Ticks per second?

[Abdiel]

Hmm, looks like you're right. So a transformer will indeed split one packet into four and is able to send them out in the same tick, but it is only able to perform one such conversion every tick. Therefore the maximum throughput of a transformer is 128/512/2048 EU/t respectively. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[GreenWolf13]

I guess to be more precise you need 4 transformers if the upstream source is also transformer.

Op asked about going from HV to MV to lv, which will take 4 transformers at each level past the first.

This is also incorrect. Stop spreading misinformation.

 

[budge]

That hasn't been my experience. You'll get the same EU/t on either end of a line of transformers, without needing 4x for down steps.

 

[Abdiel]

This is also incorrect. Stop spreading misinformation.

It would help if you tried to correct it then. People aren't spreading misinformation because they want to deceive, they are doing it because they honestly believe it's right. I myself am not 100% sure about how all the possible cases work, all I can do is test it.

 

[Velotican]

Perhaps the source of the confusion is that you lose more power from cable resistance when using smaller packets? This is by design and why MV and HV are still useful despite not actually being used directly by many machines in vanilla IC2.

 

[Omicron]

Alright, looks like I'll be firing up my test world. Result ETA 5 minutes...

 

[Abdiel]

Perhaps the source of the confusion is that you lose more power from cable resistance when using smaller packets? This is by design and why MV and HV are still useful despite not actually being used directly by many machines in vanilla IC2.

I am using one block of glass fiber cable (superconductor when needed) between every two machines so that I can use the EU-reader on it. No offense, but this isn't a "my first day with IC" thread.

 

[Velotican]

For best results when transmitting power in IC2 use glass fiber cables as they have the same power degradation rate as ultra-low current cable, which is roughly 20 times more stable than even gold cable. Use anything less than that and you'll see weird numbers in your testing because of the by-design power loss in lesser wires.

(GregTech superconductors are the only cables with 0 power loss.)

Edit: Ninjaed but still useful. Besides, there are more people reading this than the active participants.

 

[Omicron]

Okay, testing done. Does this suffice to close this debate?

 

[whythisname]

Okay, testing done. Does this suffice to close this debate?

So for max throughput you do need 4 transformers for each step down after the first step.

It makes sense though, the IC2 power grid basically works on a demand-supply system. If a machine requests 5 EU/t, the power source sends 5 EU/t (which will actually come down to 1 32 EU packet every ~7 ticks). A transformer apparently is designed to request only a maximum of 1 packet per tick (so in the case of LV it requests 1 128 EU packet per tick at max). I'm guessing this limit has been imposed for an arbitrary balancing reason, like many other IC2 limits and design choices.

 

[raiju]

1 quantum generator connected to 1 HV transformer - MV transformer (just to emphasize the effect more than anything) at 32k output 10k packets goes MUCH slower than 2k output 2k packets with 4 HV transformers and 16 MV transformers.

I am talking about the first setup here being at 1mill while the second hit 250mill, with the first starting much earlier (accidentally used glass fibre on the second to attach all transformers and it poofed due to 2k)

Quantum generators both at 2k 2k through 1 vs 4 hv transformers into MFSU's (mfsu's were used on the last test too btw) they appear to charge the same. This supports the suggestion that you cannot support multiple transformers off eachother in singles, but a transformer by themselves will handle as many as multiples would.

So yes whythisname, you will need 4 transformers for each step down. I'm confused as to why they will accept the full power on step one though. Is it because of a generator?

 

[Peppe]

Okay, testing done. Does this suffice to close this debate?

Typing from mobile so can't go into full detail' but that example is not in doubt.

How many transformers at each level to output all the EU as 32 EU packets.

It used to be as the wikis say' 1 conversion per transformer per tick. So 1 extreme voltage 2048 packet becomes 4 HV 512 ppackets. To get those 4 down to 32 in 1 tick is going to take 4 MV transformer, 1 per 512 packet. In turn each of those will make 4 MV 128 EU packets. That is 16 128 EU packets. Again to process in the same tick you will need a transformer for each , hence 16 lv transformer creating 64 lv 32 EU packets carrying all 2048 EU fro the source down to lv level.

 

[whythisname]

1 quantum generator connected to 1 HV transformer - MV transformer (just to emphasize the effect more than anything) at 32k output 10k packets goes MUCH slower than 2k output 2k packets with 4 HV transformers and 16 MV transformers.

I am talking about the first setup here being at 1mill while the second hit 250mill, with the first starting much earlier (accidentally used glass fibre on the second to attach all transformers and it poofed due to 2k)

Quantum generators both at 2k 2k through 1 vs 4 hv transformers into MFSU's (mfsu's were used on the last test too btw) they appear to charge the same. This supports the suggestion that you cannot support multiple transformers off eachother in singles, but a transformer by themselves will handle as many as multiples would.

So yes whythisname, you will need 4 transformers for each step down. I'm confused as to why they will accept the full power on step one though. Is it because of a generator?

Technically they don't accept the full power on the first step. But if you assume the output from any storage unit you'll never have an amount a HV transformer can't handle.