Can programmable splitters get rate limiting?

[Masonwheeler]

After all the time and expense that goes into gathering the components for the programmable splitter, you end up with... a smart splitter that can take a list of items on its rules. That's a bit underwhelming, particularly given the cost to both research and build them!

One thing that would make them actually useful would be rate limiting. We can already use the Valve to rate-limit pipes; it would be really nice to be able to do the same for belts. For example, let's say I have a Constructor that produces 20 items per minute, and two machines further on consuming those items. One needs 3 items per minute, the other needs 17. If I could put a programmable splitter and say "to the left, Item at the rate of 3 per minute, to the center, Overflow" that would be extremely helpful!

And yes, I know that such a scenario will even itself out once enough back-pressure stacks up on the left branch, but depending on various factors (how many items are in 1 stack, how long the belts are, if there are containers along the way, etc) that can take a significant amount of time! Being able to set rate limits from the start and not have to wait would be really nice for factory efficiency.

[lpnlizard27]

If i remember correctly the devs said they liked the idea of ratio splitting. So it might be a thing at some point.

[5-Nitrotetrazole]

Actually there are even cases where it is not at all possible to solve the situation through buffering and back-pressure. For some set-ups I like to use one conveyor for multiple items and split them up later using a smart splitter, however it can occur that one item which is gets produced in high volume clogs up the smart splitter so that other items cant be drawn from the belt anymore. The only option would be to either sink the clogging items or send them back which would defeat the purpose of only needing to build one belt.

[kLuns]

you can backfeed on a belt to limit throughput, no other unlock required than logistics Mk 1.

Build your own beltlimit.

[umop-apisdn]

Originally posted by kLuns:

you can backfeed on a belt to limit throughput, no other unlock required than logistics Mk 1.

Build your own beltlimit.

This.

You can rate-limit your belts as soon as you can make splitters and mergers; spilt a 60/minute belt into two lines, feed one of them into a merger before the splitter, et voila: 30/minute belt.

That's the most simplistic example, but nothing is stopping you from building multiples on the same line, splitting and recombining lines until you have any number of items per minute on the belt that your heart desires.

Step 1: Do the math.
Step 2: Build the things.
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit!

Post-script:
It should be noted that one can use conveyor lifts between splitters/mergers, instead of belts. "Use verticality".