Virtual signals
Virtual signals can used as signals in Circuit networks. They can only be outputted by Combinators. If a circuit network contains virtual signals, they act like a normal item signal, so you can perform comparisons and arithmetical operations.
Containing signals
Currently Factorio has 19 virtual signals:
- numbers 0-9
- letters A-F
- colored (blue, green, red, yellow)
Usage
Virtual signals are useful to control devices if the control not depend on items (e.g. if you want to have the pollution as signal). They also are used as output by Arithmetic combinators, where two amounts of items are processed and you can't decide which item is the output.
Logic signals
There are also some logic signals in Factorio. They have special functions to control multiple-signal-informations. These three signals are:
- everything (red)
- anything (green)
- each (yellow)
Everything
As input
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The "Everything" signal works like a logical AND. It can only be used as the left term of the circuit condition. The condition will only be true if the condition is true for all signals. Attention with the number 0. If there is a signal with amount 0, it will not considered as signal.
If the decider combinator output is set as "Input count" and not "Everything", all input signal amounts of the decider combinator are summed and outputted.
As output
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If "Everything" is set as output, all input signal items are outputted, either with amount 1 ("1") or with their input amount ("Input count"). It can only be set as output, if the left condition term is "Everything" or "Anything".
Anything
As input
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It works similar than "Everything", but the condition is true if the condition for at least one input signal is true (logical OR).
As output
The "Anything" signal cannot be set as output.
Each
As input
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The "Each" signal also performs the operation for all input signals, but the condition is not definitely true or false, but true or false for each input signal.
If the output is "1" and not "Each" (decider combinators only), the configured output will only be outputted if at least one condition is true. If the output is "Input count" and not "Each" (arithmetic combinator too), all amounts of input signals where the condition is true or all results of mathematical operations for each input signal are summed and outputted.
As output
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The "Each" signal can only be set as output if the left input signal is also "Each". A decider combinator outputs only the input signals whose condition is true. An arithmetic combinator ouputs the input signals with an amount that is the result of the operation.