Merger Series = Slower Output?

[FireDogy]

I'm trying to optimize my storage (See https://imgur.com/a/gQFftjh ),
RED= Inputs.
GREEN= Sorters (Progammable splitters sending specific items down each 'lane'),
and BLUE = lifts to individual resource storages.

But for some reason, despite using exclusively MK5, the output keeps on lagging more and more.

Does linking mergers in series like this (Particularly in the input lifts) cause a slowdown or what's wrong here?

[TH3R4BB!T]

Each merger will add an item after the first that passes, so in can clog if you merge a lot of items on one belt. If you make two lanes it will have a better flow

[Kage Goomba]

Merger/Splitters sequentially check each output/input in sequence - also I seem to recall they hold on to 5 items at a time potentially.

So its not unreasonable to assume they will progressively add time to the array as you line them up.

Only thing id say is make sure your not mixing belts - and check how things are configured.

Maybe try doing small pieces at a time and gauge speed/times to make sure its working correctly?

[K'senia]

Did you add these mergers/splitters to existing belts and then later upgrade the belts? If so, then there is very likely a single belt piece inside the splitters that never got upgraded.

[kLuns]

Too long mergers doesn't work indeed.
Else check your numbers you might be going over 780.
If you're under 780 a storage container in line can solve the issue in time but getting 2 merger lanes and merge those together might work better.

Originally posted by Kage Goomba:

Only thing id say is make sure your not mixing belts

Mixing doesn't have to be bad thing it just requires some specific attention and can save some space, depending on the occasion.

[spam]

If you've been adding/removing mergers and splitters to the line, you can sometimes get little belt segments hidden inside the merger or splitter. When you then go back and upgrade your belts, those hidden segments do not get upgraded and you end up with a slowdown. The solution is to delete the offending merger/spliitter and belts and rebuild.

[🌺💗Tazzamorous💗🌺]

I think it's relevant to share where the slowdown happens. This can help identify the issue.

To that end you should probably have space between your mergers so you can see the flow to some degree. In this way, you can go "it begins to slow exactly here" and then puzzle out further that specific part. Rather than trying to diagnose an entire system with nothing but generic information.

"Where does it begin to slow?"
"Is it always that specific spot?"
"Is it always backing up (even if slowly)?"
"At what rate is it backing up?" (Can use chest + overflow to find this out)
"Do the input streams at the backup location sum to less than the conveyor flowrate?"
"Is it fixed if I rebuild that merge/split + conveyor?"

[Goalan]

Not sure if this is what's happening for you but.. There is a new bug (i think introduced in 1.0). If you place a merger/splitter on an existing belt, it captures a small bit of that belt as part of the merger/splitter. When you later upgrade the belts on ether side, the little bit captured by the merger/splitter when it was added to the slower belt, does not get upgraded.

So ether delete the merger/splitters and upgrade that small chunk of belt left, or just rerun it with fresh belts and whatnot.

This was making me rage out for a while till I figured it out. I'm trying to avoid adding them to existing belts as much as possible now that I know.

[Kage Goomba]

Originally posted by Goalan:

Not sure if this is what's happening for you but.. There is a new bug (i think introduced in 1.0). If you place a merger/splitter on an existing belt, it captures a small bit of that belt as part of the merger/splitter. When you later upgrade the belts on ether side, the little bit captured by the merger/splitter when it was added to the slower belt, does not get upgraded.

So ether delete the merger/splitters and upgrade that small chunk of belt left, or just rerun it with fresh belts and whatnot.

This was making me rage out for a while till I figured it out. I'm trying to avoid adding them to existing belts as much as possible now that I know.

Not new...been a thing since......7?

Splicing has caused headaches in one form or an another for some time now.
People tend to deny its exsistance as an issue and yet I still see it persisting even today in pipes and belts.

Especialy notorious on pipes. I suspect its still a major pain for many even today.

Oddly enough not seen splicing be possible on power cables - used to be - I suspect it got removed at some point.

Bottom line - always run new connections when you inject anything into a line - just not worth the headaches - belts pipes whatever - splicing tends to cause more problems than not...maybe less problems - but still.

[Soylent_Boob]

yeah there's something funky going on with mergers for sure, maybe splitters also
In my case i noticed on mk6 belts, trying to merge 2x 600 coalminers into 1 belt.
Everything fresh build in mk6 so no upgrades, merger placed on belt or beforehand made no difference.
The belts going into the merger would stutter and the exit belt has gaps, only outputting about 1150 coal p/m.

[Porked!]

Probably some weird optimization in the 15 oct patch I guess. My smart splitter start slipping up and let some stuff flow straight to the sink even though all belts are equal, only two outputs being specific item and overflow, no splicing, and all storages still have plenty of room left.

[🌺💗Tazzamorous💗🌺]

Originally posted by Soylent_Boob:

The belts going into the merger would stutter and the exit belt has gaps, only outputting about 1150 coal p/m.

This is simply a thing. Conveyors don't run at the stated speed, nothing to do with a merger. Plug a 1200/min miner directly into a sink or chest and then watch it's inventory backup.

[craigbeck]

Originally posted by 🌺💗Tazzamorous💗🌺:

Originally posted by Soylent_Boob:

The belts going into the merger would stutter and the exit belt has gaps, only outputting about 1150 coal p/m.

This is simply a thing. Conveyors don't run at the stated speed, nothing to do with a merger. Plug a 1200/min miner directly into a sink or chest and then watch it's inventory backup.

Same if you run a mk6 belt from one storage box to another you can see gaps on the conveyor. So maybe it has something to do with storage boxes and the sink?
I don't have a problem with my aluminium plant using bauxite at 1200/min, that flows nicely.

[Soylent_Boob]

Originally posted by craigbeck:

Originally posted by 🌺💗Tazzamorous💗🌺:

This is simply a thing. Conveyors don't run at the stated speed, nothing to do with a merger. Plug a 1200/min miner directly into a sink or chest and then watch it's inventory backup.

Same if you run a mk6 belt from one storage box to another you can see gaps on the conveyor. So maybe it has something to do with storage boxes and the sink?
I don't have a problem with my aluminium plant using bauxite at 1200/min, that flows nicely.

It's funky...
To me it goes bad merging 2x600 coal into 1x1200 from miners to coal powerplant but if i try not far away in the same save to merge 2x600 coal into 1x1200 from storages to storages it works normal