Redstone circuits

Redstone circuits are a new feature added to Minecraft in the first Alpha update. They allow for advanced, more complicated mechanisms to be created by players. Redstone circuitry is commonly compared to WireMod (a widely-used addon from Garry's Mod).

How it Works
Placing Redstone on a block creates a wire. Every "wired" block has two possible states: 1 (powered) or 0 (unpowered). A wire can be powered by any lever, pressure plate, stone button, or Redstone torch. Placing Redstone on top of a block that is adjacent to a powered block causes the newly wired block to become powered as well. Powered wires will always glow red, and electricity will cease to flow after moving 15 blocks from its source. However, the range can be extended without limit by chaining Redstone torches.

If all wires adjacent to a torch are unpowered, the torch will provide power to them. However, if a connected wire is powered by another source, the torch will cease to generate electricity and its flame will go out.

= Gate Logic = NOTE: Notch just updated (as of July 6th) how Redstone torches work, breaking most logic gates in this article.

To use a Redstone torch as a logic gate, the source(s) should be connected one block behind the torch itself (see example images). To use the torch's state as an output, connect a wire at-level with the torch. A wire placed directly below the block a torch is on will not connect to the torch. However, another torch placed in the same position will.

The NOT gate (Inverter)
A device that inverts the input. It can also be used as a signal light which is on when no input is detected.

Using two NOT gates can extend your running wire length past the original 15. As of 1.0.2 (the July 6th update), there must be a strip of wire between the two NOT gates.

The OR gate
A device where the output is on when at least one of the inputs are on.

Note that OR gates are simple inversions of NOR gates.

The AND gate
A device where the output is on when both inputs are on.

This is useful in building a locking mechanism for a door, requiring both the activating button and the lock (typically a lever) to be on.

The NOR gate
A device where the output is off when at least one of the inputs are on.

These are infrequently used. More commonly-used are the OR gates (above).

The NAND gate
A device where the output is off when both inputs are on.

XOR gate
A device where the output toggles when one of inputs change state.

Adding a NOT gate to the end will produce a XNOR gate. XNOR only activates when both inputs are in the same state. This, however, will (effectively) create a more lengthy (N)AND gate.



RS NOR Latch
A device where Q will stay on forever after input is received by S. Q can be reset by a signal received by R. This is probably the smallest memory device that is possible to make. Note that ~Q means the opposite of Q, e.g. when Q is on, ~Q is off and vice-versa. This means that in certain cases, you can get rid of a NOT gate by simply picking the ~Q output instead of putting a NOT gate after the Q output.

It is useful for making an alarm system were you for example want a warning light stay turned on after a pressure plate is pressed.

Clocks
Clocks are devices where the output is toggling on/off constantly. The smallest/fastest stable clock is the 5-clock as shown at the picture to the right. 1-clocks and 3-clocks are possible to make but they will "burn out" because of their speed, which makes them unstable. Slower clocks are made by making the chain of inverters longer. It is only possible to make clocks with an odd number of torches.

= Objects Affected by Electricity =

Electricity interacts with other objects in the following ways:


 * Doors
 * Doors open and close. This is the only method of opening iron doors.


 * Tracks
 * Tracks will change direction, though always to a turning track.


 * TNT
 * TNT will have its charge set. A few seconds of delay should be expected (TNT is not instant).

=Video Examples= For a video explaining and giving examples of how to wire Redstone torches, click here.

For an example adder built of these, click here.