Editing v0.31:Gear assembly

{{av}}
{{Quality|Exceptional}}

{{Machine_component|name=Gear assembly|key=g
|construction=
* [[Mechanism]]
|construction_job=
* [[Mechanic]]s
|power=Needs 5 power.
}}

A '''gear assembly''' is a [[machine component]] that is used to transmit [[power]] from one adjacent machine component to another, such as [[water wheel]]s, [[windmill]]s, [[axle]]s, [[pump]]s, [[millstone]]s and other gear assemblies. This allows the transfer of vertical motion (z-axis) to horizontal (x and y-axis) and vice versa, that is, a change in direction of 90°.

Gear assemblies require 5 units of power each.

Gear assemblies do not block unit movement and can be crossed by dwarves without being spooled around them. But digging a channel to transfer the power (such as for an axle or a pump) below a gear assembly can result in a hole that can not be crossed.

''For a basic overview of how the different machine parts work and work together, see [[machinery]].''

==Construction==
Gears can be constructed from the {{K|b}}uild menu under {{K|M}}achine Components and {{K|g}}ear. They require one [[mechanism]] to construct.

After the gear assembly has been constructed, it will automatically draw power from an adjacent power source.  Further components can then be connected to the other available sides (East, West, North, South, Above, Below) of the gear assembly, and will automatically draw power from the power source via the assembly.  Note that gear assemblies do not transfer power diagonally; they only work orthogonally (N-S, E-W, up-down). 

In order to transfer power between [[z-level]]s with a gear assembly, you must first dig a channel, and then place the gear over the opening. Then place either another gear assembly, a vertical axle, or a machine (screw pump, etc.) on the z-level below in the same square, and power will be routed to it.

==Disconnected gears==

Gears can be "disconnected" by being connected to a [[lever]], and then pulling that lever. However, be warned that if a device is supported entirely by a gear, it may collapse when the gear is disconnected. The same is true of a horizontally connected hanging device. An example is a windmill built directly on top of a gear with no floor: in this case, disconnecting the gear via the lever will cause the windmill construction to collapse. In order to avoid this, create a second gear adjacent to the linked gear but not otherwise connected to the system; this gear will support the windmill if the linked gear is disconnected, but will not transfer power, since it only draws it from the now-disconnected gear.

Note that the above is only necessary if the machine component is entirely unsupported outside of the gear on which it rests.  Components which have "Stable foundation" in their {{K|q}} view should not collapse if a gear beneath them is disconnected.

==Timing==

Linked gears transfer power starting on either the exact tick that they are activated or one tick following activation, depending on whether they were built before or after the device they are transferring power to.  If built after, they transfer power immediately, but if built before, a one tick delay is instituted before power is transferred.  This can be essential when building carefully timed {{L|repeater|clock generators}}, and can be exploited to create unusual timing effects.  It can be presumed that these delayed gears transfer power for one tick following deactivation as well, but no research on the subject exists.

Gear assemblies are unique among triggerable structures in that they do not have on or off states.  Rather, any on or off signal toggles the status of a gear, regardless of the type of signal.  A gear assembly receiving two signals in the same tick will not change state (perhaps it changes state with the first signal and instantly changes back with the second).

{{Category|Machine components}}


{{buildings}}