Talk:Multiplexer/@comment-82.136.242.194-20120821181002

For all those people asking how it is useful... it is actually quite useful. Sadly this wiki article doesn't do it justice, and the redpower wiki tipped me off as to its use, at which point I saw the pattern in the logic table. It basically allows you to choose between two different signals (R or L) depending on the state of the bottom control input (B). The output (T) will then be one of the other two inputs (R if B is off, or L if B is on).

One example it is good for is are control stations for whatever contraption you devise. Say... a bridge. Now a bridge usually needs to be controllable from either side. But it tends to be a problem if people hit buttons at the same time, and for example activate a close and open at the same time. Pistons will be mis-aligned, and the bridge breaks. With tons of repeaters and fail-safes, you may work around it. However, it would be best if you did not have to fight over the control of the bridge, and could just designate one side as 'control' which would disable the other side entirely. Push a button at the main station, and you can transfer control to the other side, and vice versa. All you need to do is run all of the control signals through a multiplexer before handling them, and you are set. It saves you a lot of effort compared to manually ANDing and ORing things together so you can recreate the input you really want.