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The '''robotic network''' was introduced with v0.8.0, which also added the [[Repair pack]]s and [[Construction robot]]s. [[Roboport]]s are the base of the robotic network. They cover an area of 50x50 [[Tile|tiles]] and if placed near enough together, they are connected and build one big robotic network. [[Robots]] can fly inside this network to every point covered by the roboports. Roboports are expensive in both: the crafting and the need for power.
The '''robotic network''' was introduced with v0.8.0, which also added [[Repair pack]]s and [[Construction robot]]s. [[Roboport]]s are the base of the robotic network. They cover an area of 50x50 [[Tile|tiles]] and, if placed near each other, connect to build one big robotic network. [[Robots]] can fly inside this network to every point covered by the roboports. Roboports are expensive both to craft and to power.


==Items==
==Items==
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==Robots==
==Robots==
{{Main|Robots}}
{{Main|Robots}}
Robots do in their coverage area, for what they are built to. They need always power to keep flying in the air. When they have nothing to do, they fly in the next roboport and sleep.
Robots perform any required functions within their coverage area. They need power to keep flying. When they have nothing to do, they fly to the nearest roboport to sleep and recharge.


==Roboports==
==Roboports==
To create a robotic network, you need to place one [[Roboport]]. If you place a second, lines will show you if it is connected with the first. If so, they build a bigger network. The roboports are also used for charging of the bots. See below if you have charging problems.
To create a robotic network, you need to place one [[Roboport]]. If you place a second, lines will show you if it is connected with the first. If so, they create a bigger network. The roboports are also used to charge bots. See below if you have charging problems.


===Avoid "angeled" shaped layouts of roboports!===
===Avoid "angeled" shaped layouts of roboports!===
This is a know issue: robots fly always the shortest way. This means, they can and will fly over areas without roboport-coverage! The distance to the chargers may be too far. This will slow down robots significantly, if you create such a layout.
This is a know issue: robots always take the shortest path. This means they can and will fly over areas without roboport-coverage! The distance to the chargers may be too far, and such a layout will slow down the robots significantly.


==Logistic network==
==Logistic network==
{{Main|Logistic network}}
{{Main|Logistic network}}
The area covered by the robotic network is identical to that of the [[Logistic network]]. All [[Logistic network/Chests]] inside a robotic network are connected and build the [[Logistic network]]. Imagine the logistic chests send their containments to the roboports. There can be many individual Robotic networks. Bots cannot fly from one network into another.
The area covered by the robotic network is identical to that of the [[Logistic network]]. All [[Logistic network/Chests]] inside a robotic network are connected and build the [[Logistic network]]. Imagine the logistic chests send their contents to the roboports. There can be many individual Robotic networks. Bots cannot fly from one network to another.


==Repair==
==Repair==
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==Number of bots in a robotic network==
==Number of bots in a robotic network==
The amount of robots per network is limited because the roboports don't have unlimited space and flying robots need energy to fly at normal speed and the charging points are limited. So the number of bots in a network depends on:
The number of robots per network is limited because roboports have limited space to charge flying robots. So the number of bots in a network depends on:
* number of roboports
* the number of roboports
* the average distance between the roboports (density)
* the average distance between the roboports (density)
* the form of the robotic network/placement of the ports
* the form of the robotic network/placement of the ports
* average distance the logistic bots fly between [[Logistic network/Chests]]
* average distance the logistic bots fly between [[Logistic network/Chests]]
* how much damage the [[Construction robot]]s must repair and how often do they need to place or remove buildings
* how much damage the [[Construction robot]]s must repair and how often they need to place or remove buildings
And in general:
And in general:
* number of bots flying
* number of bots flying
Line 48: Line 48:
* Number of bots
* Number of bots
* Average distance between your chests (all combinations)
* Average distance between your chests (all combinations)
* How much they fly empty (the more "random" the transport is, the better, because then there is a bigger chance that an empty robot is near!)
* How often they fly empty (the more "random" the transport is the better, because then there is a bigger chance that an empty robot is near!)
* How long they need to wait for recharge - this effect is "blocking", which means, that up to an unknown maximum the transport-power is constant and suddenly the waiting queue gets too long and this dissolves not (Only if the needed transports is much lower for a minute or so). Funny thing here is, that a slightly lower number of bots is then eventually faster!
* How long they need to wait for recharge - this effect is "blocking", which means that up to an unknown maximum, the transport-power is constant. But, if the waiting queue gets too long, the system falls apart, which means that, counter-intuitively, a slightly lower number of bots is actually more efficient/faster!


