Channels¶
Here, I’m going to teach you all about Channels, how to wirelessly move them, as well as how P2P works.
Obtaining Channels¶
To even get some Channels, you’ll need the ME Controller which will provide you with 32 Channels per face.
Ad-Hoc Network¶
You can have a Network without a controller, but you can only have a maximum of 8 Devices in it. Such a network is commonly referred to as an Ad-Hoc-Network. You’ll need to supply power to it through somthing like the Energy Acceptor or the Crystal Resonance Generator, a device that can directly connect to AE2 Cables and produces a small amount of free Energy.
Moving Channels¶
To get your channels to where you want, you’ll obviously need some Cables. There are Small Cables which carry 8 Channels and Dense Cables which carry 32 Channels.
| Name | Channels | Shows Channel Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Glass Cable | 8 | |
| Covered Cable | 8 | |
| Smart Cable | 8 | |
| Dense Covered Cable | 32 | |
| Dense Smart Cable | 32 |
Internal¶
Full Block Devices, like the Interface or the Pattern Provider can move up to 8 Channels through them, acting as a small Cable.
Cable Variants¶
Additionally, there are also a handful of subcategories of cables.
- Covered Cables are purely visual and offer no gameplay advantage.
- Smart Cables will display the Amount of Channels currently used at the top of the screen. (Required is WAILA / TOP / Jade / etc.)
Colored Cables¶
All Cables are available in 17 different Colors, all vanilla colors and Fluix, which is the “default” color.
- Colored Cables will not connect to each other.
- Fluix Cables will connect to any cable.
- To completely prevent cables connecting to each other, use Cable Anchors.
Hiding Cables¶
You can hide Cables using Facades. Surround any block with Cable Anchors.
Moving Power, but not Channels¶
To power something without giving it Channels use a Quartz Fiber.
Channel Usage¶
Every device connected to your ME Network will need a Channel to function. If you don’t have enough Channels on a Cable, the device will no work.
Imagine Channels as USB-Cables.
- You have a bundle of USB-Cables. (ME Cable)
- You get those Cables from your PC. (ME Controller)
- Each Device you plug in, needs one USB-Connection. (one Channel)
- If you run out of USB-Connections you still have your Bundle, but no more connections. (No more channels on the cable)
Wirelessly moving Channels¶
When it comes to moving Channels without Cables, you have two options.
Wireless Connector (added by ExtendedAE)¶
The ME Wireless Connector can move up to 32 Channels over a short distance and can also be colored. They use an exponential amount of Energy for every block and they do not work cross-dimensionally. They need to be connected via the ME Wireless Setups Kit.
Quantum Ring¶
The Quantum Ring is a 3x3x1 Multiblock that can transfer up to 32 Channels over an infinite distance and also functions cross-dimensionally. To link two Quantum Rings you will need Quantum Entangled Singularities, of which you get two by blowing up an Enderpearl and a Singularity.
Applied Energistics 2 | CurseForge