How do You wire a get a solar panel controller working.

[Chronicles]

I have the display, with the solar controler circtuit board in it, on the same network as the solar panels, but all i get is a error on the panel.

I have the same issue with a power controler panel as well.

[Rocket]

When placing a console, scroll the mouse wheel to get different options.

Also: insert a data disc into the console to "assign" it to devices. Click on the device, once, to assign it to that circuitboard.

[Daffles]

Is there any way to automatically track the sun position with a solar panel? @rocket

[Chronicles]

i got it working, however i had 8 solar panels, but i could 3 of then were greyed out. For some reason they were always selected.
Is there a way to see power production, consumption and battery storage levels in a console.
I noticed you can see it with the network analyser, but i wanna see it on the wall(console).
Thanks for the reply.

[Briggz]

Originally posted by Daffles:

Is there any way to automatically track the sun position with a solar panel? @rocket

The way I got my auto solar field going is to attach a solar sensor and then hook it all up to a computer, add a 'data disc' and 'logistics motherboard' to the computer. When you do that the screen will pop up with a way to add 'statements.'

A lot of people say to put 2 sensors on a vertical frame, meaning that you add a from on top of your floor to your solar field and add a sensor on both sides of it, one facing the sunrise and the other facing the sun fall. I don't do that. I put 1 senor on the horizontal 'floor' of my soloar field, out in the middle, the wire connection facing the sunrise. Then I just watched it for a day because it gave off sun position readings, and I just wrote which numbers I wanted my solar panels to rotate at.

After that I just went to the computer and did a bunch of if/than statements. As in - If sensor -> solar level -> <85 and >60 -> Solar panel 1,2,3,4 etc vertical = 90%. This pretty much looks like my statements, and I have about 6 of them. Keeps the solar panels always at 400+ generated watts. What is means though is if my solar senor reading number is less than 85 and greater than 60 then the vertical % on my solar panel (whichever one I choose) will rotate to said %. Its really fun to set up, doesn't take long either. And now that I have the numbers written out for the sun reading, I can just copy that into any new game I go into over night and have automated panels on like day 2 or 3.

Fun stuff =)

[Decker]

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1239491937

[Chronicles]

i would love to see the abilty to program the computer using the same mechanics as the circuits.
ie type the math etc, maybe in lua. take up a lot less room than many circuits, especially with compicated setups.

[StormBow]

Theres an easier way to do the solar automation, but I'll speak to the original question first.

Consoles should have a data port and a power port.
1.) When you put the console down, use the scroll wheel to get to option 2.
2.) Connect the power side of the console to the APC unit
3.) Connect your solars directly to the APC and to the data port (but dont connect the APC in to the APC out or you'll get an error from the APC).
4.) Put in the circuit board and glass
5.) Put your data disk in the console, then turn it on
6.) Select anything called solar panel, then remove the disk.

At this point, the console should be telling you a) how many solars you have and b) what amount of power they're producing

To automate the solars, you need a daylight sensor, 2 logic I/O boards, a logic processor board, and a logic memory board (all in the Electronics printer). When you're setting this up, you're going to end up having to power all these chips, so make sure your solar data cable and your APC wire dont cross.

1.) That wire that's going into your console can be used for this, so split that off somewhere like the back wall of your building, or make a new one from your roof down to an isolated area.
2.) Place down your Logic I/O Board as a reader, and wire the solar data cable into it's input port.
3.) Next to that, place the processor board (math), so that you can put a single wire between them.
4.) Place the memory board on the opposite side of the math board.
5.) Place the second I/O Board as a Batch Writer beneath the math board, so that the input can be directly wired from the math output.
6.) Connect the solar data cable to the OUTput of the batch writer.
7.) Wire the power to the boards and turn them on.
8.) Take out your screwdriver.
9.) For the reader, tell it to look at the DaylightSensor, and the SolarAngle option.
10.) Set the memory board to 1.8
11.) Set the math board to take the reader and the memory board, and put it on divide.
12.) Set the input for the batch writer as the math board.
13.) Set the output for the batch writer as Solar Panels.

Congratz

[Deerhunter102]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ojUOcgC48&index=15&list=WL

[Grey]

Originally posted by Adorin Res:

Theres an easier way to do the solar automation, but I'll speak to the original question first.

Consoles should have a data port and a power port.
1.) When you put the console down, use the scroll wheel to get to option 2.
2.) Connect the power side of the console to the APC unit
3.) Connect your solars directly to the APC and to the data port (but dont connect the APC in to the APC out or you'll get an error from the APC).
4.) Put in the circuit board and glass
5.) Put your data disk in the console, then turn it on
6.) Select anything called solar panel, then remove the disk.