To optimize it, you can
To optimize it, you can
Line 55: Line 55:
: greatly recommended
: greatly recommended
; Add more bots to your network
; Add more bots to your network
: This has the above disadvantage, that at some point you can't add more bots into your network, because they can't be charged fast enough anymore.
: but be careful not to exceed the magical limit mentioned above.
; Add more roboports at strategic points
; Add more roboports at strategic points
: This is an expensive enhancement and sometimes this doesn't help. But sometimes this solves some problems.
: This is an expensive enhancement and sometimes doesn't help, but can solve the problem
; Decrease the average distance between the logistic chests
; Decrease the average distance between the logistic chests
* avoid transport of great amounts raw-material. Use transport-belts for the "main-routes" of the bots. Bring the big material-flows as near to the target, as possible. The transport-power of logistic bots is much bigger than belts, but a constant flow reduces their effectivity very strong, because then they fly half of the time empty.  
* avoid transporting a lot of raw material - instead use transport belts for items with a lot of throughput. Bring the big material flows as near to the target as possible. The transport-power of logistic bots is much bigger than belts, but a constant flow reduces their effectiveness by about half, because they fly empty about half the time.  
* Split a big network into two and move the items between these networks with transport belts or trains (and requester/provider-chests).
* Split a big network in two and move items between them with transport belts or trains (and requester/provider-chests).


===Example===
===Example===
It's a very good idea to use a robotic network on a train station to unload the chests, which are filled by the inserters from the wagons into storage-chests. The logistic bots have enough time to recharge in the times, when the there are no trains. But don't use it then, to transport the ore also to the furnaces. For that the belts are much more useful, because the furnaces have a very constant need of raw-material and for constant flow the belts are much more useful. This shows the flow:
It's a very good idea to use a robotic network at a train station to unload the chests that have been filled by the inserters from the wagons. The logistic bots have enough time to recharge between trains. But don't also use them to transport the ore to the furnaces. For that the belts are much more useful, because the furnaces have a constant need for raw material and for constant flow belts are much more useful. This shows the flow:
  Wagon ---Inserter---> Provider chest ---Logistic bot---> Storage- or Requester-chest
  Wagon ---Inserter---> Provider chest ---Logistic bot---> Storage- or Requester-chest
  Requester-Chest ---Inserter---> Belt ---> to the furnaces
  Requester-Chest ---Inserter---> Belt ---> to the furnaces
Line 71: Line 71:


==Choosing the post for charging==
==Choosing the post for charging==
Normally a robot takes the nearest roboport to recharge. If the queue on that roboport is too long, he chooses eventually another port. This is specified with the ratio of
Normally a robot flies to the nearest roboport to recharge. If the queue on that roboport is too long, he eventually choose another port. This is specified by the ratio of
  <distance to different roboport in tiles> / <queue size of robots waiting>
  <distance to different roboport in tiles> / <queue size of robots waiting>
Currently, to choose the more distant roboport, the distance must be at most
Currently, to choose the more distant roboport, the distance must be at most
  <Number of robots in the queue and on the way> / 2
  <Number of robots in the queue and on the way> / 2
So to choose a roboport, that is 10 tiles more distant, it has to have 20 less robots waiting in the queue.
So to choose a roboport that is 10 tiles more distant, it has to have 20 less robots waiting in the queue.


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 13:26, 1 September 2015

The robotic network was introduced with v0.8.0, which also added Repair packs and Construction robots. Roboports are the base of the robotic network. They cover an area of 50x50 tiles and, if placed near each other, connect to build one big robotic network. Robots can fly inside this network to every point covered by the roboports. Roboports are expensive both to craft and to power.

