Analog Sensor Output / Analog 2 Digital Logic

[STM]

What if sensors had analog outputs additional or instead of 1 or 2 digital outputs?

That would allow for new analog logic parts like:

-compare input analog1 with analog2 and depending on what is greater a digital output is set

-one analog input, multiple digital outputs depending on analog value (min/max)

-add/substract, multiply/divide, int/diff, closed loop controller (PID)

E.g.:

-a booster with analog input to control the speed

-a hinge should output it's position as analog output, some logic could then control the exact position

-the hinge should also accept analog input instead of just turn left/right

-timer should have analog inputs to change the timing

[Lurkily]

I like it, but we're getting into more complex logic, which development seems to have steered clear of so far, though there was room to experiment with them in the pre-alpha demo.  We're getting into things like named variables, while development wants to keep things very simple, on an input>logic>output basis. 

I think that without some feedback from parts like hinges, speedometers, adjustable thrusters, directional sensors, etc, and the ability to perform less than/greater than logic, we're going to have constraints upon the complexity of our drones.

[Micha]

 

2 hours ago, Lurkily said:

I like it, but we're getting into more complex logic, which development seems to have steered clear of so far, though there was room to experiment with them in the pre-alpha demo.  We're getting into things like named variables, while development wants to keep things very simple, on an input>logic>output basis. 

I think that without some feedback from parts like hinges, speedometers, adjustable thrusters, directional sensors, etc, and the ability to perform less than/greater than logic, we're going to have constraints upon the complexity of our drones.

We're interested in analog logic and open to try out different things to improve the current system. But keep in mind it's not something that's implemented quickly and we need a solid concept first  We just did not have time yet to delve into this.

I would prefer if the logic / sensor parts work in the same way than the rest of the parts. So new players understand quickly how they work, and can even test it by pressing some keys.

Therefore just adding analog inputs / outputs to a subset of existing parts is not the right solution in my opinion as it adds a layer of complexity and makes the logic system less accessible. The transition between building self controlled drones and building autonomous drones should be as smooth as possible.

I have not yet found a solution that allows full complexity and is easy to understand for everyone. So I'm happy for all your feedback and ideas regarding this.

[Lurkily]

What about ranges for outputs on any analog parts?  Start a directional sensor or hinge off with no outputs at all (Or a set of reasonable, commonly useful defaults) and let the user set outputs for each range of values?

Thus, if I wanted a drone that reacted intelligently to being flipped on its back, I could add a third range to a directional sensor, and use 10-110 as tilt right, 111-249 to aggressively flip over, and 250-350 to tilt left.

This would maintain the current system of having stimuli and output, but also permit a single sensor to have as many output potentials as a user is willing to configure.  At the same time, the default configurations can be adjusted easily by a novice.

[Micha]

I like the idea to add more custom outputs to a sensor when you need them  

 

[Lurkily]

47 minutes ago, Micha said:

I like the idea to add more custom outputs to a sensor when you need them  

 

 

I do think it would add some of the greater than/less than logic that has been missing.  Aside from directional sensors and speed sensors, hinges can benefit from that.  A lot of my suggestions have been poking and prodding at different ways to approach this, to find a method that's compatible with your development plans.