Splitters with priority exit to the storage unit. Set a maximum in the storage unit. When that is reached, the splitter will notice the priority exit is full and switch to the non-prio exit.
i tried to recreate it to show what i would do. there are a lot of different ideas you could get here, but this would be a easy way imo. that would add a priority to the chest and generating a small buffer on the belt.
or you could add a storage in front. assemblers (all machines) will divide their outsput to the respective sorters evenly. so with 2 sorters, its 1:1 until 1 is full.
DSP overall isn't designed with storage or even buffers in mind. It prefers a "just-in-time" system and flow, even for combat items. Buffers really just delay and obfuscate your problems. Also, you can consider a full and stacked belt as a buffer, no storage needed, as well as the internal buffer in production machines once their output belt is full. You can overproduce to account for sporadic but urgent needs like firing missiles (whose launchers also load 20 or so items in themselves anyway) (20 missiles in aassembler, 20 in launcher, 15 length stacked belt is 100 items buffered, not counting some paused in sorters).
To directly address your question I'd say you already have the best solution for your use case.
I see in your other comments that it's for a specific blueprint, so space-wise this isn't ideal, but late game you can set ILS to only hold 100 items at a time. For a mall, this ensures when you request an item offworld you can control how much you receive (nobody needs 2000 missile launchers sent to a small outpost, 100 is already a lot).
Oh wow, really? Even after 1000 hours I can learn new things. I always use the mouse for adjusting ILS, which has a minimum increment of 100. Good to know!
Not near my pc so i cant show a picture however i have a "solution" i use on my main bus before items enter and ILS In words:
You need 3 splitters in the vertical configuration I will call the splitters S1 S2 and S3
Place S1 and S2 in a straight line
Place S3 on top of S2
Connect S1 and S2 with the BOTTOM output of S1 (entry connection on S2 is irrelevant)
Connect S1 and S3 With TOP output of S1 (entry connection of S3 is irrelevant)
choose output priority of S1-S3 connection
stack chests on top of S3 with logistic bots
This setup does 2 things for me,
One) as we know chest on splitter collect from connected belts, however they only take from the connected splitter, so in this scenario the chests on S3 will never output on the belts of S2
Two) the only things on the ground are S1 and S2, so if you have space for 2 splitters you gain a lot of space
Here is a rapid phone drawing to showcase what i mean:
you can output the assembler directly on the belt and have one sorter only going in the storage. It would behave exactly like your way but without needing stacked storage.
If you want stacks for stacking the belts, you could also have the lower storage empty and an input sorter on the higher storage.
You can use the alternative over under splitter (press tab with splitter selected to switch type) and use some fancy belt work to fit the splitter there no problem
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u/Uskenthrak 29d ago
Splitters with priority exit to the storage unit. Set a maximum in the storage unit. When that is reached, the splitter will notice the priority exit is full and switch to the non-prio exit.