[Feature Request] Data Storage Item

[Earthfall10]

This might fit better as an addon mod but I think it would be interesting to have a component that could store redstone signal data in a transferable item. A vanilla themed implementation of this I have seen on the Minecraft suggestions subreddit was to add a craftable wax record disk and a recorder block. When the disk is placed in the recorder any incoming Redstone signal strength is recorded onto the wax disk, this stops after a fixed time when the disk is full or if the player ejects it manually. The disk item would store the data like a book and quill and could be named at an anvil. If the disk is played in a juke box the signals stored on it are played back and can be read by a comparator. This would allow for interesting things like swappable programs for redstone computers, ID cards for redstone combination locks, etc.

There could perhaps be tiny and regular sized versions which have different recording times, but honestly I think just a regular sized version would be enough. Tiny Redstone allows for more compact computing, and then the wax disks would allow for more compact (and transferrable) ROM.

[dannydjdk]

I like this! Currently, we can use piston tapes for ROM, and Tiny Redstone adds some portability. This would significantly increase the amount of data you could store in a portable format.

My approach would likely be an add-on mod that could also work as a stand alone mod. Similar to Ranged Wireless Redstone which has full block transmitters and receivers in addition to tiny ones. In this case, perhaps we'd have disk drives which could read and write to some kind of portable medium.

Thanks for the idea!

[FixedsysLabs]

Magnetic Tape and Read-Writer:

Magnetic Tape functions by data as a sequence of powered and unpowered bits(1s and 0s), it progresses by 1 bit for every redstone pulse it receives. Eventually looping like an 8track.

Read-Writer functions by reading and emitting the corresponding redstone signal from the Magnetic Tape when unpowered and writing to the Magnetic Tape when powered.

Perhaps one of these components should display what bit is currently being read or writen numerically, similar to real world consumer computer cassette drives.

[Earthfall10]

An even more retro alternative to magnetic tape which still provides read write capability is magnetic wire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_recording

Feels a bit more Minecrafty to me cause it doesn't need plastic film, just thin iron wire. Punched paper tape could be another low tech option, though like the wax disks would be read only.