Table of Contents
Who this is for: Minecraft players learning redstone mechanics and automation systems.
Ready to jump in? Play minecraft games and start experimenting with redstone contraptions right away!
Play free games on Playgama.com
Gathering Materials for Your Redstone Comparator
To craft a redstone comparator, you’ll need three specific items: three redstone torches, three smooth stone blocks, and one piece of nether quartz. The redstone torches are crafted using redstone dust placed on top of sticks. Smooth stone comes from smelting regular stone in a furnace twice – first cobblestone becomes stone, then stone becomes smooth stone. Nether quartz requires a trip to the Nether dimension to mine quartz ore.
The Crafting Recipe
Open your crafting table and arrange the materials in this exact pattern:
- Top row: empty, redstone torch, empty
- Middle row: redstone torch, nether quartz, redstone torch
- Bottom row: smooth stone, smooth stone, smooth stone
This 3×3 arrangement will produce one redstone comparator. The positioning matters – the nether quartz must be in the center, surrounded by the three redstone torches in a specific T-shape formation.
Understanding Comparator Functions
Once crafted, your comparator serves two main purposes in redstone circuits. In compare mode (default), it compares signal strengths between its rear input and side input, outputting a signal only if the rear is stronger. In subtract mode (activated by right-clicking), it subtracts the side input strength from the rear input strength.
Practical Applications
Comparators excel at reading container fullness levels, creating clock circuits, and building complex logic gates. They can detect how full a chest, hopper, or brewing stand is, making them invaluable for automatic sorting systems and storage monitoring. Unlike repeaters, comparators don’t amplify signals but instead perform mathematical operations on them.
Master these redstone fundamentals and you’ll be ready to tackle even more advanced building challenges in your world.
TL;DR
Craft a redstone comparator using 3 redstone torches, 3 smooth stone, and 1 nether quartz arranged in a T-pattern. It compares or subtracts signal strengths in redstone circuits.
