Difference between revisions of "Cable"
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{{ | {{Experimental}} | ||
|type= | The '''Cables''' are the primary means of transferring [[EU]] from one device to another. There are several different types of cable, each type made from different metals, and each type can tolerate a different maximum [[EU/p]], usually referred to as Voltage. If an applied Voltage exceeds a cable's maximum, the cable will instantly melt. This is NOT to be confused with ([[EU/t]]), usually referred to as Current; all cables can handle an infinite amount of current. | ||
| | |||
| | All cables suffer from energy losses over distance. Long cables will lose energy in the process of transferring it. There are several ways to reduce losses - Transformers , <s>insulation</s>, and daisy-chaining storage devices. | ||
| | |||
| | Uninsulated cables damage all entities that comes near the cable when there is EU flowing through the cable. An uninsulated HV cable with a current of 2048 EU/t can kill a player fully equipped with fully charged [[Quantum Suit]] within 20.5 seconds. The higher the voltage, the more damage a cable can inflict on entities. | ||
| | |||
Insulating cables with rubber <s>reduces energy losses</s>, reduces shocks, and allows the cable to be painted using the [[Painter]]. Painted cables will not connect to different colored cables. This also greatly reduces the strain on CPU, as large cable meshes with many intersections require the game to perform many CPU-heavy calculations. | |||
==Note== | |||
Not all of this information is as updated as it should be. | |||
== Video Tutorial == | |||
A Basic Tutorial on How to Make And Use All Cables! | |||
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ll6RUQ8yI | |||
== Insulation == | |||
Cable can be insulated by adding 'rubber'. Insulation reduces the EU loss over distance of cable. | |||
<s>Placed cable can have insulation added or removed with [[Cutter|Insulation Cutters]].</s> ''(Does not work in the most recent version)'' | |||
Uninsulated cables (except glass fibre) cannot be coloured with the [[Painter]]. | |||
== Cable Types == | |||
More detailed information and a larger recipe list is available by looking at the page for each cable type. | |||
=== Tin Cable === | |||
{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Tin Plate|B2=Cutter| | |||
|Output=Tin Cable|OA=3 | |||
|Output-link=Tin Cable | |||
}} | }} | ||
In the most recent versions of IC2, [[Tin Cable]] can tolerate '''Low Voltage''' (up to 32 [[EU/p]]), which means they can handle the energy outputted by basic Generators, but they're very cheap to make and have relatively low energy loss (0.20 EU/block). | |||
In older versions, Tin cables could only tolerate '''Micro Voltage''' (up to 5 [[EU/p]]). Since no transformer can "step down" voltage this low, Tin cables were only suited for lower-output generators like [[Solar Panel]]s, [[Water Mill]]s, or [[Wind Mill]]s. | |||
== Cable | === Copper Cable === | ||
=== Copper Cable === | {| | ||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Copper|B2=Cutter| | |||
|Output=Copper Cable|OA=3 | |||
|Output-link=Copper Cable | |||
}} | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A1=Rubber| | |||
|A2=Copper Cable| | |||
|Output=Insulated Copper Cable|OA=1 | |||
|Output-link=Insulated Copper Cable | |||
}} | |||
|} | |||
In the most recent versions of IC2, [[Copper Cable]] are the most common cable tier. They are only capable of handling '''Medium Voltage''' (up to 128 [[EU|EUP]]), however, they suffer the second smallest, distance-related energy losses out of all the conventional cables (same as tin cables, 0.20 EU/block). | |||
In older versions, they were only able to handle '''Low Voltage''' (up to 32 [[EU|EUP]]) | |||
=== Gold Cable === | |||
{| | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Gold|B2=Cutter | |||
|Output=Gold_Cable|OA=12 | |||
|Output-link=Gold Cable | |||
}} | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Rubber|B2=Gold| | |||
|Output=Insulated_Gold_Cable|OA=1 | |||
|Output-link=Insulated Gold Cable | |||
}} | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Rubber|B2=Insulated_Gold_Cable | |||
|Output=2xIns._Gold_Cable | |||
|Output-link=2xIns. Gold Cable | |||
}} | |||
|} | |||
In the most recent versions of IC2, [[Gold Cable]]s can transport '''High Voltage''' (up to 512 [[EU/p]]) but has higher energy loss than copper (0.40 EU/block) However, since the energy loss applies to each package of energy, if carrying full 512EU/p, the gold cable will lose less energy than copper over distance, see below for more information. | |||
In older versions, they could only transport '''Medium Voltage''' (up to 128 [[EU/p]]). | |||
=== HV (Iron) Cable === | |||
{| | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Refined_Iron_Plate|B2=Cutter| | |||
|Output=HV_Cable|OA=3 | |||
|Output-link=HV Cable | |||
}} | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|B1=Rubber | |||
|A2=Rubber|B2=HV_Cable|C2=Rubber | |||
|B3=Rubber | |||
|Output=Insulated_HV_Cable|OA=4 | |||
|Output-link=Insulated HV Cable | |||
