Help with Auto cart loader

[ImSheroPsu]

So I am trying to build an automatic minecart loader in conjunction with a cart emptier that then sends the cart off and then it returns empty. This is what I have worked out. Don't mind my mess of wiring. Its mostly my tinkering but the only problem I've had is that when the cart returns, because the hopper is still full the rail remains powered and it just sails on through. Is there a way to stop the minecart or unpower that rail after the minecart takes off so that it stops when it returns or am I better off putting the full system on a timer since its a self contained loop?

Front View

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When the hopper is full it triggers the piston to allow the cart to launch. Then the pulley moves the track back in place so the minecart can move into position. Once it passes over the pressure plate right before the pulley system that triggers the track back down to allow the piston to fire and send it off again.

Rear View

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[BlackCat]

I might just be confused but would it be fixed to just have a pulse instead of a constant signal?

The problem is the rail staying on correct?

[ImSheroPsu]

Correct. The problem is the rail staying powered but it only stays powered because the hopper is full. I was trying to have the cart send off when the hopper fills up. Since the hopper stops dropping items before the cart launches it is still full and the current travels down to the booster rail. Does that makes sense? I feel like I just talked in a circle. I think I may just set the entire system up on a timer since the hopper sending signal down is sorta messing with what I'm trying to do.

My only concern is that the hopper fills up while the cart is away and then it gets stuck in a loop but I think if I set the time short enough I shouldn't have to worry about it since I'll know the output of whatever farm it is hauling from.

[BlackCat]

Hmmmm, a world download would be the most helpful thing assuming this is in creative at least, I think I know how to fix it but I would have a hard time explaining it without going through it first myself.

Sorry if that seems weird, I'm just not the best at explaining things >.<

[jonny_AB]

There's probably a better way of doing this, but you could stop the minecart by using a sticky piston.
When the hopper is full, use it to power the sticky piston, thus pushing a rail out and blocking the path with the head of the piston. Then, when the hopper is no longer powering the piston, it'll retract, pulling the rail back and allowing the minecart to continue once the rail it's sitting on is powered.

[ImSheroPsu]

No problem. I've never shared a world download before. What should I use to share it?

edit* That's a thought. I haven't tried pushing a rail with a sticky piston yet. I'll try that when I get home and see how it works out.

[BlackCat]

Anything that works :p

Mediafire is what i use

[ImSheroPsu]

I'll take care of that when I get home. Thanks for offering to look at it.

[Utterbob]

Any sort of pulse limiter between the hopper and powered rail. Turns on when the hopper fills, sends a pulse to the track (use a limiter design that allows a long enough signal or extend the signal with a max delay repeater if its only powering a single cart on a single powered rail piece), limiter won’t output another pulse until the signal is turned off and back on again.

There’s a heap of different circuits that would solve the problem and some might be better than others in your situation, not sure without looking at your world but you can play around with a few.

[ImSheroPsu]

Any sort of pulse limiter between the hopper and powered rail. Turns on when the hopper fills, sends a pulse to the track (use a limiter design that allows a long enough signal or extend the signal with a max delay repeater if its only powering a single cart on a single powered rail piece), limiter won’t output another pulse until the signal is turned off and back on again.

There’s a heap of different circuits that would solve the problem and some might be better than others in your situation, not sure without looking at your world but you can play around with a few.

I don't think the limiter will make a difference because the hopper is powering directly down and because it continues to output the signal.

http://www.mediafire.com/?uea8e5vh9erli68

Here's the download BlackCat. Don't mind my mess of wiring. Its far from refined, I was just working out the necessary stuff before I attempt to slim it down. I currently have the hopper gear box disabled and have been filling it manually to trigger the signal. I still need to work on the timing for shutting down the gearbox so it doesn't throw some stuff onto the tracks and waste it.

For now the primary concern is getting the cart to stop while the hopper is still producing a redstone signal.

edit* had to change the download. The other one was before I tinkered more.

