seem like something given much thought.

 

[deadvole]

As each TE update occurs, it seems to get further away from BC. For example, RF rather than MJ. But I thought the *point* of TE was to be very connected with BC.

But you don't really know what's happening behind the scenes. Going to RF was because, apparently, the TE team found the BC implementation of MJ too laggy. There could be good reasons for TE not being compatible with gates. But it's a pity.

 

[Zenthon_127]

Yeah it is one of the thing that baffles me with the new TE. Integration with other mods automation like BC gates and Nuclear control Sensor kits etc. would be pretty high on my list. But sadly it doesn't seem like something given much thought.

KL said at one point that TE3 would eventually have BC gate integration or maybe that TE would get its own version of gates. As for Nuclear Control, it is sadly an IC2 addon and since fewer and fewer people are using IC2 now....yeah.

 

[ThatOneSlowking]

As each TE update occurs, it seems to get further away from BC. For example, RF rather than MJ. But I thought the *point* of TE was to be very connected with BC.

But you don't really know what's happening behind the scenes. Going to RF was because, apparently, the TE team found the BC implementation of MJ too laggy. There could be good reasons for TE not being compatible with gates. But it's a pity.

OBJECTION!
The reason they switched power systems wss because BC wss more on-demand power woth no storage, While TE was more storage and efficiency dealio
The only RF converts to MJ in conduits is because some people want that feature

 

[rhn]

Are you using a structure pipe or energy pipe? An energy pipe won't connect as the cell doesn't use MJs. A structure pipe might connect though. I think it's called structure pipe or similar.

Gate features are not limited to if a pipe connects to a device or not. You can use any pipe you want and it will still detect the values of an adjacent device, given that the device supports the BC gates. I have often just used a random piece of pipe before having made some structure pipes. The strength of structure pipe is purely that it does not connect to any of the other kind of pipes, but it will allow pipe wire to cross from transport pipes to structure pipe and over to fluid pipes for example.

Like in this example where I used it to bridge between a kinetic pipe an fluid pipes to allow a red pipe wire to pass: