Hi to whoever is reading this. This is my own attempt at a Redstone guide that is both easy to understand and accessible, and isn't similar to the all but impossible to read one on Minecraft Wiki. I have perused the many videos on YouTube and have found quite a few that I both like and that are comprehensive, yet have had trouble finding a truly functional guide on paper. That is what I am here to do. You will find descriptions of redstone basics, explanations, examples, and pictures, as well as additional content as I learn more about redstone and hopefully gain more knowledge from others (such as yourself) commenting on this guide. Good luck to you, and I hope you learn something.
Redstone is the material used to create functional mechanisms in the Minecraft world, such as lever controlled traps, or pressure plate controlled doors. There are several basic redstone facts to know:
Redstone Dust is mined from Restone Ore.
Each Ore block will drop 4-5 Redstone Dust.
Redstone Ore must be mined with an Iron Pickaxe or better.
Redstone dust can be placed on all blocks (such as Dirt, Stone, blocks of iron) to create wiring. Exceptions include Ice and Glass and all triggerable blocks such as TNT, Note Blocks, Chests, and Furnaces. (Redstone can be placed on Jukeboxes).
Dust can be connected either in a straight line, or can be placed up or down one adjacent block. To connect blocks that are above or below each other, don't try and add redstone wiring on the sides manually. Place on top of both blocks, and it connects itself.
If a block is placed that gets between the wiring diagonally, it will not let a current pass through. The only two exceptions are ice and glass. The white block at the end shows regular behavior.
Wiring does not create any current by itself, but must be powered by one of several items in Minecraft. You can see below how the powered wire glows red when a current is passing through it.
You may also notice that the color of the wiring quickly transitions from bright orange to a dark red. This is an aesthetic representation of the current approaching the 15 block limit that a redstone current has from its original source. It should be noted that while the current appears weaker, the strength of the current at the end at block 15 is just as strong as the current at the start with block 1.
Switches
Redstone wiring can be powered in several ways:
Button - By pressing the button, a current will stay for approximately 1 second (0.9 to be exact), then will stop.
Lever - Activating the lever will create a constant current until the lever is flipped off.
Pressure Plate (Stone) - A player or mob will activate the current while standing on a pressure plate. The current stops when the player/mob step off.
Pressure Plate (Wood) - Same as a stone pressure plate, but can also be activated by dropped items.
Redstone Torch - Redstone torches provide constant power to the redstone wiring and have no direct activation/deactivation by themselves.
For example, when the lever is applied to the majority of powerable objects, you can see the results.
The first image is with the levers in an "off" state, and the second picture is with them on. For safety reasons I left the TNT for the very end.
So far we have learned how different switches will power redstone wiring in order to make things happen. There are several ways that the power can be transmitted from your switch (lever, pressure pad, button, redstone torch) to the object in questions (piston, door, note-block, dispenser, etc).
The switch can be right next to the object.
The current can flow into the bottom of the object.
The current can flow into the top of the object.
Variation of #2.
When redstone wire runs parallel to a powerable object, or row of powerable objects, it tends to cause issues if it is powering in a row adjacent to the bottom side of the block, as pictured in the right side of the image. If the wiring runs on the top side, the current activates the objects and everything works fine.
This image introduces an important concept of a current's ability to flow through blocks. As you can see, redstone wiring does not connect the entire distance between the lever and the piston, instead the current flows into the block which holds it and transfer it to all adjacent spaces. (This can be useful if you want to hide your redstone wiring to make your creations more aesthetically pleasing).
Adjacent spaces are above, below, to the left and right, and front and behind the powered block. In this case, the lever is attached to the front of the block, taking up the "front" position. It should be noted that blocks adjacent to the lever itself are also powered, even if the lever (or any switch) isn't directly touching it.
Now look at this. The powering block idea leads to the misconception that a block can simply replace a piece of wire. As shown above, this is not the case. Unless a wire is connected to a block that has a switch placed on it, it will not receive power from anything except for a torch, or just a switch by itself. Take note and avoid confusion!
Repeaters
Repeaters are the one redstone affiliated item that I have not yet mentioned, but perhaps one of the most useful. The repeater has three main uses, all being very simple:
Creating delays in the current
Extending past the 15 block current limit
Functioning as a diode, i.e. allowing the current to only flow in one direction
The simplest use of Redstone Repeaters is for extending past the 15 block limit that a current has from its original powering source (such as a lever, button, or redstone torch).
When using repeaters, make sure you place them the right way, with the current entering into the red strip!
You can see here how the very top piston is functioning when activated, but that the one below it is not. This is because there are 16 spaces of wiring in the lower connection versus the exact 15 in the top one. Once a repeater is added though, the 15 block limit is reset and the current can continue for another 15 spaces (from the repeater) before dying out.
Minecraft redstone has a system of delays known as ticks. A tick, according to Minecraft Wiki, is equal to 0.1 seconds. When a repeater is introduced into the path of redstone, it causes a one tick delay in a neutral state. Thus, if you had a current that had to travel through ten repeaters between a lever and a piston, it would take one second for the lever to activate the piston (if all repeaters were in neutral). Now what do I mean by neutral state?
Right clicking a repeater causes one of the torches to shift, up to three times, to create delays. Each shift adds on one more tick, making each repeater able to cause 4 ticks of delay, or 0.4 seconds delay. When a repeater is first placed down, it is at a 1 tick state, or "neutral". Repeaters themselves plus a little redstone dust can be used to make up a basic logic gate known as a Pulser, but we will describe it, among other things, in the following sections.
Redstone Torches
First let's start with learning a bit more about redstone torches. A redstone torch by iteself delivers a constant current to an object or to redstone wiring. You can think of it as a lever that never leaves the "On" position. Although a redstone torch is on by default, it can be turned off when a current is introduced to it in a specific way. Look at the following image.
So what exactly is going on here? It would appear that both switches are flipped on, thus creating a current that we learned flows through the block and into the torch. The bottom torch was successfully turned off, but why didn't the top one turn off? It is quite simple. Since the torch itself is giving off a current, it powers the redstone wiring, which then leads back to the block and lever, where it stops, unable to affect anything. To avoid these complications, we power the blocks that the torch is placed on.