At this point, the console should be telling you a) how many solars you have and b) what amount of power they're producing

To automate the solars, you need a daylight sensor, 2 logic I/O boards, a logic processor board, and a logic memory board (all in the Electronics printer). When you're setting this up, you're going to end up having to power all these chips, so make sure your solar data cable and your APC wire dont cross.

1.) That wire that's going into your console can be used for this, so split that off somewhere like the back wall of your building, or make a new one from your roof down to an isolated area.
2.) Place down your Logic I/O Board as a reader, and wire the solar data cable into it's input port.
3.) Next to that, place the processor board (math), so that you can put a single wire between them.
4.) Place the memory board on the opposite side of the math board.
5.) Place the second I/O Board as a Batch Writer beneath the math board, so that the input can be directly wired from the math output.
6.) Connect the solar data cable to the OUTput of the batch writer.
7.) Wire the power to the boards and turn them on.
8.) Take out your screwdriver.
9.) For the reader, tell it to look at the DaylightSensor, and the SolarAngle option.
10.) Set the memory board to 1.8
11.) Set the math board to take the reader and the memory board, and put it on divide.
12.) Set the input for the batch writer as the math board.
13.) Set the output for the batch writer as Solar Panels.

Congratz

I dont understand how this would work. I get that dividing the 180 degree angle by 100 and using the 1.8 in the logic memory will convert the solar angle into a percentage for the solar panel tilt, but as far as I've seen the solar angle doesnt work that way in game. the sensor reads 90 at sunrise, 0 at 'noon', and 90 at sunset, so this math wouldnt work. With this, at sunrise (90 deg) the panel would be at a 50% tilt. Am I missing something? Or am I experiencing a bug and everyone elses solar angle reads form 0-180?

[GD]

I think it's an orientation problem. It depends on
a) the orientation you placed the solar panel and
b) the orientation of your Solar Sensor

e.g. my Sensor Output is on the lower side and facing sunrine of course and due to my cable connection requirements all my solar panels are Horizontal -90 by Screwdriver. But now the values begin at 0% on sunrise and 100% at dawn and the Sensor producing values between 0 and 180 and than back to 0 at night. Like this the math above works.

And be warned, the Automation Stuff pulls power as well. You might end up needing an own Solar Panel just to power this thing 24h.

[Grey]

Originally posted by GD:

I think it's an orientation problem. It depends on
a) the orientation you placed the solar panel and
b) the orientation of your Solar Sensor

e.g. my Sensor Output is on the lower side and facing sunrine of course and due to my cable connection requirements all my solar panels are Horizontal -90 by Screwdriver. But now the values begin at 0% on sunrise and 100% at dawn and the Sensor producing values between 0 and 180 and than back to 0 at night. Like this the math above works.

And be warned, the Automation Stuff pulls power as well. You might end up needing an own Solar Panel just to power this thing 24h.

That makes so much sense! Ive always put my solar sensors flat on a floor surface so it would make perfect sense that it would read the sunrise at 90 degrees when lying in that orientation.
Just shows that no matter how much you play this game, the simplest things can completely dumbfound you and make you feel dumb as hell XD
Thanks for the tip!

[GD]

Just thougt again about the math "Adorin Res" suggested. It's simple, that why I like it, but it not optimal. 0% for the Solar Panel is actually 15°. I checked it just an hour ago (the panel cannot be tilted below that, same on the other side). So Deckers suggestions - however more complicated it may be- is more exact and produces some more power.

I've done a similar contraptions yesterday it took me quite a while to dig into the stuff (First Time and I did know nothing about Automation in this game before, luckily my Factorio, Oxygen Not Included and Math/IT Known How could help me out a little. But now it's working fine at 490-500 Watt per Solar Panel and I don't ever need to touch it again because the batch controller changes all panels at the some time if I need more juice I just place a new solar panel, rotate it -90° connect the cable and be done with it. Very well worth the 2-3 hours of research and trial and error I put in there.

[Decker]

@gd to get more optimal the final add should be like -9.2 instead of -10 there seems be be lag between reading the sun and setting the position... the the max should be like 162 becaue otherwise you get more than 100% output. (using add as the last alllows you to put the negative on either input instead of only the right side) then it'll be 495-500 most of the day.

[Sodom]

Still don't get it .. i cant get the Daylight Sensor to get another reading than 0-90, doesn't matter which of the 4 possible directions i align it to ..

[Ren]

Originally posted by Sodom:

Still don't get it .. i cant get the Daylight Sensor to get another reading than 0-90, doesn't matter which of the 4 possible directions i align it to ..

i can make it 4 you if you want ;)