}} | |||
|- | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Rubber|B2=Insulated_HV_Cable | |||
|Output=2xIns._HV_Cable | |||
|Output-link=2xIns. HV Cable | |||
}} | |||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A2=Rubber|B2=2xIns._HV_Cable | |||
|Output=4xIns._HV_Cable | |||
|Output-link=3xIns. HV Cable | |||
}} | |||
|} | |||
[[HV Cable]]s can handle the highest amount of current possible at '''Extreme Voltage''' (up to 2048 [[EU/p]]) however it loses energy very quickly over distance (0.80 EU/block). When transporting EU at 2048 voltage using transformers, HV Cable is actually far more energy efficient than either Gold or Copper Cable. Only [[Glass Fibre Cable]] is more energy efficient, at the expense of Glass Fibre's diamond material cost. | |||
=== Glass Fibre Cable === | |||
{| | {| | ||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |{{Grid/Crafting Table | ||
|A2= | |A1=Glass|B1=Glass|C1=Glass | ||
|Output= | |A2=Redstone|B2=Diamond|C2=Redstone | ||
|A3=Glass|B3=Glass|C3=Glass | |||
|Output=Glass_Fibre_Cable|OA=4 | |||
|Output-link=Glass Fibre Cable | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{Grid/Crafting Table | |{{Grid/Crafting Table | ||
|A1= | |A1=Glass|B1=Glass|C1=Glass | ||
|A2= | |A2=Silver ingot|B2=Diamond|C2=Silver ingot | ||
|A3= | |A3=Glass|B3=Glass|C3=Glass | ||
|Output= | |Output=Glass_Fibre_Cable|OA=6 | ||
|Output-link=Glass Fibre Cable | |||
}} | }} | ||
|} | |} | ||
[[Glass Fibre Cable]] is a special type of cable capable of transporting '''Insane Voltage''' (up to 8192 [[EU/p]]). It does not shock anything standing too close and has only a tiny amount of energy loss, however, it is very expensive to make. | |||
== Detector Cable === | |||
{{Grid/Crafting Table | {{Grid/Crafting Table | ||
|A1= | |A1=|B1=Electronic_Circuit|C1= | ||
|Output= | |A2=Redstone|B2=4xIns._HV_Cable|C2=Redstone | ||
|A3=|B3=Redstone|C3= | |||
|Output=Detector Cable | |||
|Output-link=Detector Cable | |||
}} | |||
The [[Detector Cable]] is a special cable which outputs a redstone current when EU is flowing through it. They can handle up to 2048 [[EU/p]]. | |||
=== Splitter Cable === | |||
{{Grid/Crafting Table | |||
|A1=|B1=Redstone|C1= | |||
|A2=4xIns._HV_Cable|B2=Lever|C2=4xIns._HV_Cable | |||
|A3=|B3=Redstone|C3= | |||
|Output=Splitter Cable | |||
|Output link=Splitter Cable | |||
}} | |||
The [[Splitter Cable]] is a special cable which prevents EU from flowing through it when a redstone current is applied. They can handle up to 2048 [[EU/p]]. | |||
== Cable Efficiency == | == Cable Efficiency == | ||
All cables suffer distance-related energy losses, and depending on the tier and insulation of the given cable, the losses can vary greatly. The general unit for cable efficiency is EU/block. It shows how much EU | All cables suffer distance-related energy losses, and depending on the tier and insulation of the given cable, the losses can vary greatly. The general unit for cable efficiency is EU/block. It shows how much [[EU]] every [[EU/p|EU Packet]] loses per block. The number is accumulated along the whole length of the cable, and then '''rounded down''' to the nearest integer. Therefore, if a distance is short enough, there will be no EU loss. For example, since [[Copper Cable]] loses 1 EU every 5 blocks, a 4 block long Insulated Copper Cable won't lose any EU. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
!Cable | ! rowspan="2" | | ||
! | ! colspan="2" | [[Tin Cable]] | ||
! | ! colspan="2" | [[Copper Cable]] | ||
! colspan="2" | [[Gold Cable]] | |||
! colspan="2" | [[HV Cable]] | |||
! colspan="2" | [[Glass Fibre Cable]] | |||
! colspan="2" | [[Detector Cable|Detector]] / [[Splitter Cable|Splitter]] Cable | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | ! EU/b | ||
! EU loss | |||
! EU/b | |||
! EU loss | |||
! EU/b | |||
! EU loss | |||
! EU/b | |||
! EU loss | |||
! EU/b | |||
! EU loss | |||
! EU/b | |||
! EU loss | |||
|- | |||
! Uninsulated | |||
| 0.025 | |||
|1 EU every 40 blocks | |||
|0.3 | |0.3 | ||
|1 EU every 3.33 blocks | |1 EU every 3.33 blocks | ||
|0.5 | |||
|1 EU every 2 blocks | |||
|1.0 | |||
|1 EU every block | |||
|0.025 | |||
|1 EU every 40 blocks | |||
|0.5 | |||
|1 EU every 2 blocks | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | ! Insulated (1") | ||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
|0.2 | |0.2 | ||
|1 EU every 5 blocks | |1 EU every 5 blocks | ||
|0.45 | |0.45 | ||
|1 EU every 2.22 blocks | |1 EU every 2.22 blocks | ||
|0.95 | |||
|1 EU every 1.05 blocks | |||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | ! Insulated (2") | ||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
|0.4 | |0.4 | ||
|1 EU every 2.5 blocks | |1 EU every 2.5 blocks | ||
|0.9 | |0.9 | ||
|1 EU every 1.11 blocks | |1 EU every 1.11 blocks | ||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | ! Insulated (3") | ||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
| colspan="2" align="center" | --- | |||
|0.8 | |0.8 | ||
|1 EU every 1.25 blocks | |1 EU every 1.25 blocks | ||
|- | | colspan="2" align="center" | --- | ||