A switch will turn off and on a torch placed on any side of the block that it is able to attach to. But why turn off a torch? Observe in the following picture how the switches are both either in the off or on position and yet the outputs are different.
The switch that has a redstone torch creates something known as an inverter, or a "NOT Gate". An inverter simply inverts the input that is given. Usually a flipped lever will send a current, activating an object. But when a torch is attached, the flipped lever sends a current into the torch, disabling it, causing absolutely no current to flow through the output.
Quick example of an inverter at a distance from the switch. When stacking the disabling and enabling effects of torches, it should be noted that torches bring a 1 tick wait time with them, exactly that of a repeater in a neutral state.
In the following example, you can see how a redstone repeater set to two ticks will cause the exact same delay as two torches placed in the other line. (Before official repeaters were introduced, the above system of two redstone torches was used to extend the current).
Powering it Up and Down
This system of powering torches can be harnessed to achieve vertical power in the form of several slightly different structures.
The first 1x1 tower ends with a torch powered on, thus activating the piston, whereas the 2x1 tower ends with an off torch, leaving the piston in place. (Obviously if the towers each increased by one torch, the outputs would be opposite). These towers make sending power vertically less of a hassle. You can also try a 2x2 spiraling method that sends power both up and down. This tower is excellent because it can be traversed up and down by foot!
Here is the spiral staircase in action!
Sending power down can either be achieved in a couple ways. You can either use the aforementioned 2x2 spiral method, a bulky staircase looking structure (seen below), or a more advanced looking method of stacking floating blocks.
The final stacking block method of "powering it down" can be explained simply. The switch will activate a piece of redstone that delivers a current to the redstone torch at the end. This torch is then disabled, thus releasing the disabling effect on the torch below, turning it on. This effect alternates back and forth until it hits bottom.
Note that you can also power wire that is underneath the block that a switch is on.
Well, that about does it for most of the basic technical concepts of redstone related items. To learn about different circuits, scarily termed "Logic Gates", proceed on to the next section.
A circuit in Minecraft is basically just a bunch of switches, torches, redstone, and perhaps repeaters, put in a certain order that gives a desired output (current or no current) based on different inputs (levers, buttons, torches, redstone, etc).
Basic Example
Description
Now this isn't even a circuit, but let's start with this very basic contraption that you have seen a bunch of times. You flip on the lever (input) and it results in a current (output) that in turn activates a piston (powered block). That is all. Moving on.
OR/NOR Gates
Description
This "OR Gate" is very similar to the previous example. The only difference is that now there are two levers instead of one. With an "OR Gate", by pressing one lever OR the other (inputs), a current will result (output).
NOR Gate
Note that you can combine the "OR Gate" with an inverter to result in the opposite output. When a gate gives an opposite output, the letter "N" is put in front of the title, so "OR Gate" becomes "NOR" Gate, which is this gate below.
.
AND/NAND Gates
Description
An "AND Gate" will result in an output only when both Lever 1 AND Lever 2 are flipped on. Let me explain exactly what is going on in this picture.
Explanation
The two levers are the inputs. Only when both are flipped will the piston move up. The reason why is quite simple. The redstone torches that are above each input are both powering the piece of redstone wiring that is in between the two. This powered redstone wire is effectively powering the Key Redstone Torch, thus disabling it (as we learned earlier). Only when both torches above the inputs are off, will the piece of redstone wire be off, thus halting the disabling effect on the torch. Once the torch is enable, it releases a current through the wire and into the piston.
NAND Gate
To create an "NAND gate", instead of adding an inverter, you take off the original redstone torch that sat in the middle. That torch's purpose was to create a circuit that turned ON when both inputs were on. You could almost look at the "NAND Gate" as the original form, and the "AND Gate" as the variation that had an inverter attached.
XOR Gate
Description
The "XOR Gate" is a variation of the "OR Gate". As you know, an "OR Gate" has an output that can be turned OFF or ON by all included inputs. With an "XOR Gate", the same applies, but if both inputs are ON, the output will turn OFF. Or to be stated in another way, if the inputs match each other (both ON or both OFF) the output will be OFF, if they are different (one OFF with the other ON), the output will be ON.
Explanation
The explanation of how this works is not too bad. Ignore the green box for a moment and just focus on the two red boxes. See how in the top box, if the lever is switched on, it will send a current into the torch placed on the side, turning it off, releasing the disabling effect on the consecutive torch (in the red box), which releases a current into the wiring and through the output. That is the first part; if either lever is switch on by itself it will send a current and activate an object, a piston in this case.
The next part is also simple. Try and imagine that both levers have been switched on. Why does the final current stop? If you look at the two torches placed on top of the blocks that the levers are attached to, you will see they are powering several pieces of wire. As long as one lever is not switched on, this wire will always been powered, but as soon as both are switched on, the power dies. When it dies the torch in the green box will turn on and power the wires to its sides. This power will disable the two torches at the very end, making it so no current reaches the piston. And that's it! Whew!
"XNOR Gate"
The "XNOR Gate" is exactly like the "XOR Gate" except it has an inverter at the end, affecting it so that when both inputs match each other, the output will be "ON". And when they are different, the output will be "OFF".
RS NOR Latch
Description
An RS NOR Latch sounds god-awful doesn't it? It really is not so bad. Imagine a scenario where you wanted an input that you could switch on and off. A lever sounds great doesn't it? But say you want to be able to turn the input "ON" by triggering one button, and "OFF" by triggering a button in an entirely different place. This is what the "RS NOR Latch" lets us do.
Explanation
Once the top button is pressed, the current will flip to the other side and stay there until the opposite bottom button is pressed. Depending on which output is used, the top and bottom buttons will be on/off or off/on. The reasoning as to why is not complicated either. Once the top button is pressed, a current will flow into the block that it is attached to and into the torch, disabling it. Once the torch is disabled, the wiring that it is connected to will also turn off, thus releasing the disabling effect on the opposite block/torch. Now we are flipped and pressing the button on the opposite side will have the opposing effect. A quick note on the name, "RS" stands for "Reset" and "Set". If you press one button, it will set it, but if you press the other, it will reset. Pretty cool.
Monostable Circuit
Description
A monostable circuit is basically an "RS NOR Latch" with a slight modification. The point of a monostable circuit is to give an input that has a set amount of time before it turns off. Say you wanted to have a door open for five seconds, then close, this is what you would use. Most inputs are either a quick flash (button/pressure pad) or set indefinitely off/on (torches/levers), but with a monostable circuit, you have the ability to set the time. Anyways, have a look.
