Machine Buffer - TinyModularThings/IC2Classic GitHub Wiki
The Machine Buffer, a recent addition to IndustrialCraft 2 Classic (IC2C), is a 9-slot chest, with 4 Upgrade Slots, and has a 500 EU energy buffer. The Machine Buffer acts as a "fake machine", and Upgrades perform the same actions as if they were in a normal machine. The Machine Buffers main use is for routing, transporting, and auto-crafting.
The Machine Buffer is crafted from a Machine Block, Tool Box, Base Upgrade, and 2 Electronic Circuits. The Machine Buffer also has two buttons: Upgrade Tick, and Notify Processing with Upgrade Tick. Upgrade Tick allows the machine buffer to update upgrades normally, so they act as if they were in a normal machine with upgrade ticks. While only upgrade ticking is enabled, machine buffers will not process notify. When a machine finishes a process it will automatically notify Machine Buffers and Machine Tanks around it, which then will call a special upgrade which triggers upgrades once. With that, a step-based system, allowing you to synchronize machines, can be created.
The Buffer will only process "one notify" per game tick, thus having more notifications at once per game tick will be merged, so multipliers for those game ticks don't exist. The Machine Buffers also have redstone compatibility, and can turn the buffer off and on.
The Machine Buffer has a fluid counterpart, the Machine Tank. The Machine Tank works almost exactly like the Machine Buffer, apart from the fact it works with fluids, not items.