[BlackCat]

Currently the hopper is directly powering the track, I'll try some stuff with fencegates but I'm not sure if there is any way to get it working with this specific setup.

This stuff isn't my forte but trust me I'm going to try.

[ImSheroPsu]

I need to space it out a little more... One idea led to another idea and then the next thing I knew everything was crammed together. I did try out moving the track with a sticky piston and I think that will do the trick. I just need to get a little more space built into my setup. In the actual application of it I won't be this compacted. If you do come up with something let me know.

[BlackCat]

Yeah I'm having a pretty bad time with trying to make one even from scratch, I'll slap it on my todo list if noone else steps up.

Sorry I couldn't be of more immediate help.

One thing I'll say briefly though is that using a timer (boat timer or turntable or whatever you prefer) is your best shot at consistently emptying the hopper.

[ImSheroPsu]

I'm gonna mess with it while I get drunk. I'm sure wiring this system will go well. If I get something down I'll post the updated world here. Thanks again!

edit* Beer wins for tonight

[Utterbob]

I don't think the limiter will make a difference because the hopper is powering directly down and because it continues to output the signal.

Crap. I always forget the rail is in the block 'above' it. Keep thinking its part of the block its sitting on, in effect. Sorry my bad.

I think that's a fundamental floor, rail can't possibly be un-powered in that setup except for spitting stuff out of the hopper (e.g. using a detector rail when the cart is returning) which would cause the items to block the track...

I think your best bet would be to have no track on the loading point and a fixed block in front of it. The cart will slide off the track onto the empty space and the block in front will act as a buffer to stop it overshooting. Cart can then be loaded and the output signal of the hopper routed down to a piston that retracts the floor the cart is on, cart falls onto a powered rail and off you go.

[SeaOtter]

IIRC a powered rail won't move a cart unless the cart is already in motion or there is a solid block behind the cart, so you should be able to use a block on a sticky piston to trigger the rail.

Battosay had a great video of a minecart transport system that triggered the rails like this, although I'm not sure how applicable it is to this.

Minecart Video

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[TheGatesofLogic]

IIRC a powered rail won't move a cart unless the cart is already in motion or there is a solid block behind the cart, so you should be able to use a block on a sticky piston to trigger the rail.

Actually this is true, I have used a system that abused this for a very long time. Of course mine uses a BD that replaces the block with a rail for receiving more minecarts. I'm not sure why you would want to send the minecart AWAY when your trying to FILL the minecart though... Isn't it more practical to use the changes FlowerChild has implemented to minecart detector rails?

EDIT: for clarity, what you mean is that you're sending the minecart away when the hopper fills right? I don't see how this makes sense... Why would you send the minecart away so that the hopper releases all of its contents onto the ground? I use a combination of massive pulse extenders and two rail detectors to release the minecart exactly when the minecart is filled and the hopper stops releasing items. Now that I think about this I thought of a way to simplify this :) will post pics tonight!

[Foxy Boxes]

Actually this is true, I have used a system that abused this for a very long time. Of course mine uses a BD that replaces the block with a rail for receiving more minecarts. I'm not sure why you would want to send the minecart AWAY when your trying to FILL the minecart though... Isn't it more practical to use the changes FlowerChild has implemented to minecart detector rails?

Because once it's full you'll need to swap it out with another.

Does anyone have a loader setup they'd like to share? I can't figure how you can tell the cart is getting filled, rather than items just dropping out of the hopper.

[TheGatesofLogic]

Wow a response while I was editing ! :) as you may see I have a design in mind to share tonight:)
Do you see my point? The hopper being filled doesn't signal that the minecart is full--- ohhhhh! I see now!!! The hopper can only fill when a minecart is full too!!! Gotcha! :)

[SeaOtter]

I can't figure how you can tell the cart is getting filled, rather than items just dropping out of the hopper.

Would a detector block detect just the minecart, or does it pick up the rail too? If it only detects the minecart then you could use that to control the mechanical power to the hopper.

[BlackCat]

So it would seem that this is something I would be best exploring, I'll get to it later today and try to have a design out tonight.