Items

Roboport.png
Roboport
Spawns the Robotic network. Holds and recharges robots and provides the coverage for logistics and construction network.
Logistic robot Moves items between logistic chests.
Construction robot Repairs broken or replaces destroyed entities. Builds and removes entities on command.

Robots

Main article: Robots

Robots perform any required functions within their coverage area. They need power to keep flying. When they have nothing to do, they fly to the nearest roboport to sleep and recharge.

Roboports

To create a robotic network, you need to place one Roboport. If you place a second, lines will show you if it is connected with the first. If so, they create a bigger network. The roboports are also used to charge bots. See below if you have charging problems.

Avoid "angeled" shaped layouts of roboports!

This is a know issue: robots always take the shortest path. This means they can and will fly over areas without roboport-coverage! The distance to the chargers may be too far, and such a layout will slow down the robots significantly.

Logistic network

Main article: Logistic network

The area covered by the robotic network is identical to that of the Logistic network. All Logistic network/Chests inside a robotic network are connected and build the Logistic network. Imagine the logistic chests send their contents to the roboports. There can be many individual Robotic networks. Bots cannot fly from one network to another.

Repair

Main article: Repair

All broken entities will be repaired with Repair packs by the Construction robots. Destroyed entities will be replaced, if they are available in the same logistic network.

Number of bots in a robotic network

The number of robots per network is limited because roboports have limited space to charge flying robots. So the number of bots in a network depends on:

  • the number of roboports
  • the average distance between the roboports (density)
  • the form of the robotic network/placement of the ports
  • average distance the logistic bots fly between Logistic network/Chests
  • how much damage the Construction robots must repair and how often they need to place or remove buildings

And in general:

  • number of bots flying
  • number of bots stored in roboports

As a rule of thumb between 50-100 bots per Roboport is possible.

Optimizing a robotic network

The transportation-power of the logistic bots is nearly constant! It depends on

  • Speed of the bots
  • Cargo-stacksize (number of items he can take)
  • Number of bots
  • Average distance between your chests (all combinations)
  • How often they fly empty (the more "random" the transport is the better, because then there is a bigger chance that an empty robot is near!)
  • How long they need to wait for recharge - this effect is "blocking", which means that up to an unknown maximum, the transport-power is constant. But, if the waiting queue gets too long, the system falls apart, which means that, counter-intuitively, a slightly lower number of bots is actually more efficient/faster!

To optimize it, you can

Research speed or cargo-stacksize.
greatly recommended
Add more bots to your network
but be careful not to exceed the magical limit mentioned above.
Add more roboports at strategic points
This is an expensive enhancement and sometimes doesn't help, but can solve the problem
Decrease the average distance between the logistic chests
  • avoid transporting a lot of raw material - instead use transport belts for items with a lot of throughput. Bring the big material flows as near to the target as possible. The transport-power of logistic bots is much bigger than belts, but a constant flow reduces their effectiveness by about half, because they fly empty about half the time.
  • Split a big network in two and move items between them with transport belts or trains (and requester/provider-chests).

Example

It's a very good idea to use a robotic network at a train station to unload the chests that have been filled by the inserters from the wagons. The logistic bots have enough time to recharge between trains. But don't also use them to transport the ore to the furnaces. For that the belts are much more useful, because the furnaces have a constant need for raw material and for constant flow belts are much more useful. This shows the flow:

Wagon ---Inserter---> Provider chest ---Logistic bot---> Storage- or Requester-chest
Requester-Chest ---Inserter---> Belt ---> to the furnaces

Energy

Robots with no energy will slow down to a 5th of normal speed.

Choosing the post for charging

Normally a robot flies to the nearest roboport to recharge. If the queue on that roboport is too long, he eventually choose another port. This is specified by the ratio of

<distance to different roboport in tiles> / <queue size of robots waiting>

Currently, to choose the more distant roboport, the distance must be at most

<Number of robots in the queue and on the way> / 2

So to choose a roboport that is 10 tiles more distant, it has to have 20 less robots waiting in the queue.

See also