Technology · Item
Signal cables and fibres
Signal cables carry one number 256 m; optical fibres carry one or eight 10 km through optical couplers.
In the game
How to get it
At the metal mill: 2 copper wires and an insulation give 8 signal cables; a silicon and a plastic give 4 mono fibres, 4 silicon and 2 plastic 4 octo fibres. Optical couplers join fibres to signal cables.
What it is for
Join sensors, buttons, logic and chips; cross a whole region with a fibre; bring 8 values over one line.
Why it exists
Short links stay cheap and simple; long ones ask for the fibre and its couplers.
The same text the game shows in its progress tree and on the item's sheet (I).
| Link | At the metal mill | Gives | Carries | Reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal cable | 2 copper wires + an insulation | 8 | one signal | 256 m |
| Mono Optical fibre | 1 silicon + 1 plastic | 4 | one signal | 10 km |
| Octo Optical fibre | 4 silicon + 2 plastic | 4 | eight signals | 10 km |
Fibres meet signal cables through an Optical coupler; a Repeater extends any link's reach.
A signal is a number from 0 to 255, "on" from 128; every component adds one turn of 50 ms; an unplugged input reads 0. Logic boxes need no power cable: the signal cable feeds them.
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