I have been using the Indicator Mod by Erkle's Workshop and I thought I'd share some information on how I have integrated it into my data system.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3302676431

Here's a look at some indicator blocks in use


The usual color convention, green is on, red is off

UPDATE: After publishing this Steam Guide, I decided that using red and green indicators for these functions wasn't the optimum choice, as both conditions are OK in context, they are just indicating whether the production line is running or not. So I switched colors.


In my updated color choices, yellow shows the production line is active, blue indicates the production line is inactive. Of course, the choice is up to you.

The mod looks pretty simple, but it can be pretty powerful. To use, subscribe to the mod and enable it in the game. You will have to research the mod in the tech tree. It's under Data Sources, takes 25 R/B/G sciences.


Here's the mod in the research screen

Here it is in the Crafting menu

You can see it requires one Xenoferrite Plate, one Polymer Board and one Circuit Board


The Indicator when you have selected it to be placed


A right mouse click will show all the possible colors


This is the Indicator just sitting on the ground

This next part is a bit tricky and requires some explanation. The Indicator is a cube with six faces. On one of those faces is a connector to a data cable, but it can only be seen when you have the data cable selected in the build menu.

Here is what you see when you have the data cable selected


I have the Data Cable part selected and it's build ghost show up. Looking to the right, you can see that on the face of the Indicator there is a light translucent green data connector indication.


I've connected the data cable to the Indicator on the face that has the connector. I've also put down a data cable on the other side of the cube. Note the differences! On the left side, the cable is properly connected to the Indicator and will have golden colored "grab bars" on the face of the cube and will be a simple straight piece of cable. On the right side of the cube, the placed data cable will have six connector faces because it isn't connected to anything.

I'll demonstrate how I've used the Indicator in my factory. Here's a look


Each data cable has two Indicators connected to it.

This particular area of my factory is making parts for my Combat Robot, the torso, head, arms and legs. There are four production lines. Each line has a number of Assembler III units which feed their output to a storage container. That storage container is connected to the transformer that powers that production line by a data cable, and in that cable I have two Data Evaluators and a Data Memory Cell which monitor the number of items stored. You can learn more about this method I use for data collection in another of my guides:
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3525360354

What that data system does is monitor for minimum and maximum limits. When the number of items in storage goes below the minimum, the data system sends out the signal A=1. When the number of items stored goes over the maximum limit, the data system sends out the signal B=1. The transformer that powers the Assembler III units has the logic that says if A=1, then enable the transformer, if not, then disable the transformer. When disabled, there is no power for the Assembler III units and production stops.

I've now added Indicators on top of the data cable, two per cable. One is red and one is green.


The indicator on the right is red, but it is currently disabled so it is black. The indicator on the left is green and is enabled so it shows green. Note how the Indicators are connected to the data cable.

Now that the Indicators are connected, it is time to set up the logic. You configure the data system of the Indicator just like for any other component, by pointing at it and pressing "V" to open the tablet.


Using the tablet on the Indicator

By pressing Alt+LMB the data menu is opened.


The "Configure Data System" screen

If you click the empty box, you get this screen.


This is the default data screen

Since this is going to be my green light "power is on" indicator, I configure the data system to the following values


Remember, in my factory I used the convention of "A=1" to indicate that power should be enabled, so I also use the same logic for the green indicator, "green means powered up".

For the red indicator, I do the same set up but configure the data system differently.


For the logic of this indicator I use the expression "A != 1", meaning to enable this red indicator if A is NOT equal to one.

And that's it! If the storage falls below the minimum limit, the power is enabled and the green light goes on. When the storage goes over the maximum limit, power is disabled and the red light goes on.

Obviously there are many other ways to configure these indicators. What I've tried to do in this guide is just give an idea of how the Indicator Mod by Erkle's Workshop can be used.

Here's another example.


This is a red Indicator, but it is off right now.


This is the logic for this indicator. Batteries put out the custom symbol "B" with a value of 0-100 indicating the percentage of charge of the battery. I've set this Indicator to illuminate (it will glow red) if the battery power is less than 10%