MFR Cables Interface Workaround

I've seen a couple of people here impatiently waiting for CC to be compatible with bundled cables again, so I thought I'd share my workaround (currently used to control a big variety of spawners)
While this only allows output, input is possible but a lot more complex but I'll write that up if people are interested. Also while it does only output directly to MFR, you can create a "transfer box" where you link RedNet cables with their equivalent PR colours
The solution: the Programmable RedNet Controller from MFR (never said it was a cheap solution)

Code

local mfr_side = "back"
local colours = {white=0, orange=1, magenta=2, lightblue=3, yellow=4, lime=5, pink=6, grey=7, lightgrey=8, cyan=9, purple=10, blue=11, brown=12, green=13, red=14, black=15}
local mfr_null = "black"

function mfrOutput(colour_val)
	rs.setAnalogOutput(mfr_side,colours[colour_val])
end

function mfrToggleOutput(colour_val)
	rs.setAnalogOutput(mfr_side,colours[colour_val])
	sleep(0.05) --#this is required due to how the controller works, it ensures it covers a PRC clock cycle
	rs.setAnalogOutput(mfr_side,colours[mfr_togglenull])
end

http://pastebin.com/w3Ykgd8t

The Explanation

The reason this is split up into two different functions is that they require different programming of the PRC, the first function mfrOutput allows output to up to all 16 colours, though only one colour can be on at once, and I do mean only one. So if you want to turn all of your outputs off, you can only (easily) do that by turning a colour you don't use on. The second function requires a more advanced PRC (installation of the PRC Card expansions) and can only handle max 5 outputs, however it can turn each of these on and off independently of the others.


This shows the basic setup I use, the computer outputs a signal to the back face (the stone), this is picked up by a rednet cable on forced connection mode and goes into a PRC sitting on top of the computer which then de-multiplexes it and outputs it down the required coloured cable, explained below

mfrOutput

function mfrOutput(colour_val)
	rs.setAnalogOutput(mfr_side,colours[colour_val])
end

As you can see, the code for this is pretty simple, just sets the redstone signal strength to a number between 0 and 15. I found using an array of colours made it easier to keep track of things in my head, easier to change from my old code and simpler to tie to the real world "red output here" deal. I do tend to use another table along the lines of spawners={skeleton=white, slime=lime..} at some point as well
The PRC coding for this is pretty simple as well

I've only set the outputs for 4 of the colours here, but you get the idea. The PRC has I/O tied to (B)ack, ®ight, (L)eft, (U)p and (D)own and your inputs and outputs can go to any of them through any colour, just loop through and select the one that takes your fancy. As for the Inputs, I is the value that is passed to the output selected by analog input S, so I tend to leave that as a constant 1. You can however connect that up to another computer output and have a "switch all off" option. I haven't yet needed to use all 16 colours so haven't coded that.

mfrToggleOutput

function mfrToggleOutput(colour_val)
	rs.setAnalogOutput(mfr_side,colours[colour_val])
	sleep(0.05) --#this is required due to how the controller works, it ensures it covers a PRC clock cycle
	rs.setAnalogOutput(mfr_side,colours[mfr_togglenull])
end

This is a bit more complex, or at least can be. The above is the most basic implementation of this technique, you can get a bit more efficient by passing a table of the values you want to toggle and looping through them before terminating at a "null colour" but this works just fine for demonstrating
So to the PRC:

As you can see, instead of passing out the I value of 1, we are passing it to one of 5 internal variables, the reason we need to do this is so that for each signal we can put it through a T-flipflop like so:

This takes the internal variable 0 and on a rising edge will toggle the output to the Up face White cable (you will note at the top of this picture, 2 lamps are on instead of just the single one in the original setup). This is why we need to use the PRC expansion cards as by default a PRC will only do one function, with the cards it can do up to 6 (which is why we are limited to 5 outputs)


Anyway, I hope this may help some of you, and even if it doesn't, maybe it got you a bit interested in the PRC which is a very fun piece of kit.
Also to the mods: I wasn't sure if this should go here or in the Tutorials or what, sorry if I was wrong

Very nice work around! Novel idea! :)/>

Suggestion

I feel like this could be good to as an override applied to the rs.setBundledOutput so people can run the 'patch' and this workaround would allow you to use programs that rely on setting bundled output. it would be quite simple too, with the following code

--# converts the supplied colour down to the range 0-15 since colours are just 2^x to reverse it we apply a log2(x)
local function log2( color )
  return math.floor(math.log(color) / math.log(2))
end

--# the function we will override with
local function outputOverride( side, color )
  rs.setAnalogOutput( side, log2(color) )
end

--# override the rs.setBundledOutput function
rs.setBundledOutput = outputOverride

--# override the redstone.setBundledOutput function
redstone.setBundledOutput = outputOverride

That's a really nice idea, I wish I'd thought of it before I rewrote half a dozen programs :P/>

The other thing you can do (forgot this bit in my original post) is use RS latches instead of T-flipflops to let you set high/low instead of just toggling

for this the code looks something like

function mfrBooleanOutput(side, colour, value)
	if value then colour=colour+8 end
	rs.setAnalogOutput(side, colour)
end