Help I am stuck on the signal pattern detector

[Extreme Midget]

Have been trying to do this for the past two weeks, have had no progress can anyone give a starting hint so that i can get on the right track?

[LordBhorak]

If you mean the one that checks for three zeros in a row... Here's a tip for one kind of solution:
Loops loops loops.

[Extreme Midget]

yea that one.

[CSn|_Zelda]

My hint for this puzzle: build a state machine in a single node.

[Extreme Midget]

what do you mean by state machine?

[Xavr0k]

A state machine is represented with a state diagram like this:
http://imgur.com/a/nyjwB

Each circle represents a state. These could be things such as "last 2 inputs were zeroes". Put an "S" in one to mark it as your starting state. From each state you draw 1 arrow leading to another state for each possible input or set of inputs, in this case it would be =0 or ≠0. Along each each arrow you would write "<input value> / <output value>".

If you can make up a state diagram for this puzzle, translating it into code should be fairly straightforward.

[Extreme Midget]

oh thanks so much! i really should have taken comuting as an A level.

[Extreme Midget]

So I got this solution, do you think it can be optimazed?
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=774477558

[Xavr0k]

Well you could shave off 2 instuctions by removing the last 2 lines from the bottom right node since they are redundant.

The top left node executes one more line of code when the input is not zero than when it is zero. The majority of inputs are zero, so that's not optimal.

Otherwise the biggest difference you could make would be to change the way you're remembering what state you're in. You're using a number stored in an ACC but another method would be to remember it by what line of code is being executed. You basically use labels to mark your states and jump between them as necessary. Using this method I got it down to 174/4/15 or 179/4/13 with all the work being done in one node.

[Extreme Midget]

aah nice! thanks you are a wizard