Author Topic: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea  (Read 5493 times)

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Marco2001

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LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« on: February 04, 2011, 07:56:35 PM »
LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option

I think that every equipement before it can be used (like: LIBS, terminals and procesors) will need to be switched ON by the player, and off course - OFF when he doesn't needs it.
By switching it ON, the equipement will use power. Currently, only lights and reactors use power. Currently, if the base doesn't have enought power, you can't for instance: cook food, but you can check the sample with Laser spectrometer...That is a little absurd. If every equipement would have ON/OFF option, players could precisely manage the power usage.
If for instance - I need food but the base has no power, I can switch the main computer OFF and that spared power could be then used in the kitchen. This also leaves an oportunity for players, to accidently leave the equipement ON, when if fact it shuld be OFF. A good commander, could then check the base energy management, and see that some modules uses more power than they usualy do, and go turn that equipement OFF.

Poland here. My time: GMT + 1h
Writing a book about Mars. Any ideas? Type to me.
I'am an Astrobiology/Biology student.

profit004

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2011, 08:05:39 PM »
Why not streamline this then and rather than an on off switch, just use a certain amount of power per sample and the like. *Like I imagine it will*


profit004

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2011, 08:11:49 PM »
There is also no reason the main computer running low power circuitry would need to go over a watt of energy use nothing it is doing needs more than a 80 MHz ultra low power processor and associated memory.  Then a little bit more when it writes something to a flash drive.

  The screen is another matter of course, but it would only be needed while you were looking at it.

Hell the main computer could probably be done in under .01 watts now... There are watches that run Linux after all.




Marco2001

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2011, 08:33:13 PM »
The computer was just an example...it could be the Waste-Recicling Unit for instance or a fridge or a work-table etc..

Poland here. My time: GMT + 1h
Writing a book about Mars. Any ideas? Type to me.
I'am an Astrobiology/Biology student.

profit004

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2011, 08:56:32 PM »
... Considers the idea that martian equipment would not automaticly go into power saving mode if no one was using it....

The only thing which does not automatically go into power saving mode around here is the TV and the stove.

The coffee maker...
The lights...
My computer...
My laser printer...
The car when remote started...
The laptop...
My thermal printer...
The kurig..
My tea pot...
Cell phones...

They all turn off without interaction.
The idea we have lights on mars that do not have a motion sensor with them is more absurd considering every bathroom in the area already has them.

As for shutting off a fridge? Well I suppose, but honestly it is probably a micro RTG and ammonia based unit already and doesn't draw any power anyhow.  Why would it be that you ask?  Because on mars stuff freezing would be just as likely as something overheating. and you could use the waste heat from the RTG to power the ammonia absorption cycle or heat it if the temperature went the other way. And you could draw a couple milliamps from the RTG cell to power the logic... or have it mechanically controlled and you wouldn't even need that just a radiodecay heat source.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator
* they also last freaking forever with some that were made back in the 30's and 40's still working today.
* they do have one surprising requirement though.. Gravity.  These will not work in space. only on places where there is gravity like mars, hence why they are not used on the space station and the like.


The pumps? They already have on off switches...
The heater? Ditto.
Waste reclamation? Seems like it would shut off when it is done.

Nothing personal but it seems like it would be a lot of programming for something that is not even very realistic.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2011, 09:30:58 PM by profit004 »

Marco2001

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2011, 09:47:10 PM »
I suppose you'r right, but in that case - can there be a situation where you'r using LIBS and you get a message "Not enough power to operate this equipement..."?

Poland here. My time: GMT + 1h
Writing a book about Mars. Any ideas? Type to me.
I'am an Astrobiology/Biology student.

Hyper

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2011, 10:43:12 PM »
The way it works:
If a unit stays on like pumps they use a constant quantity of power.
Momentary units like doors, microwave etc use a fixed quantity of power.
On each cycle through the loop I subtract all the momentaries and clear them so they can be used again, subract the constants units like if(separator.on) subtract the power they use.
Finally I add in all the power gen like pv array, RSU etc so every 2 seconds all gets updated.
A light left on uses constant power and a door uses momentary power.
If I had to design this I would NOT want too much technology. Especially depending on the tech. I would use tech like computers to monitor but since we can't easily get parts I would want this as low tech as possible.

profit004

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2011, 11:39:01 PM »
Yeah, I definitely see low tech also as something important... It does all have to be fabricated by hand if something goes wrong... not like the ISS where RU's are sent up constantly...


Ivanpet

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Re: LIBS, terminals and procesors with ON/OFF option - Idea
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2011, 06:45:42 AM »
Yeah, I definitely see low tech also as something important... It does all have to be fabricated by hand if something goes wrong...



absolutly agreed