BUFFER Gate

The BUFFER Gate is an automation building used to pass a single on/off signal through the automation network while preserving signal strength and obeying expansion (amplification) rules. It acts as a one-bit buffer: when it receives any active signal on its input, it outputs an active signal; when it receives no active bits, it outputs an inactive signal. The BUFFER Gate is commonly used to isolate, clean up, or repeat signals in automation circuits and to ensure downstream devices receive a consistent single-bit signal regardless of multi-bit inputs.

The BUFFER Gate treats multi-bit Automation Ribbons differently than most logic gates. When connected to an Automation Ribbon, it does not perform bitwise operations; instead it merges all bits in the ribbon using an OR operation into a single unit signal and then processes that single bit. For example, a 4‑bit ribbon input of RRGR is interpreted by the BUFFER Gate as a single active (green) signal. Input and output behavior follows the game’s expansion (amplification) rules: any active input bit causes an active output and the gate will propagate that single-bit active state onward.

Practical notes and behavior details:

• Use the BUFFER Gate to convert a multi-bit ribbon or noisy multi-source wiring into a single clean signal that downstream buildings can reliably read.
• The gate preserves the single-bit semantics when amplifying signals; its visual animation reflects actual input/output rather than a preference for the first bit, though automation port color priority for ribbon endpoints still follows the engine’s usual precedence rules.
• When placed in automation loops or attached to time-based sensors, remember that any timing imprecision comes from the sensor’s own behavior; the BUFFER Gate itself is deterministic for on/off propagation.
• The BUFFER Gate is suitable wherever you need a repeat/relay effect for a single signal or need to OR together multiple ribbon bits into one actionable state without additional combinators.
• Treat the BUFFER Gate as a simple pass-through for a single logical state rather than a multi-bit logic processor; it will never output multiple independent bits.