Explanation
Right away you can see the "RS NOR Latch" as well as another wire with a repeater on it traveling from one block to the other. If you remember, the "RS NOR Latch" has "ON" and "OFF", or alternatively "SET" and "RESET", inputs or switches. When you press the single button in the monostable circuit, the "RS NOR Latch" turns "ON" or is "SET" as usual, but the pressing of the button also sends a signal through the wire on the side. This signal hits the repeater (the single repeater is just an example, you can place as many as you could possible want for your own particular delay times) and is delayed. After the delay, it travels and hits the block giving it an "OFF" or "RESET" command. Thus, the system is reset.
T Flip-Flop
Description
The T Flip-Flop is a big heap of wires designed to do basically one thing, to turn a button into a lever. You can think of it as if the two buttons of the "RS NOR Latch" were the same button. You press it once, "ON", you press it again, "OFF". Simple.
Explanation
In the above image the T Flip-Flop is grouped into three main categories, a piece that shortens the time a current or signal is applied to the wiring, the "RS NOR Latch", and two other parts that I very generally labeled as helpful pieces due to their own specific helpful role.
First let's cover the signal shortener, which works very simply. The objective is to power the long piece of wire for 0.3 seconds versus the 0.9 you get from a regular press of a button. It starts with the press of the button. The pulse, resulting from the button, will turn off “Torch 1” for 0.9 seconds. The disabled torch then stops delivering power to the target wire. At the same time, the disabled torch also releases its hold on torch 2. Torch 2 goes on to disable torch 3, which finally releases the disable on torch 4, activating it. So, we have “Torch 1” effectively withholding power and giving power at the same time. What makes this work is that the giving of power comes 0.3 second later due to the tick delay from traveling through the 3 torches (very similar to a monostable circuit).
Here is another version of the same shortener but with a repeater instead of torches 3 and 4 - it works exactly the same.
Now look at the core of this entire contraption, the "RS NOR Latch". All I want you to see here is that there are two inputs into this piece, the "ON"/Set and "OFF"/Reset. Usually, buttons would be there in a standalone "RS NOR Latch" but in a T Flip-Flop a pulse from the wires will work as the button pulses.
Here is the T Flip-Flop in both its "ON" and "OFF" states. What you need to pay attention to are the fact that two wires are affecting a set of blocks, labeled "Button 1" and "Button 2". Find both these two blocks and the two sets of wires that are circled in the image. Try and recognize how if both wires are turned off, even for a quick flash of time (say 0.3 seconds), then the torch of "Button 1" or "Button 2" will turn on and power the wire into the "RS NOR Latch", acting as a press of a button.
In this T Flip-Flop design, there will always be two wires powering either block "Button 1" or block "Button 2". On the right sides of these blocks, power will be coming from the long piece of wire that we discussed from the signal shortener. But power from the other sides (the top of block "Button 1" or the left side of block "Button 2") will always only be affecting one block or the other. If the "RS NOR Latch" is "ON" or if the output is "ON" then power will be coming into the top side of block "Button 1", but not into the left side of block "Button 2". But if the "RS NOR Latch" if "OFF" or if the output is "OFF" then the power will be coming into the left of block "Button 2" and not into the top of block "Button 1".
So the block that is only receiving one wire of power (from the right side) will have its torch turned on when the original input button is pressed, turning the "RS NOR Latch" either "ON" or "OFF". This second wire will be on or off depending on whether the "RS NOR Latch" is "ON" or "OFF". If you look at the image, the pieces of wire that make up the "RS NOR Latch" also feed into the two blocks that are feeding powered wire into the "Button 1" and "Button 2" blocks. This setup creates a system that is basically able to read when the "RS NOR Latch" is "ON" or "OFF" and will respond by either powering block "Button 1" or block "Button 2", removing the possibility of the torches on these blocks of turning on and powering the "RS NOR Latch".
Circuit Simulator T Flip-Flop Schematic File
If you download the Circuit Simulator, linked under the Helpful Links section, you can load this schematic file that has the the T Flip-Flop and it's parts broken apart so you can see how each one works.
Description
A Clock, sometimes referred to as a pulser, is used in a circumstance where you want your redstone current to actually pulse or flash. You can set this up in two different ways.
The Repeater Clock needs to be activated with a quick flash of current from either a button, pressure plate, or a quick drop-torch-then-destroy-real-fast action. If you have too much trouble setting it up, try this alternate clock.
Five torches or five repeaters are not necessary to create a clock. When using torches and blocks, you need to have an odd number, where as you can make a clock with any amount of repeaters. When someone mentions an "x-Clock", they are talking about a clock that has "x" number of torches/repeaters or more specifically, "x" ticks of delay in it. So for example a "5-Clock" consists of either five torches or five repeaters in a "neutral position. Note that when making clocks, using 3 or less torches/blocks or repeaters will cause the torches in the clock to burn out.
That does it for circuits for the time being. I truly hope to update as frequently as I can as I learn new things and optimize old ideas. Please stay tuned and let me know if further clarification is necessary.
Thank you for reading my guide and I hope that you learned something from it. If you find any errors, typos, or have additional information that you think should be added, please comment or pm me and let me know. Not being a redstone master by any means, I know there is plenty that has been left out due to my ignorance, and I would be very grateful for both explanations on complex circuits and intriguing mechanisms that would be helpful for the player base, as well as simple facts such as wiring not function on a certain material. Enjoy playing with Redstone and thanks again!
Downloadables
Redstone Testing Map
This map simply gives a large chamber made out of blocks of iron (very similar to pictures in guide) filled with six big rooms giving you space to set up and test your Redstone contraptions. I have included one version that has some supplies at the beginning (such as redstone torches, dust, piston, switches, etc) as well as torches scattered throughout to light up the map. I also included a blank version for players with mods such as Single Player Commands or TooManyItems.
