Handling Multple Sources In A Single Chip

[davidalangay]

I just completed the Rubbish Audio Thing task and found I had to use two chips in order to handle two simple input sources (one chip for each source). What a waste of board real estate and one of the chips was barely coded.

It would be nice to find a way to allow a single chip to read first the maximize and then the audio in. I couldn't find a way to do it because apparently reading from a simple input source does not initiate a clear after receive. This means you will read the same single input rather than the next awaiting source input.

I haven't tried the "Not Recommended" flagged components. I'm wondering if those are marked as such to divert me from using them and thus finding an easier solution.

[BlaXpirit]

Generally there is no way to improve this. One port can discern only one input.

If you mix x, you will get a random read from one of the inputs.
If you mix p, you will get the max of the two inputs.

In extreme edge cases this may actually be good enough but I wouldn't focus on it.

What might work out slightly more frequently (and I hope I'm remembering this correctly) is that you can connect two chips and an input or output (so 3 things total) with the same

wire and use it for both communication and I/O purposes.

[BlaXpirit]

Oh, and the later chips are not game-changers.

And don't be discouraged by having to use multiple chips - having to do that is part of the game's fun!

[mudfarmer]

Originally posted by davidalangay:

I haven't tried the "Not Recommended" flagged components. I'm wondering if those are marked as such to divert me from using them and thus finding an easier solution.

Back in Early Access times some parts would be locked and unavailable untill you progressed a way into the game. Now parts that used to be locked are just marked as "not recommended". So they are not stricktly required to solve the first puzzles, but they can offer ways to optimize (or be a distraction, depending).

in this case there is no way to avoid having 2 chips on the board, however...

nothing says they both have to be controlers

[BlaXpirit]

Originally posted by mudfarmer:

nothing says they both have to be controlers

Ah yes. I forgot the simplest and most important tip.

[NimrodX]

I thought the "not recommended" thing was kind of funny on one of the earlier problems that can be more cheaply solved with an inverter and a NOR gate.

So I take it to mean that it indicates you're supposed to find an "easier" but less optimal solution in some cases, like it just doesn't want you to think its necessary to use those components.