| | | colspan="2" align="center" | --- | ||
|0.05 | |} | ||
|1 EU | |||
== Voltage Efficiency == | |||
Depending on the [[EU/p]] traveling through a cable it may be more efficient to use higher voltage cables and packets. This is because EU/b isn't applied on the total [[EU/t]] that travels the cable but on every single [[EU/p|EU-Packet]]. | |||
So an insulated copper cable carrying 384 EU/t over 10 Blocks is actually carrying 12*32 EU-Packets and instead of: 384EU-2EU=382EU you get: 32EU*12-2*12=360EU. But when using 128 EU-Packets and [[2x Insulated Gold Cable]]s you get: 128EU*3-4*3=372EU. In this example this is a difference of 12 EU over 10 Blocks. | |||
What can be concluded from a cursory glance over the numbers is that, when using maximum allowable voltage, Copper cables are actually the most lossy cable type (at 25.0% per 40 blocks), followed by Tin (at 20.0% per 40 blocks), then Gold (at 12.5% per 40 blocks), then Iron (at 1.56% per 40 blocks), and the most lossless is Glass Fibre (at 0.195% per 40 blocks). '''''Remember, these values only apply if current is passed at the highest voltage available for that cable type.''''' | |||
The formula for overall EU/b is: Combined EU/t <u>divided by</u> Desired packet size <u>multiplied by</u> Cable's EU/b per Packet <u>equals</u> '''Combined EU/b''' | |||
Below is an example of different EU/t packed into different EU-Packets and carried with different cables, <s>cables are full insulated</s>, EU-P equals [[EU#EU-Packet / Voltage|EU-Packet]], results are in '''Overall / Combined EU/b ''' (not EU/b per Packet), results can't be rounded down to nearest integer. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! rowspan="2" | Example EU/t | |||
! colspan="1" | [[Tin Cable]] | |||
! colspan="2" | [[Copper Cable]] 1" | |||
! colspan="3" | [[Gold Cable]] 2" | |||
! colspan="5" | [[HV Cable]] 3" | |||
! colspan="4" | [[Glass Fibre Cable]] | |||
|- width="100" | | |||
! width="80pt" | 2 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 2 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 32 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 2 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 32 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 128 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 2 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 32 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 128 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 512 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 2048 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 2 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 32 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 128 EU-P | |||
! width="80pt" | 512 EU-P | |||
|- align="center" | |||
! 2 EU/t | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.025 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.2 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.0125 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.4 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.025 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.00625 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.8 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.05 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.0125 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.003125 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.000781 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.025 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.00156 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.00039 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.000097 | |||
|- align="center" | |||
! 10 EU/t | |||
|<span style="color:blue">0.125 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">1.0 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.625 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">2.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.125 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.0312 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">4.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.25 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.0625 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.0156 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.0039 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">0.125 | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.00781 | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.00195 | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.000488 | |||
|- align="center" | |||
! 100 EU/t | |||
|<span style="color:blue">1.25 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">10.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.625 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">20.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">1.25 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.312 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">40.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">2.5 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.625 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.156 | |||