While searching for additional resources to help me learn more about Redstone, I will doubtlessly find gems that I want to share with others. This is what I have found so far.
very, very nice tutorial :smile.gif:
a few notes:
*you talk about repeaters before you explain them
*it is better to stay in one format, i.e remove the video and write down what it says, or make every thing a video. The reason for this is that a video tutorial and a written tutorial are different by nature - while video tutorials are generally more accessible, written tutorials are easier to reference and review, thus if I came to read a written tutorial I did it for a reason, and I don't want to see a video.
*it will be nice to see a list of all outputs.
*you'r a bit jumpy, try to make a clear tutorial(e.g you explain some redstone parts(wire, ore) go on to explain redstone principles, and then go back to redstone parts(torch, repeater))
*the fact a gate is less used does not mean you can just skip it - if I want to learn all about redstone, I expect to see all the different gates.
*you didn't say that redstone torches turn off when reserving power before you talk about how to give it power, this may confuse people
If I'll find more I'll be sure to note you.
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Quote from Matraz »
That's not a circle... it's a triacontakaihexagon. (36 sided shape)
I like this tutorial and I'm sure anyone not familiar with redstone will be able to learn from this.
One mistake though, there is an easier way to transmit current downwards than building stairs, which takes up a 2x1 space. Just look on the wiki page, its towards the bottom.
Or this diagram:
= redstone
= block
= redstone torch attached to the side of a block
very, very nice tutorial :smile.gif:
a few notes:
*you talk about repeaters before you explain them
*it is better to stay in one format, i.e remove the video and write down what it says, or make every thing a video. The reason for this is that a video tutorial and a written tutorial are different by nature - while video tutorials are generally more accessible, written tutorials are easier to reference and review, thus if I came to read a written tutorial I did it for a reason, and I don't want to see a video.
*it will be nice to see a list of all outputs.
*you'r a bit jumpy, try to make a clear tutorial(e.g you explain some redstone parts(wire, ore) go on to explain redstone principles, and then go back to redstone parts(torch, repeater))
*the fact a gate is less used does not mean you can just skip it - if I want to learn all about redstone, I expect to see all the different gates.
*you didn't say that redstone torches turn off when reserving power before you talk about how to give it power, this may confuse people
If I'll find more I'll be sure to note you.
Thank you very much for your straight forward response, and for finding those issues. I really appreciate being told exactly what's wrong, haha. I'll be working to fix those problems.
This is a very promising guide. This will get someone from nowhere to being able to make simple circuits. Though this guide pushes the reader a bit in the wrong direction for more advanced circuits.
Though there are some things missing, some parts are explained really well. Sadly, I'm on smallband, so I couldn't watch your repeater vid. Since you say this is 1.0, I'm guessing you're planning to improve it a bit. :biggrin.gif:
I actually have a checklist for rating video's and giving constructive feedback. My most important one; explain powered blocks. That's a key element to redstone and very very important.
[ ] means you've not mentioned it at all
[x] means you did so more or less, or in a bad way
[X] means that you've fully covered the point
So here it is;
[ ] Gives and index with URL's
[ ] Stimulates the reader or watcher to try something out themselves
[x] Explains where redstone is found
[ ] Gives the crafting recipes for a RS torch and repeater
[X] Explains solid blocks
[x] Explains how RS wire can travel and can be blocked off, except by transparent blocks
[ ] Explains the visual ice and glass glitch
[X] Mentions the 15 block RS limit
[X] Explains how this can be overcome by using repeaters
[ ] (Optional) Explains how 2 blocks can be gained by placing blocks before and after a repeater
[ ] Mentions limitations by unloaded chunks
[x] Gives all methods of input: RS torch, wooden- and stone pressure plates, button, lever and detector rail
[x] Gives all methods of output: RS torch, wooden- and iron door, note block, rail, powered rail, dispenser, TNT and pistons
[ ] Explains wire connections
[ ] (Optional) Explains how updating RS can trigger block updates
[ ] Does NOT mention current
[x] Explains what a powered block is
[x] Explains how a torch inverts the state of the block it's resting on
[X] Talks about delays as being ticks
[ ] Mentions the 1 tick delay of a redstone torch
[X] Explains the various repeater's delays
[ ] Explains delays on pistons
[ ] (Optional) Talks about delays as being 2 ticks, or one RS tick
[X] (Optional) Talks about how long a button or pressure pad pulse is
[ ] Explains repeaters from the inside out (why some pulses won't transmit)
[ ] Talks about the 2 fundamental gates OR and NOT
[ ] Mentions how Demorgan is used to create and AND gate
[ ] Uses a different design for the AND gate
[ ] Shows an XOR gate
[ ] Explains one or more ways of why they work
[ ] Visually explains how gates work by the use of a truth table
[X] Shows torch clocks
[ ] Explain how a 5 clock works
[ ] Explain why a 4 clock needs to be started
[ ] Explains why not to use repeater clocks
[X] Shows an RS NOR and explains how to use it
[ ] Explains why an RS NOR works
[ ] Talks about RET and FET, and why they are usefull
[ ] Explains how a TFF can be used
[ ] Explains the RSsim symbols
[ ] Shows some ordinary uses for redstone
[ ] Shows some complex uses for redstone
[ ] (Optional) Talks about the letters for in- and output: C, D, J, K, T
[ ] (Optional) Instant logic
[X] Some humor
[X] Mentions sources
Remarks;
On your inputs, you show that a button is an input. While this is the most common setup, you're actually showing that the button powers the block it's resting on, instead of the button directly powering the wire directly. Because you skip powered blocks, that can be confusing.
You're using pistons to show how outputs can become powered. Both pistons and powered rail are not a good idea for showing how that works, because they behave a bit differently than the other outputs. Example;
[simg]http://i.imgur.com/SLaLR.png[/simg]
I would suggest that instead of powering a row of pistons, you give the traditional explanation of powering a torch. If you want a quick course on advanced wiring; http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/540758-redstone-bug/page__view__findpost__p__7158095
I apploud how you explain how levers power the things around them.
That's an instable clock which will burn out.
Lastly, the order in which you explains things is a bit odd. You can take my checklist as reference how I would do it. :biggrin.gif:
Oh wow. Thank you very much for taking the time to write all that out. I will be spending a lot of time looking over your checklist trying to fill it out completely. Your criticism and suggestions mean a lot.
@Lumilieska, thanks for the alternate version, I will try and make it work and add it to the guide.
@Novak_uk, RiiBzxX, and Bukz, thanks for your positive support. You are the reason why I do this.