Sorry to have dismissed this so easily guys, I was kinda sacked yesterday after recording so many videos over the weekend :p

[Battosay]

The easiest way to deal with the "Hopper above a booster rail" issue is to use either a sticky piston or a BD to place/remove a block next to the track. No block, no movement, even if the rail is powered :)
One of my oldest video use this to deal with my old mobtrap huge item output, relevant part start around 2min :

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The world download is available here if you want to check it out :
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1989

It's the "Helm" worldsave, and you'll have to go down, take the minecart that goes to Mobtrap 2 (or is it 3 ? :p), which is a solid 10min ride ;)

[tom_savage]

I'm not sure what all space you need around it, but this will receive a storage cart, no matter if the hopper is full or not, receive a payload, and then eject. I only tested it a little bit, so I'm not sure if there would be any strange scenario hang-ups. This uses kind of what Battosay was talking about with the sticky piston. I just remove it from the setup if the hopper is full. As long as the minecart is going fast enough when it enters the system, it will still get locked in below the hopper even without the track below it, then when it isn't full the piston replaces the unpowered track, ready to be powered by the timer on the back. I apologize for the huge repeater timer, I just didn't feel like making a BD timer.

So, receiving cart comes in, triggers toggle for mechanical power to hopper, as well as starts eject timer. Minecart track is retracted previously if hopper is full, if not, it's still there. Cart receives payload, and since the hopper can't have more than the carts amount, deposits all its inventory. I would recommend having a hopper above this one that toggles off when this one gets toggled on. Eject timer reaches piston to make sure the track is in place, then powers the track and ejects the cart. Cart toggles the hopper off.

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[ImSheroPsu]

I believe I have refined and compacted a design. Used in conjunction with Deli_SK's cart unloader seen here I have created a continuous loop that will shuttle products from a farm or mob trap to a central sorting facility.

The only thing I may wish to pursue beyond this is possibly using a waterless cart unloader that will redeposit the same cart back onto its tracks so I can attempt to stagger and stack so I only have to manage 1 water stream running into my sorting area which of course can be split easily and run to all my different storage areas.

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Explanation

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When the hopper is full it triggers the booster below. The signal from the hopper also goes into a memory which switches off the gear box for the hopper (light blue) to stop it from dropping on empty space. Then a delay travels to a pulse limiter (yellow) which fires a sticky piston behind the booster and causes the cart to move to the emptier. As the cart moves away it hits the detector rail (green wool and triggers a memory which causes a pulley to move the track back into place so the cart can return but also makes a sticky piston push a piece of track out of the way and the piston blocks the carts path under the hopper, (Thank you jonny_AB) this solved the hopper keeping the booster powered and the cart continuously moving.

On the carts return trip it trips both memories on a delay (light blue and green) and causes the hopper to begin distributing items, the sticky piston to pull the track back into place for the next launch and lower the track behind the hopper to leave room for the piston to fire and launch the cart when the hopper trips full again.

Download of world file with working prototype

[BlackCat]

So it seems I'm late to the party on this one, this is the concept I came up with at work today.

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Boat timer has a solid block with an redstone torch below it for its inactive state

This signal from the inactive boat timer keeps the gearbox/hopper off

Hopper will send a signal to a pulse limiter when full

Pulse limiter will activate the boat timer and therein allow the hopper to drop items into the cart

The boat timer will use a 4 tick delay between boats with 15 boats for a total of 60 ticks wherein the hopper can empty

At the end of the 60 ticks the hopper/gearbox will receive signal from the solid block that ends the boat timer cycle

This signal will trigger a pulse limiter connected to a sticky piston

This sticky piston will retract the floor below the cart, dropping it onto a track where it will be sent off

There should be a wall to stop the cart, but no track below the hopper (the sticky piston floor component acts as a replacement for a booster rail)

sorry for the long winded explanation, hope it helps in some way

Edit: Just got back from work, and it worked exactly as I had planned :)

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Going to record a video of it in a little bit