|<span style="color:red">0.039 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">1.25 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.078 | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.0195 | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.00488 | |||
|- align="center" | |||
! 500 EU/t | |||
|<span style="color:blue">6.25 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">50.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">3.125 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">100.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">6.25 | |||
|<span style="color:red">1.56 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">200.0 | |||
|<span style="color:red">12.5 | |||
|<span style="color:red">3.125 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.781 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.195 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">6.25 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.39 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.097 | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.024 | |||
|- align="center" | |||
! 2000 EU/t | |||
|<span style="color:blue">25 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">200 | |||
|<span style="color:red">12.5 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">400 | |||
|<span style="color:red">25 | |||
|<span style="color:red">6.25 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">800 | |||
|<span style="color:red">50 | |||
|<span style="color:red">12.5 | |||
|<span style="color:red">3.125 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.781 | |||
|<span style="color:blue">25 | |||
|<span style="color:red">1.56 | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.39 | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.097 | |||
|- align="center" | |||
! percentual EU/b | |||
|<span style="color:orange">1.25% | |||
|<span style="color:red">10% | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.625% | |||
|<span style="color:red">20% | |||
|<span style="color:red">1.25% | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.315% | |||
|<span style="color:red">40% | |||
|<span style="color:red">2.5% | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.625% | |||
|<span style="color:orange">0.156% | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.039% | |||
|<span style="color:orange">1.25% | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.078% | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.0195% | |||
|<span style="color:green">0.0048% | |||
|} | |} | ||
* <span style="color:blue">Blue color</span> indicates that EU-Packets under 32 EU can't be obtained by transforming. They can only be generated with generators as they always emit EU-Packages the size of their output EU. | |||
* <span style="color:green">Green color</span> indicates the optimal EU-Package for that EU/t example. Blue fields are ignored. | |||
* <span style="color:orange">Orange color</span> and <span style="color:red">red color</span> indicates sub-optimal EU-Packages. | |||
== Cable Splitting == | == Cable Splitting == | ||
Up to | Up to 4 cables can connect to one cable. Current will only flow through a cable when requested by a consumer if the loss from the cable length will allow some energy to get to the consumer. i.e. a [[Batbox]] (32EU) will send across insulated copper to a furnace up to 155 blocks away (5x31). No energy will be sent to anything 156 blocks away. | ||
Keep in mind, however, that an excessive number of cable intersections will increase strain on your CPU (and more importantly, the server, when playing on a multi-player server). Don't do things like having rows of adjacent cables with every block connected to every other block. Also, separate cables connected to an energy storage device ([[BatBox]], etc.) or transformer do not count as a cable intersection, so take advantage of that when possible. | |||
[[Category:Wiring]] | [[Category:Wiring]] |
Latest revision as of 09:49, 22 May 2022
The most recent version of IC² is V2.8.<html>.
The Cables are the primary means of transferring EU from one device to another. There are several different types of cable, each type made from different metals, and each type can tolerate a different maximum EU/p, usually referred to as Voltage. If an applied Voltage exceeds a cable's maximum, the cable will instantly melt. This is NOT to be confused with (EU/t), usually referred to as Current; all cables can handle an infinite amount of current.
All cables suffer from energy losses over distance. Long cables will lose energy in the process of transferring it. There are several ways to reduce losses - Transformers , insulation, and daisy-chaining storage devices.
Uninsulated cables damage all entities that comes near the cable when there is EU flowing through the cable. An uninsulated HV cable with a current of 2048 EU/t can kill a player fully equipped with fully charged Quantum Suit within 20.5 seconds. The higher the voltage, the more damage a cable can inflict on entities.
