Programmable Logic Controller

[Timfa2112]

Description

A PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller, which interfaces with the wireless Device Linking system.
Build the PLC, write Spessembly code and have your PLC control and read from any attached devices.

You could use these PLC's to add dynamic behaviour to anything that you can link together with your multitool. Think airlocks that actually pump in or out air before cycling, more complex behaviour in conveyor belts, longer sequences of events when pressing buttons or levers, automating linked devices based on pressure, temperature, time, light intensity, etc. etc.

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TODO

• C# class that can interpret assembly-like code
• defining input and output registers in the assembly-interpreter
• complete assembly-like language (working title Spessembly)
• Creating the boilerplate code needed for the entity to exist and do things in the world
• connecting Device Linking signals and sending integers over the connection for sensors
• Sprites!
• Buildable object via build menu, something simple like steel and lv cable
• GUI the user can type text in, which also displays console output
• dynamically adding device linking inputs and outputs

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Media

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Changelog

🆑 Alia Ash

• add: Added Programmable Logic Controller

[BasedUser]

no way mlog ss14

[BasedUser]

ideally these should be non-string as string comparisons can take a LOT of time, something like:

private string code = "";
private string instructions = Array.Empty<PLCInstruction>();

// ...

public class PLCInstruction
{
    // yml hooks??? idfk maybe i'm getting WAY too inspired
    public string Name = "Invalid";
    public string Opcode = "nop";
    
    public virtual void Run(PLCVar[] args)
    {
        //Logger.Info("Ran instruction " + self.Name);
        return;
    }
}

public class AddI : PLCInstruction
{
    Name = "Add";
    Opcode = "add";
    
    public override void Run(PLCVar[] args)
    {
        if (args.Length < 3)
            return;
        args[2].SetValue(args[0].Value() + args[1].Value())
        return;
    }
}

[Timfa2112]

the code[] array is the actual text typed by the player, so I'd need to load it all in and then convert it to a separate array with instructions. Still have to check the strings, but then I do it only once instead of every step.
Probably a good idea, but I'm going to focus on getting it to work, and then optimising it after a working version is achieved

[BasedUser]

optionally throw NMIs instead of returning void lmao

[Mnemotechnician]

This should inherit from BaseStructure. Transform, Clickable, TnteractionOutline, Damageable will all be unnecessary as they are defined in BaseStructure.

Alternatively, you could create a machine board and make this inherit from BaseMachine - in that case you'll need to look into how other machines (e.g. autolathe) do it. It will eliminate the need for this entity to have its own unique construction graph/recipe.

[Timfa2112]

My intention is to keep it simple.
How do I inherit from BaseStructure? Do I just remove those types under components and replace them with one BaseStructure type?

[Mnemotechnician]

Uh, add parent: BaseStructure. Then navigate to the BaseStructure type, look what components it already has that were re-defined in your type, and remove them. If the parent entity defines a component but does not set up all the fields you want, you can still add the same component to the child entity and only set up the fields that were not set up in the parent entity. In that case, The rest of the fields will be inherited from the parent.

[Mnemotechnician]

Is this being worked on?

[Timfa2112]

Is this being worked on?

I try to figure things out now and then, but I haven't had time in the past few days.
Because I'm still very unfamiliar with how the device linking works, as well as making GUI and ensuring the entity to be placed in the world functions properly, I've attempted to find someone who wants to collaborate on this and fill in the gaps of my knowledge, but I've had no luck with that yet.

So, in short, it's had no progress on a while, but I haven't given up yet :P