Great for the beginner circuit maker but you should add a tutorial on how to make t flip flops as they can be very useful!
I think the beginner's guide aspect is on purpose. Once someone understands the concepts that are explained here, the minecraft wiki page of gates is an established and useful resource. Probably just redundant to go into it here.
Excellent work on this guide, I wish I would have had this when I first started!
I think the beginner's guide aspect is on purpose. Once someone understands the concepts that are explained here, the minecraft wiki page of gates is an established and useful resource. Probably just redundant to go into it here.
Excellent work on this guide, I wish I would have had this when I first started!
Well, Yeah maybe, but when I first learned how to do t flip flops No one had a picture guide so I had to use YouTube and that wasn't convenient for me at that point so if it was here many people would be grateful to find guides like that here.
Maybe a new section like:
'More Advanced Circuits'
would be appropriate as t flip flops aren't that advanced.
Beautiful guide and well done. I agree with the checklist posted above, but would like to elaborate on one portion. Repeaters. You go over extending power, but don't go over how they power blocks or the limitation on powering them from blocks (you can put wire on top a block from the input, but they don't power a wire adjacent to the block below them like levers, etc.).
As far as circuits go, I think a TFF would be intermediate level and should be in a second guide all together. Advanced would be along the lines of 3D printers, CPUs, adders, etc. Hope to see more from you!!
Hopefully you can get this to a quality level that will get it stickied. :smile.gif:
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If you think the title and OP tells you everything you want to know about a thread, don't reply. If you want to actually read the thread and post an intelligent reply, you're welcome to it.
Beautiful guide and well done. I agree with the checklist posted above, but would like to elaborate on one portion. Repeaters. You go over extending power, but don't go over how they power blocks or the limitation on powering them from blocks (you can put wire on top a block from the input, but they don't power a wire adjacent to the block below them like levers, etc.).
As far as circuits go, I think a TFF would be intermediate level and should be in a second guide all together. Advanced would be along the lines of 3D printers, CPUs, adders, etc. Hope to see more from you!!
Hopefully you can get this to a quality level that will get it stickied. :smile.gif:
Thank you very much for your ideas and feedback. I will definitely see what I can do to improve the section on repeaters. With the TFF issue, I will try and include and make it my goal to describe them in a way that anyone willing to read my guide will come out understanding.
I disagree that TFF's being an intermediate level. Adders, decoders etc are intermediate imo. Karnaugh cards, ALU's, RAM and CPU's are high level. But the great thing about a good tutorial, is that the tutorial teaches you the redstone laws (instead of blindly showing you "this is an AND gate), like explaining demorgan, so you will never have to use that wiki AND gate design ever again. I'm serious when I say that I have NEVER used the wiki's AND gate design in any of my circuits, because I know the redstone laws and simplefy the formulas.
But the advanced level shouldn't be explained in great detail, because the user should already know the laws.
Thanks for your replies CX. As far as how advanced and expansive I hope for this guide to someday be, I really see no limit. As soon as I learn something well enough that I can describe it in simple and understandable terms, I will put it up.
Amazing I know all of these already except for 2 of them, but what I wanna know is the one where you have one button say hooked up to a piston like so
= Piston
= Redstone
= Button
And when you press the button. It turns the piston on like a RSNOR latch would. But when you press that SAME button again, It turn it off. I know thats probally HORRIBLE explaining but Ive been looking for a redstone thing that dose that.
Amazing I know all of these already except for 2 of them, but what I wanna know is the one where you have one button say hooked up to a piston like so
= Piston
= Redstone
= Button
And when you press the button. It turns the piston on like a RSNOR latch would. But when you press that SAME button again, It turn it off. I know thats probally HORRIBLE explaining but Ive been looking for a redstone thing that dose that.
Yeah, it is what is known as a T Flip-Flop. This guy gives a pretty decent explanation of how to set one up:
You can also try this Minecraft wiki link for the design: CLICK!
v1.21
Introduction
The Basics
Downloadables
Recent Updates
Credits
Introduction
Hi to whoever is reading this. This is my own attempt at a Redstone guide that is both easy to understand and accessible, and isn't similar to the all but impossible to read one on Minecraft Wiki. I have perused the many videos on YouTube and have found quite a few that I both like and that are comprehensive, yet have had trouble finding a truly functional guide on paper. That is what I am here to do. You will find descriptions of redstone basics, explanations, examples, and pictures, as well as additional content as I learn more about redstone and hopefully gain more knowledge from others (such as yourself) commenting on this guide. Good luck to you, and I hope you learn something.
Redstone Facts
Redstone is the material used to create functional mechanisms in the Minecraft world, such as lever controlled traps, or pressure plate controlled doors. There are several basic redstone facts to know:
Redstone dust can be placed on all blocks (such as Dirt, Stone, blocks of iron) to create wiring. Exceptions include Ice and Glass and all triggerable blocks such as TNT, Note Blocks, Chests, and Furnaces. (Redstone can be placed on Jukeboxes).
Dust can be connected either in a straight line, or can be placed up or down one adjacent block. To connect blocks that are above or below each other, don't try and add redstone wiring on the sides manually. Place on top of both blocks, and it connects itself.
If a block is placed that gets between the wiring diagonally, it will not let a current pass through. The only two exceptions are ice and glass. The white block at the end shows regular behavior.
Wiring does not create any current by itself, but must be powered by one of several items in Minecraft. You can see below how the powered wire glows red when a current is passing through it.
You may also notice that the color of the wiring quickly transitions from bright orange to a dark red. This is an aesthetic representation of the current approaching the 15 block limit that a redstone current has from its original source. It should be noted that while the current appears weaker, the strength of the current at the end at block 15 is just as strong as the current at the start with block 1.
Switches
Redstone wiring can be powered in several ways:
For example, when the lever is applied to the majority of powerable objects, you can see the results.
The first image is with the levers in an "off" state, and the second picture is with them on. For safety reasons I left the TNT for the very end.
The Power
So far we have learned how different switches will power redstone wiring in order to make things happen. There are several ways that the power can be transmitted from your switch (lever, pressure pad, button, redstone torch) to the object in questions (piston, door, note-block, dispenser, etc).