Insulating cables with rubber reduces energy losses, reduces shocks, and allows the cable to be painted using the Painter. Painted cables will not connect to different colored cables. This also greatly reduces the strain on CPU, as large cable meshes with many intersections require the game to perform many CPU-heavy calculations.
Note[edit]
Not all of this information is as updated as it should be.
Video Tutorial[edit]
A Basic Tutorial on How to Make And Use All Cables!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ll6RUQ8yI
Insulation[edit]
Cable can be insulated by adding 'rubber'. Insulation reduces the EU loss over distance of cable.
Placed cable can have insulation added or removed with Insulation Cutters. (Does not work in the most recent version)
Uninsulated cables (except glass fibre) cannot be coloured with the Painter.
Cable Types[edit]
More detailed information and a larger recipe list is available by looking at the page for each cable type.
Tin Cable[edit]
In the most recent versions of IC2, Tin Cable can tolerate Low Voltage (up to 32 EU/p), which means they can handle the energy outputted by basic Generators, but they're very cheap to make and have relatively low energy loss (0.20 EU/block).
In older versions, Tin cables could only tolerate Micro Voltage (up to 5 EU/p). Since no transformer can "step down" voltage this low, Tin cables were only suited for lower-output generators like Solar Panels, Water Mills, or Wind Mills.
Copper Cable[edit]
In the most recent versions of IC2, Copper Cable are the most common cable tier. They are only capable of handling Medium Voltage (up to 128 EUP), however, they suffer the second smallest, distance-related energy losses out of all the conventional cables (same as tin cables, 0.20 EU/block). In older versions, they were only able to handle Low Voltage (up to 32 EUP)
Gold Cable[edit]
In the most recent versions of IC2, Gold Cables can transport High Voltage (up to 512 EU/p) but has higher energy loss than copper (0.40 EU/block) However, since the energy loss applies to each package of energy, if carrying full 512EU/p, the gold cable will lose less energy than copper over distance, see below for more information. In older versions, they could only transport Medium Voltage (up to 128 EU/p).
HV (Iron) Cable[edit]
HV Cables can handle the highest amount of current possible at Extreme Voltage (up to 2048 EU/p) however it loses energy very quickly over distance (0.80 EU/block). When transporting EU at 2048 voltage using transformers, HV Cable is actually far more energy efficient than either Gold or Copper Cable. Only Glass Fibre Cable is more energy efficient, at the expense of Glass Fibre's diamond material cost.
Glass Fibre Cable[edit]
Glass Fibre Cable is a special type of cable capable of transporting Insane Voltage (up to 8192 EU/p). It does not shock anything standing too close and has only a tiny amount of energy loss, however, it is very expensive to make.
Detector Cable =[edit]
The Detector Cable is a special cable which outputs a redstone current when EU is flowing through it. They can handle up to 2048 EU/p.
Splitter Cable[edit]
The Splitter Cable is a special cable which prevents EU from flowing through it when a redstone current is applied. They can handle up to 2048 EU/p.
Cable Efficiency[edit]
All cables suffer distance-related energy losses, and depending on the tier and insulation of the given cable, the losses can vary greatly. The general unit for cable efficiency is EU/block. It shows how much EU every EU Packet loses per block. The number is accumulated along the whole length of the cable, and then rounded down to the nearest integer. Therefore, if a distance is short enough, there will be no EU loss. For example, since Copper Cable loses 1 EU every 5 blocks, a 4 block long Insulated Copper Cable won't lose any EU.
Tin Cable | Copper Cable | Gold Cable | HV Cable | Glass Fibre Cable | Detector / Splitter Cable | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EU/b | EU loss | EU/b | EU loss | EU/b | EU loss | EU/b | EU loss | EU/b | EU loss | EU/b | EU loss | |
Uninsulated | 0.025 | 1 EU every 40 blocks | 0.3 | 1 EU every 3.33 blocks | 0.5 | 1 EU every 2 blocks | 1.0 | 1 EU every block | 0.025 | 1 EU every 40 blocks | 0.5 | 1 EU every 2 blocks |
Insulated (1") | --- | 0.2 | 1 EU every 5 blocks | 0.45 | 1 EU every 2.22 blocks | 0.95 | 1 EU every 1.05 blocks | --- | --- | |||
Insulated (2") | --- | --- | 0.4 | 1 EU every 2.5 blocks | 0.9 | 1 EU every 1.11 blocks | --- | --- | ||||
Insulated (3") | --- | --- | --- | 0.8 | 1 EU every 1.25 blocks | --- | --- |
Voltage Efficiency[edit]
Depending on the EU/p traveling through a cable it may be more efficient to use higher voltage cables and packets. This is because EU/b isn't applied on the total EU/t that travels the cable but on every single EU-Packet. So an insulated copper cable carrying 384 EU/t over 10 Blocks is actually carrying 12*32 EU-Packets and instead of: 384EU-2EU=382EU you get: 32EU*12-2*12=360EU. But when using 128 EU-Packets and 2x Insulated Gold Cables you get: 128EU*3-4*3=372EU. In this example this is a difference of 12 EU over 10 Blocks.
