** Update 30-Mar-18 to fix a bug **
To celebrate the stable release of factorio 0.16, here is my most ambitious blueprint, 'Skynet on Steroids MK2' which updates and supercedes the previous version at https://www.factorio.school/view/-Kly_Swi1toD0g2nG8RG
New features
- Uses the new buffer chests in factorio v0.16 to centralise the 'buffer' of bots in one place
- Instead of having the frames ready to make bots when they are needed, pre-makes the bots and has them in the buffer chests ready for immediate injection into the network
- No longer adds too many bots into the network and exceeds the maximum that you set
- if the network has more than your maximum, it still makes sure that the buffer amount is produced (fixes a bug in the previous version)
- If the maximum gets exceeded in other ways, for example when you manually change the logistics network during (de)construction, then programmable speakers send warnings into your toolbar
- Uses the new sexier looking concrete
How to use (Please refer to the screenshot)
- In the constant combinator at the top left, set 'T' to the maximum number of construction bots you would like in the network. Set the construction bots variable to a the spare 'buffer' that you would like on top of the maximum in the network.
- In the constant combinator at the top right do the same for logistics bots maximum and buffer
- Ensure that the belt has a supply of red and green circuits
- Manually put 1 logistics bot into the network to 'prime' the system
- Switch on one or both of the constant combinaors
How it works
- The buffer chests are set to request the maximum bot count in the combinator + the buffer count set in the combinator - the bots already in the network
- When the available bots in the network is zero, and the maximum number of bots has not been reached, the inserter adds a bot from the buffer chest to the network
- When the network contains (or exceeds) the maximum number of bots set in the combinator, the inserter is disabled
- The blue requester chests are set to request the exact number of frames needed to ensure that the maximum number of bots set in the combinator + the buffer set in the combinator - the number of bots in the network - the number of bots in storage can be achieved
- The programmable speaker sends an alert if the actual number of bots in the network has reached or exceeds the counter set in the combinator. When this happens, either increase the value in the combinator, or take bots out of your network