When redstone wire runs parallel to a powerable object, or row of powerable objects, it tends to cause issues if it is powering in a row adjacent to the bottom side of the block, as pictured in the right side of the image. If the wiring runs on the top side, the current activates the objects and everything works fine.
This image introduces an important concept of a current's ability to flow through blocks. As you can see, redstone wiring does not connect the entire distance between the lever and the piston, instead the current flows into the block which holds it and transfer it to all adjacent spaces. (This can be useful if you want to hide your redstone wiring to make your creations more aesthetically pleasing).
Adjacent spaces are above, below, to the left and right, and front and behind the powered block. In this case, the lever is attached to the front of the block, taking up the "front" position. It should be noted that blocks adjacent to the lever itself are also powered, even if the lever (or any switch) isn't directly touching it.
Now look at this. The powering block idea leads to the misconception that a block can simply replace a piece of wire. As shown above, this is not the case. Unless a wire is connected to a block that has a switch placed on it, it will not receive power from anything except for a torch, or just a switch by itself. Take note and avoid confusion!
Repeaters
Repeaters are the one redstone affiliated item that I have not yet mentioned, but perhaps one of the most useful. The repeater has three main uses, all being very simple:
When using repeaters, make sure you place them the right way, with the current entering into the red strip!
You can see here how the very top piston is functioning when activated, but that the one below it is not. This is because there are 16 spaces of wiring in the lower connection versus the exact 15 in the top one. Once a repeater is added though, the 15 block limit is reset and the current can continue for another 15 spaces (from the repeater) before dying out.
Minecraft redstone has a system of delays known as ticks. A tick, according to Minecraft Wiki, is equal to 0.1 seconds. When a repeater is introduced into the path of redstone, it causes a one tick delay in a neutral state. Thus, if you had a current that had to travel through ten repeaters between a lever and a piston, it would take one second for the lever to activate the piston (if all repeaters were in neutral). Now what do I mean by neutral state?
Right clicking a repeater causes one of the torches to shift, up to three times, to create delays. Each shift adds on one more tick, making each repeater able to cause 4 ticks of delay, or 0.4 seconds delay. When a repeater is first placed down, it is at a 1 tick state, or "neutral". Repeaters themselves plus a little redstone dust can be used to make up a basic logic gate known as a Pulser, but we will describe it, among other things, in the following sections.
Redstone Torches
First let's start with learning a bit more about redstone torches. A redstone torch by iteself delivers a constant current to an object or to redstone wiring. You can think of it as a lever that never leaves the "On" position. Although a redstone torch is on by default, it can be turned off when a current is introduced to it in a specific way. Look at the following image.
So what exactly is going on here? It would appear that both switches are flipped on, thus creating a current that we learned flows through the block and into the torch. The bottom torch was successfully turned off, but why didn't the top one turn off? It is quite simple. Since the torch itself is giving off a current, it powers the redstone wiring, which then leads back to the block and lever, where it stops, unable to affect anything. To avoid these complications, we power the blocks that the torch is placed on.
A switch will turn off and on a torch placed on any side of the block that it is able to attach to. But why turn off a torch? Observe in the following picture how the switches are both either in the off or on position and yet the outputs are different.
The switch that has a redstone torch creates something known as an inverter, or a "NOT Gate". An inverter simply inverts the input that is given. Usually a flipped lever will send a current, activating an object. But when a torch is attached, the flipped lever sends a current into the torch, disabling it, causing absolutely no current to flow through the output.
Quick example of an inverter at a distance from the switch. When stacking the disabling and enabling effects of torches, it should be noted that torches bring a 1 tick wait time with them, exactly that of a repeater in a neutral state.
In the following example, you can see how a redstone repeater set to two ticks will cause the exact same delay as two torches placed in the other line. (Before official repeaters were introduced, the above system of two redstone torches was used to extend the current).
Powering it Up and Down
This system of powering torches can be harnessed to achieve vertical power in the form of several slightly different structures.
The first 1x1 tower ends with a torch powered on, thus activating the piston, whereas the 2x1 tower ends with an off torch, leaving the piston in place. (Obviously if the towers each increased by one torch, the outputs would be opposite). These towers make sending power vertically less of a hassle. You can also try a 2x2 spiraling method that sends power both up and down. This tower is excellent because it can be traversed up and down by foot!
Here is the spiral staircase in action!
Sending power down can either be achieved in a couple ways. You can either use the aforementioned 2x2 spiral method, a bulky staircase looking structure (seen below), or a more advanced looking method of stacking floating blocks.
The final stacking block method of "powering it down" can be explained simply. The switch will activate a piece of redstone that delivers a current to the redstone torch at the end. This torch is then disabled, thus releasing the disabling effect on the torch below, turning it on. This effect alternates back and forth until it hits bottom.
Note that you can also power wire that is underneath the block that a switch is on.
Well, that about does it for most of the basic technical concepts of redstone related items. To learn about different circuits, scarily termed "Logic Gates", proceed on to the next section.
A circuit in Minecraft is basically just a bunch of switches, torches, redstone, and perhaps repeaters, put in a certain order that gives a desired output (current or no current) based on different inputs (levers, buttons, torches, redstone, etc).
Basic Example
Description
Now this isn't even a circuit, but let's start with this very basic contraption that you have seen a bunch of times. You flip on the lever (input) and it results in a current (output) that in turn activates a piston (powered block). That is all. Moving on.
OR/NOR Gates
Description
This "OR Gate" is very similar to the previous example. The only difference is that now there are two levers instead of one. With an "OR Gate", by pressing one lever OR the other (inputs), a current will result (output).
NOR Gate
Note that you can combine the "OR Gate" with an inverter to result in the opposite output. When a gate gives an opposite output, the letter "N" is put in front of the title, so "OR Gate" becomes "NOR" Gate, which is this gate below.
.
AND/NAND Gates
Description
An "AND Gate" will result in an output only when both Lever 1 AND Lever 2 are flipped on. Let me explain exactly what is going on in this picture.
Explanation
The two levers are the inputs. Only when both are flipped will the piston move up. The reason why is quite simple. The redstone torches that are above each input are both powering the piece of redstone wiring that is in between the two. This powered redstone wire is effectively powering the Key Redstone Torch, thus disabling it (as we learned earlier). Only when both torches above the inputs are off, will the piece of redstone wire be off, thus halting the disabling effect on the torch. Once the torch is enable, it releases a current through the wire and into the piston.
