How to count redstone pulses?

What I want to do is have my computer count the number of redstone pulses it recieves, then send those same amount of pulses through another wire, but only when a certain word is said to the computer. How could this work?

Background info: I play on ftb and I am making an automated bar. What they do is throw their payment in, and if the item is the right payment it sends a redstone pulse to the computer. I want the computer to count those pulses and wait for the person to say "strong" or "thick" and when they do, send the same amount of pulses to another machine that will send you the beer.

This should work, but it's untested.

local pulses = 0

while true do
  os.pullEvent('redstone')      -- stop until a redstone input has changed
  if rs.getInput('left') then   -- check the left side for pulses
    pulses = pulses + 1         -- add to pulses
    rs.setOutput('right', true) -- send the pulse through the right side
    sleep(0.1)
    rs.setOutput('right', false)
    term.clear()
    term.setCursorPos(1,1)
    term.write(pulses)          -- displays the pulse count - you can display the data however you want.
  end
end

Hmm… It looks right. But the problem is, it looks like this code only sends one pulse through the side. Although this is helpful and almost there, I need it to send the amount of pulses recieved. What about:

Please correct me if I am wrong, I know lots of javascript so it interferes with lua :P/>

for(i = 0; i > pulses; i++) do
  
	rs.setOutput('right', true)
	sleep(0.1)
	rs.setOutput('right', false)

end

This way it checks how many pulses it gets, and increases i by one every time the loop has ran, and when i is larger than pulses, then stop the loop.

ComputerCrafter, on 09 February 2013 - 06:26 AM said:

for(i = 0; i > pulses; i++) do
  
	rs.setOutput('right', true)
	sleep(0.1)
	rs.setOutput('right', false)

end

Just forget using the FOR statement like that. Lua's FOR is entirely different, like

for i = 1, 5 do ... end

And unfortunately, there is no ++ operator in Lua.

So what do you want? A computer that's waiting for both user input (read) and counting redstone pulses?

Yep. Sorry about that :P/> It waits for both of the inputs and then it sends off the signals depending on how many it recieved.

EDIT: I can post the code I already have if you want.

Ah, I think I see what you're trying to do. You want it to count the pulses, then send them on a certain keyword. A little less simple.

local pulses = 0

function getPulses()
  while true do
    os.pullEvent 'redstone'
    if rs.getInput 'left' then
      pulses = pulses + 1
      repeat
        os.pullEvent 'redstone'
      until not rs.getInput 'left'
      pulses = 0
    end
  end
end

function waitForKeyword()
  while true do
    local input = read()
    if input == 'send' then
      for i=1, pulses do
        rs.setInput('right', true)
        sleep(0.1)
        rs.setInput('right', false)
      end
    end
  end
end

parallel.waitForAny(waitForKeyword, getPulses)

Was rather lazy with this one, but there you go. It counts pulses, then sends them when you type "send". Would probably be easier if you sent them on a keypress or mouse click rather than waiting for an input from read().

I'm wondering, could I do this:

local pulses = 0
function getPulses()
  while true do
    os.pullEvent 'redstone'
    if rs.getInput 'left' then
	  pulses = pulses + 1
	  repeat
	    os.pullEvent 'redstone'
	  until not rs.getInput 'left'
	  pulses = 0
    end
  end
end
function waitForKeyword()
  while true do
    local input = read()
    if input == 'strong' then
	  for i=1, pulses do
	    rs.setInput('right', true)
	    sleep(0.1)
	    rs.setInput('right', false)
    elseif input == 'thick' then
		  for i=1, pulses do
	    rs.setInput('left', true)
	    sleep(0.1)
	    rs.setInput('left', false)
	  end
    end
  end
end
parallel.waitForAny(waitForKeyword, getPulses)

Try this:

(Yes, I'm using parallel API, that's not a big deal)

local pulsesReceived
local side = "left"
local beerType = ""
parallel.waitForAny(function()
	local gotType = false
	while not gotType do
		if #beerType > 0 then print("We don't sell " .. beerType) end
		print("What kind of beer do you want?")
		beerType = read()
		gotType = (beerType == "strong" or beerType == "thick")
	end
end, function()
	while true do
		os.pullEvent("redstone")
		if rs.getInput(side) then pulsesReceived = pulsesReceived + 1 end
	end
end)

