XOR Gate

XOR Gate is an Automation Ribbon logic gate that outputs the bitwise exclusive OR of its two inputs. It is used to compare automation signals and pass through only the differences between them, making it useful for cases where a system should trigger when exactly one of two signals is active. In practical terms, if both inputs match, the output is off; if they differ, the output is on.

Its behavior on Automation Ribbon is the same as bitwise XOR. For example, if the first input is 4-bit RRGG and the second input is RGRG, the output is 4-bit RGGR. This makes it especially handy for ribbon-based automation setups where each channel matters independently rather than as a single on/off signal.

The XOR Gate follows this truth table:

• Input 1: Red, Input 2: Red, Output: Red
• Input 1: Red, Input 2: Green, Output: Green
• Input 1: Green, Input 2: Red, Output: Green
• Input 1: Green, Input 2: Green, Output: Red

Like other automation gates, the XOR Gate can be placed behind buildings and tiles, and it can also share a tile with pipes or wires. This makes it easy to hide in compact builds without interfering with pathing or other infrastructure. Like the AND and OR gates, the fourth space on the XOR Gate’s graphic does nothing, and Automation Wires can cross freely through that space.

Because it only outputs when the two inputs differ, the XOR Gate is useful for detecting mismatch conditions, toggling systems between two states, or creating automation that responds to change rather than steady state. In ribbon automation, it can also be used channel-by-channel to compare two multi-bit signals and produce a new ribbon reflecting only the differing bits.