NAND Gate
To create an "NAND gate", instead of adding an inverter, you take off the original redstone torch that sat in the middle. That torch's purpose was to create a circuit that turned ON when both inputs were on. You could almost look at the "NAND Gate" as the original form, and the "AND Gate" as the variation that had an inverter attached.
XOR Gate
Description
The "XOR Gate" is a variation of the "OR Gate". As you know, an "OR Gate" has an output that can be turned OFF or ON by all included inputs. With an "XOR Gate", the same applies, but if both inputs are ON, the output will turn OFF. Or to be stated in another way, if the inputs match each other (both ON or both OFF) the output will be OFF, if they are different (one OFF with the other ON), the output will be ON.
Explanation
The explanation of how this works is not too bad. Ignore the green box for a moment and just focus on the two red boxes. See how in the top box, if the lever is switched on, it will send a current into the torch placed on the side, turning it off, releasing the disabling effect on the consecutive torch (in the red box), which releases a current into the wiring and through the output. That is the first part; if either lever is switch on by itself it will send a current and activate an object, a piston in this case.
The next part is also simple. Try and imagine that both levers have been switched on. Why does the final current stop? If you look at the two torches placed on top of the blocks that the levers are attached to, you will see they are powering several pieces of wire. As long as one lever is not switched on, this wire will always been powered, but as soon as both are switched on, the power dies. When it dies the torch in the green box will turn on and power the wires to its sides. This power will disable the two torches at the very end, making it so no current reaches the piston. And that's it! Whew!
"XNOR Gate"
The "XNOR Gate" is exactly like the "XOR Gate" except it has an inverter at the end, affecting it so that when both inputs match each other, the output will be "ON". And when they are different, the output will be "OFF".
RS NOR Latch
Description
An RS NOR Latch sounds god-awful doesn't it? It really is not so bad. Imagine a scenario where you wanted an input that you could switch on and off. A lever sounds great doesn't it? But say you want to be able to turn the input "ON" by triggering one button, and "OFF" by triggering a button in an entirely different place. This is what the "RS NOR Latch" lets us do.
Explanation
Once the top button is pressed, the current will flip to the other side and stay there until the opposite bottom button is pressed. Depending on which output is used, the top and bottom buttons will be on/off or off/on. The reasoning as to why is not complicated either. Once the top button is pressed, a current will flow into the block that it is attached to and into the torch, disabling it. Once the torch is disabled, the wiring that it is connected to will also turn off, thus releasing the disabling effect on the opposite block/torch. Now we are flipped and pressing the button on the opposite side will have the opposing effect. A quick note on the name, "RS" stands for "Reset" and "Set". If you press one button, it will set it, but if you press the other, it will reset. Pretty cool.
Monostable Circuit
Description
A monostable circuit is basically an "RS NOR Latch" with a slight modification. The point of a monostable circuit is to give an input that has a set amount of time before it turns off. Say you wanted to have a door open for five seconds, then close, this is what you would use. Most inputs are either a quick flash (button/pressure pad) or set indefinitely off/on (torches/levers), but with a monostable circuit, you have the ability to set the time. Anyways, have a look.
Explanation
Right away you can see the "RS NOR Latch" as well as another wire with a repeater on it traveling from one block to the other. If you remember, the "RS NOR Latch" has "ON" and "OFF", or alternatively "SET" and "RESET", inputs or switches. When you press the single button in the monostable circuit, the "RS NOR Latch" turns "ON" or is "SET" as usual, but the pressing of the button also sends a signal through the wire on the side. This signal hits the repeater (the single repeater is just an example, you can place as many as you could possible want for your own particular delay times) and is delayed. After the delay, it travels and hits the block giving it an "OFF" or "RESET" command. Thus, the system is reset.
T Flip-Flop
Description
The T Flip-Flop is a big heap of wires designed to do basically one thing, to turn a button into a lever. You can think of it as if the two buttons of the "RS NOR Latch" were the same button. You press it once, "ON", you press it again, "OFF". Simple.
Explanation
In the above image the T Flip-Flop is grouped into three main categories, a piece that shortens the time a current or signal is applied to the wiring, the "RS NOR Latch", and two other parts that I very generally labeled as helpful pieces due to their own specific helpful role.
First let's cover the signal shortener, which works very simply. The objective is to power the long piece of wire for 0.3 seconds versus the 0.9 you get from a regular press of a button. It starts with the press of the button. The pulse, resulting from the button, will turn off “Torch 1” for 0.9 seconds. The disabled torch then stops delivering power to the target wire. At the same time, the disabled torch also releases its hold on torch 2. Torch 2 goes on to disable torch 3, which finally releases the disable on torch 4, activating it. So, we have “Torch 1” effectively withholding power and giving power at the same time. What makes this work is that the giving of power comes 0.3 second later due to the tick delay from traveling through the 3 torches (very similar to a monostable circuit).
Here is another version of the same shortener but with a repeater instead of torches 3 and 4 - it works exactly the same.
Now look at the core of this entire contraption, the "RS NOR Latch". All I want you to see here is that there are two inputs into this piece, the "ON"/Set and "OFF"/Reset. Usually, buttons would be there in a standalone "RS NOR Latch" but in a T Flip-Flop a pulse from the wires will work as the button pulses.
Here is the T Flip-Flop in both its "ON" and "OFF" states. What you need to pay attention to are the fact that two wires are affecting a set of blocks, labeled "Button 1" and "Button 2". Find both these two blocks and the two sets of wires that are circled in the image. Try and recognize how if both wires are turned off, even for a quick flash of time (say 0.3 seconds), then the torch of "Button 1" or "Button 2" will turn on and power the wire into the "RS NOR Latch", acting as a press of a button.
In this T Flip-Flop design, there will always be two wires powering either block "Button 1" or block "Button 2". On the right sides of these blocks, power will be coming from the long piece of wire that we discussed from the signal shortener. But power from the other sides (the top of block "Button 1" or the left side of block "Button 2") will always only be affecting one block or the other. If the "RS NOR Latch" is "ON" or if the output is "ON" then power will be coming into the top side of block "Button 1", but not into the left side of block "Button 2". But if the "RS NOR Latch" if "OFF" or if the output is "OFF" then the power will be coming into the left of block "Button 2" and not into the top of block "Button 1".
