Table of Contents
Who this is for: Minecraft players wanting to learn redstone basics and automate their builds with pressure plate mechanisms.
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What Are Pressure Plates?
Pressure plates are redstone components that activate when stepped on by players, mobs, or items. They come in four main types: wooden, stone, heavy weighted, and light weighted plates. Each type responds differently to what triggers them.
Types and Their Triggers
Wooden pressure plates activate when any entity steps on them – players, mobs, dropped items, arrows, or even minecarts. They’re the most sensitive option.
Stone pressure plates only respond to players and mobs, ignoring dropped items and projectiles. This makes them perfect when you want to prevent accidental triggering from thrown items.
Weighted pressure plates (heavy and light) provide variable redstone output based on the number of entities on top. Heavy plates need more entities to reach maximum signal strength compared to light plates.
Basic Placement and Wiring
Place pressure plates on solid blocks – they can’t float in mid-air. When activated, they send a redstone signal to adjacent blocks and any redstone dust connected to them. The signal travels up to 15 blocks through redstone wire.
You can place redstone dust directly under a pressure plate by putting it on the block below first, then placing the plate on top. This creates a hidden wiring system that’s perfect for secret doors and traps.
Common Applications
Automatic Doors
Connect a pressure plate to pistons or redstone-powered doors. When you step on the plate, the door opens automatically. Use stone plates to prevent mobs from accidentally opening your doors.
Lighting Systems
Wire pressure plates to redstone lamps for automatic lighting in hallways, rooms, or outdoor areas. The lights turn on when you approach and off when you leave.
Item Sorters and Farms
Wooden plates detect dropped items, making them useful in automated farms and sorting systems. When items fall onto the plate, they can trigger hoppers, dispensers, or other mechanisms.
Advanced Techniques
Combine multiple pressure plates with redstone logic gates to create complex systems. For example, use two plates with an AND gate to require two people standing in specific spots before a door opens.
Weighted plates work excellently for mob farms where you need to detect specific numbers of entities. Light weighted plates max out at 15 entities, while heavy plates can handle up to 150.
Remember that pressure plates have a brief delay when deactivating – about 5 redstone ticks. Plan your timing accordingly for rapid-fire mechanisms.
Ready to start building your own automated contraptions and redstone masterpieces in the blocky world?
TL;DR
Pressure plates activate redstone circuits when stepped on. Use wooden plates for any entity, stone plates for players/mobs only, and weighted plates for variable signals based on entity count.