What can be concluded from a cursory glance over the numbers is that, when using maximum allowable voltage, Copper cables are actually the most lossy cable type (at 25.0% per 40 blocks), followed by Tin (at 20.0% per 40 blocks), then Gold (at 12.5% per 40 blocks), then Iron (at 1.56% per 40 blocks), and the most lossless is Glass Fibre (at 0.195% per 40 blocks). Remember, these values only apply if current is passed at the highest voltage available for that cable type.
The formula for overall EU/b is: Combined EU/t divided by Desired packet size multiplied by Cable's EU/b per Packet equals Combined EU/b
Below is an example of different EU/t packed into different EU-Packets and carried with different cables, cables are full insulated, EU-P equals EU-Packet, results are in Overall / Combined EU/b (not EU/b per Packet), results can't be rounded down to nearest integer.
Example EU/t | Tin Cable | Copper Cable 1" | Gold Cable 2" | HV Cable 3" | Glass Fibre Cable | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 EU-P | 2 EU-P | 32 EU-P | 2 EU-P | 32 EU-P | 128 EU-P | 2 EU-P | 32 EU-P | 128 EU-P | 512 EU-P | 2048 EU-P | 2 EU-P | 32 EU-P | 128 EU-P | 512 EU-P | |
2 EU/t | 0.025 | 0.2 | 0.0125 | 0.4 | 0.025 | 0.00625 | 0.8 | 0.05 | 0.0125 | 0.003125 | 0.000781 | 0.025 | 0.00156 | 0.00039 | 0.000097 |
10 EU/t | 0.125 | 1.0 | 0.625 | 2.0 | 0.125 | 0.0312 | 4.0 | 0.25 | 0.0625 | 0.0156 | 0.0039 | 0.125 | 0.00781 | 0.00195 | 0.000488 |
100 EU/t | 1.25 | 10.0 | 0.625 | 20.0 | 1.25 | 0.312 | 40.0 | 2.5 | 0.625 | 0.156 | 0.039 | 1.25 | 0.078 | 0.0195 | 0.00488 |
500 EU/t | 6.25 | 50.0 | 3.125 | 100.0 | 6.25 | 1.56 | 200.0 | 12.5 | 3.125 | 0.781 | 0.195 | 6.25 | 0.39 | 0.097 | 0.024 |
2000 EU/t | 25 | 200 | 12.5 | 400 | 25 | 6.25 | 800 | 50 | 12.5 | 3.125 | 0.781 | 25 | 1.56 | 0.39 | 0.097 |
percentual EU/b | 1.25% | 10% | 0.625% | 20% | 1.25% | 0.315% | 40% | 2.5% | 0.625% | 0.156% | 0.039% | 1.25% | 0.078% | 0.0195% | 0.0048% |
- Blue color indicates that EU-Packets under 32 EU can't be obtained by transforming. They can only be generated with generators as they always emit EU-Packages the size of their output EU.
- Green color indicates the optimal EU-Package for that EU/t example. Blue fields are ignored.
- Orange color and red color indicates sub-optimal EU-Packages.
Cable Splitting[edit]
Up to 4 cables can connect to one cable. Current will only flow through a cable when requested by a consumer if the loss from the cable length will allow some energy to get to the consumer. i.e. a Batbox (32EU) will send across insulated copper to a furnace up to 155 blocks away (5x31). No energy will be sent to anything 156 blocks away.
Keep in mind, however, that an excessive number of cable intersections will increase strain on your CPU (and more importantly, the server, when playing on a multi-player server). Don't do things like having rows of adjacent cables with every block connected to every other block. Also, separate cables connected to an energy storage device (BatBox, etc.) or transformer do not count as a cable intersection, so take advantage of that when possible.