Technology · Item
Optical coupler
Powered (5 W), it turns eight signals into light on a fibre, or a fibre's light back into eight signals.
In the game
How to get it
At the grid: glowing parts in the top corners round a lens, 2 signal cables on each side of a silicon, 2 iron sheets round a mono fibre at the bottom. Set it TX (to the fibre) or RX (from the fibre) on its sheet.
What it is for
Send up to eight sensor values from a far site over one fibre, and read them at the control room.
Why it exists
Light carries far: the coupler is what lets the fibre speak the signal cables' language.
The same text the game shows in its progress tree and on the item's sheet (I).
How to get it
At the grid: 2 glowing parts (top corners) round a lens, 2 signal cables on each side of a silicon, 2 iron sheets round a mono fibre.
How it works
- TX (laser): sends its eight signal inputs as light on its fibre.
- RX (photocell): reads the fibre's eight channels and gives them on its eight outputs the next turn.
- It needs a low-power cable (5 W); unpowered, nothing passes.
Right-click a block to place it, facing you. Broken, it comes back whole.
On the progress path
EL3Simple electronicsMain path
A sub-action of the step Sensors and buttons: not needed to go on, but counted in your progress.
- BeforeEL2 · Circuit board
- This stepEL3 · Sensors and buttons
- NextEL4 · Antenna and dish