So the block that is only receiving one wire of power (from the right side) will have its torch turned on when the original input button is pressed, turning the "RS NOR Latch" either "ON" or "OFF". This second wire will be on or off depending on whether the "RS NOR Latch" is "ON" or "OFF". If you look at the image, the pieces of wire that make up the "RS NOR Latch" also feed into the two blocks that are feeding powered wire into the "Button 1" and "Button 2" blocks. This setup creates a system that is basically able to read when the "RS NOR Latch" is "ON" or "OFF" and will respond by either powering block "Button 1" or block "Button 2", removing the possibility of the torches on these blocks of turning on and powering the "RS NOR Latch".
Circuit Simulator T Flip-Flop Schematic File
If you download the Circuit Simulator, linked under the Helpful Links section, you can load this schematic file that has the the T Flip-Flop and it's parts broken apart so you can see how each one works.
Clocks
Description
A Clock, sometimes referred to as a pulser, is used in a circumstance where you want your redstone current to actually pulse or flash. You can set this up in two different ways.
The Repeater Clock needs to be activated with a quick flash of current from either a button, pressure plate, or a quick drop-torch-then-destroy-real-fast action. If you have too much trouble setting it up, try this alternate clock.
Five torches or five repeaters are not necessary to create a clock. When using torches and blocks, you need to have an odd number, where as you can make a clock with any amount of repeaters. When someone mentions an "x-Clock", they are talking about a clock that has "x" number of torches/repeaters or more specifically, "x" ticks of delay in it. So for example a "5-Clock" consists of either five torches or five repeaters in a "neutral position. Note that when making clocks, using 3 or less torches/blocks or repeaters will cause the torches in the clock to burn out.
That does it for circuits for the time being. I truly hope to update as frequently as I can as I learn new things and optimize old ideas. Please stay tuned and let me know if further clarification is necessary.
Thank you for reading my guide and I hope that you learned something from it. If you find any errors, typos, or have additional information that you think should be added, please comment or pm me and let me know. Not being a redstone master by any means, I know there is plenty that has been left out due to my ignorance, and I would be very grateful for both explanations on complex circuits and intriguing mechanisms that would be helpful for the player base, as well as simple facts such as wiring not function on a certain material. Enjoy playing with Redstone and thanks again!
Downloadables
Redstone Testing Map
This map simply gives a large chamber made out of blocks of iron (very similar to pictures in guide) filled with six big rooms giving you space to set up and test your Redstone contraptions. I have included one version that has some supplies at the beginning (such as redstone torches, dust, piston, switches, etc) as well as torches scattered throughout to light up the map. I also included a blank version for players with mods such as Single Player Commands or TooManyItems.
Downloads
Download v1.2
Helpful Links
While searching for additional resources to help me learn more about Redstone, I will doubtlessly find gems that I want to share with others. This is what I have found so far.
Version 1.21 (8/30/2011)
I wish more people would make picture/text tutorials instead of videos only. :/
a few notes:
*you talk about repeaters before you explain them
*it is better to stay in one format, i.e remove the video and write down what it says, or make every thing a video. The reason for this is that a video tutorial and a written tutorial are different by nature - while video tutorials are generally more accessible, written tutorials are easier to reference and review, thus if I came to read a written tutorial I did it for a reason, and I don't want to see a video.
*it will be nice to see a list of all outputs.
*you'r a bit jumpy, try to make a clear tutorial(e.g you explain some redstone parts(wire, ore) go on to explain redstone principles, and then go back to redstone parts(torch, repeater))
*the fact a gate is less used does not mean you can just skip it - if I want to learn all about redstone, I expect to see all the different gates.
*you didn't say that redstone torches turn off when reserving power before you talk about how to give it power, this may confuse people
If I'll find more I'll be sure to note you.
One mistake though, there is an easier way to transmit current downwards than building stairs, which takes up a 2x1 space. Just look on the wiki page, its towards the bottom.
Or this diagram:
= redstone
= block
= redstone torch attached to the side of a block
Side view:
Thank you very much for your straight forward response, and for finding those issues. I really appreciate being told exactly what's wrong, haha. I'll be working to fix those problems.
Oh wow. Thank you very much for taking the time to write all that out. I will be spending a lot of time looking over your checklist trying to fill it out completely. Your criticism and suggestions mean a lot.
@Lumilieska, thanks for the alternate version, I will try and make it work and add it to the guide.
@Novak_uk, RiiBzxX, and Bukz, thanks for your positive support. You are the reason why I do this.
Thanks again everyone!
You want
Ah thanks for catching that! Believe it or not I really appreciate the small fixes like this.
I think the beginner's guide aspect is on purpose. Once someone understands the concepts that are explained here, the minecraft wiki page of gates is an established and useful resource. Probably just redundant to go into it here.
Excellent work on this guide, I wish I would have had this when I first started!
Well, Yeah maybe, but when I first learned how to do t flip flops No one had a picture guide so I had to use YouTube and that wasn't convenient for me at that point so if it was here many people would be grateful to find guides like that here.
Maybe a new section like:
'More Advanced Circuits'
would be appropriate as t flip flops aren't that advanced.
As far as circuits go, I think a TFF would be intermediate level and should be in a second guide all together. Advanced would be along the lines of 3D printers, CPUs, adders, etc. Hope to see more from you!!
Hopefully you can get this to a quality level that will get it stickied. :smile.gif:
Thank you very much for your ideas and feedback. I will definitely see what I can do to improve the section on repeaters. With the TFF issue, I will try and include and make it my goal to describe them in a way that anyone willing to read my guide will come out understanding.
Thanks for your replies CX. As far as how advanced and expansive I hope for this guide to someday be, I really see no limit. As soon as I learn something well enough that I can describe it in simple and understandable terms, I will put it up.
= Piston
= Redstone
= Button
And when you press the button. It turns the piston on like a RSNOR latch would. But when you press that SAME button again, It turn it off. I know thats probally HORRIBLE explaining but Ive been looking for a redstone thing that dose that.
Yeah, it is what is known as a T Flip-Flop. This guy gives a pretty decent explanation of how to set one up:
You can also try this Minecraft wiki link for the design: CLICK!