EDIT: Sorry I'm late :D/>

ComputerCrafter, on 09 February 2013 - 06:38 AM said:

local pulses = 0
function getPulses()
  while true do
	os.pullEvent 'redstone'
	if rs.getInput 'left' then
	  pulses = pulses + 1
	  repeat
		os.pullEvent 'redstone'
	  until not rs.getInput 'left'
	  pulses = 0
	end
  end
end
function waitForKeyword()
  while true do
	local input = read()
	if input == 'strong' then
	  for i=1, pulses do
		rs.setInput('right', true)
		sleep(0.1)
		rs.setInput('right', false)
	elseif input == 'thick' then
		  for i=1, pulses do
		rs.setInput('left', true)
		sleep(0.1)
		rs.setInput('left', false)
	  end
	end
  end
end
parallel.waitForAny(waitForKeyword, getPulses)

Yes, but you would never know the "beer type". Declare "input" right outside the functions. Like…

local pulses = 0
local input = ""
function getPulses()
  while true do
	os.pullEvent 'redstone'
	if rs.getInput 'left' then
	  pulses = pulses + 1
	  repeat
		os.pullEvent 'redstone'
	  until not rs.getInput 'left'
	  pulses = 0
	end
  end
end
function waitForKeyword()
  while true do
    input = read()
	if input == 'strong' then
	  for i=1, pulses do
		rs.setInput('right', true)
		sleep(0.1)
		rs.setInput('right', false)
	elseif input == 'thick' then
		  for i=1, pulses do
		rs.setInput('left', true)
		sleep(0.1)
		rs.setInput('left', false)
	  end
	end
  end
end
parallel.waitForAny(waitForKeyword, getPulses)

Hmm. The problem with your code is that you are only counting the pulses, not sending them back… Am I correct? If not, I'm gonna go study lua and computercraft language for 2 hours.

ComputerCrafter, on 09 February 2013 - 06:43 AM said:

Hmm. The problem with your code is that you are only counting the pulses, not sending them back… Am I correct? If not, I'm gonna go study lua and computercraft language for 2 hours.

Of course, but I'm sure you can handle writin that on your own :)/>

Isnt that what I'm doing right here though? (I will bold it):

local pulses = 0
function getPulses()
  while true do
		os.pullEvent 'redstone'
		if rs.getInput 'left' then
		  pulses = pulses + 1
		  repeat
				os.pullEvent 'redstone'
		  until not rs.getInput 'left'
		  pulses = 0
		end
  end
end
function waitForKeyword()
  while true do
		[color=#ff0000]local input = read()[/color]
		if input == 'strong' then
		  for i=1, pulses do
				rs.setInput('right', true)
				sleep(0.1)
				rs.setInput('right', false)
		elseif input == 'thick' then
				  for i=1, pulses do
				rs.setInput('left', true)
				sleep(0.1)
				rs.setInput('left', false)
		  end
		end
  end
end
parallel.waitForAny(waitForKeyword, getPulses)

Edit: Bold didnt work. It is red.
Edit Edit: Neither did red. It is the one that has html code on it.
Edit Edit Edit: Not html, nevermind. You know what I mean.

Yes, but you're declaring it INSIDE the function. This means when the function returns, input will be garbage-collected. It's like declaring "pulses" inside getPulses.

local pulses = 0
local input = read()
function getPulses()
  while true do
		os.pullEvent 'redstone'
		if rs.getInput 'left' then
		  pulses = pulses + 1
		  repeat
				os.pullEvent 'redstone'
		  until not rs.getInput 'left'
		  pulses = 0
		end
  end
end
function waitForKeyword()
  while true do
		if input == 'strong' then
		  print("Thank you for your payment! Your beer(s) will be right out!")
		  for i=1, pulses do
				rs.setInput('right', true)
				sleep(0.1)
				rs.setInput('right', false)
		elseif input == 'thick' then
				 print("Thank you for your payment! Your beer(s) will be right out!")
				  for i=1, pulses do
			    rs.setInput('left', true)
				sleep(0.1)
				rs.setInput('left', false)
		  end
		end
  end
end
parallel.waitForAny(waitForKeyword, getPulses)

Would this work? It is hard enough to build the machine that gives you the beer, but all this fuss with the computers is taking up a bit of time xD

EDIT: Dont forget the nice thank yous from the computer :)/>

Yes, this would, but if the costumer is drunk and can't type in "strong" or "thick"… You know what I mean. So declare "input" right after declaring "pulses", then read() it in waitForKeyword until it's something like "strong" or "thick".

Ok. Thanks for your help :)/> Now I will spend the rest of my time thinking why virgin would open up an airline called virgin america… <<Just saw an ad for it :/