User:Larix/MPL

Minecart Pathing Logic

This is a largely obscure discipline, performing logic operations by leading minecarts along different paths. This requires some method of switching the path of a minecart between different routes, depending on the input sent to the circuit.

Three known means of switching a cart's track are noted in the "Minecart" article in this wiki; useful for computing are switching via roller and switching of high-speed carts via doors.

Inspired by a discussion entry, i experimented with hatches and found that they can also be used to switch tracks, by opening or blocking the exits of track ramps. Using hatches for this purpose thus requires building logic devices over multiple z-levels, at least two. I also found that the peculiar behaviour of ramps can impart and maintain movement of carts without the need for power, paving the way for an independent logic discipline requiring neither power nor fluids and capable of building the basic binary logic gates as well as some of the more complicated devices like adders.

1. Foundations: intensely boring minecart physics

2. The basic logic gates in MPL

3. Dedicated devices

4. Finished Projects. Links to writeups posted on the forum.

5. Assessment. Why MPL is totally inefficient and the greatest thing you can do with minecarts.

6. Excursus: Signalless logic, yet another minecart logic sub-discipline, characterised by using no mechanisms at all.

7. Excursus II: Switching of high-speed carts by doors, offering fast reactions and low mechanism count.