Automation (Building)

Automation is the control network used to connect sensors, logic gates, and controllable buildings in Oxygen Not Included. Buildings with an Automation Input Port can receive a signal, while buildings with an Automation Output Port can emit one, allowing a base to react automatically to temperature, pressure, power state, liquid level, and other conditions without direct duplicant interaction.

Automation components are typically built from Refined Metal. Logic gates all cost a uniform 25 kg of Refined Metal, making them relatively cheap to add in bulk once the material is available. The network is commonly used with regulators and shutoffs, such as the Power Shutoff, which performs the same basic role as a manual Switch but responds to automation signals instead of player clicks. Smart power management is one of its most important uses, since it lets generators stop producing when the grid does not need more power.

Automation is also the basis for many specialized systems beyond simple power control. Sensors and gates can be chained together to create delays, thresholds, and conditional behavior, and many late-game buildings rely on automation to operate efficiently. Any building that exposes an input or output port can participate in this network, which is why the list of automation-compatible buildings is so large.

Practical notes:

• Build automation around a clear goal, such as saving fuel, preventing overproduction, or keeping a room within a temperature band.
• Use output buildings to read a condition and input buildings to act on it.
• Automation is especially useful for power systems, where it can disable generators before they waste resources.
• The network pairs well with storage and transport systems, since it can trigger loading, unloading, or shutdown conditions automatically.
• Because logic gates are cheap but still require Refined Metal, it is efficient to plan compact circuits instead of scattering many redundant parts.

In a typical base, automation starts as a convenience and grows into an essential infrastructure layer. Early on it is often used for simple power control, while later it becomes a way to coordinate farms, industry, shipping, and environmental systems with much less duplicant labor.