The comparator is one of the oldest Redstone components in Minecraft. But even after years of its existence in the game, not enough people are familiar with its actual use. That’s where we step in. From learning how to make a Redstone comparator in Minecraft to its usefulness in Minecraft farms, we are here to help you with everything. You only need to keep Minecraft open on your system and try out all comparator mechanics in the game with us. With that said, let’s dive in!
Because of the complexity of the comparator, our guide includes dedicated sections to cover its crafting, usage, and mechanics in detail. Use the table below to check out the Redstone comparator crafting recipe if you already know its uses and have gathered the required materials.
- What is a Redstone Comparator in Minecraft?Items Required to Make a ComparatorMinecraft Comparator Crafting RecipeHow to Use Redstone Comparator in MinecraftUse Comparator to Test Fullness of BlocksFrequently Asked Questions
What is a Redstone Comparator in Minecraft?
The Redstone comparator is a component block that is used to analyze, maintain, and measure the Redstone signals of different blocks and components. Naturally, you can find this block inside Ancient cities (where the Warden spawns) right beneath the mysterious portal-like structure. The comparator can be mined instantly with the help of any tool and even by hand.
The front of the comparator has a single pin and its back includes two pins. You can toggle the front pin manually, but the back of the comparator only turns on when it receives a signal. Though, it takes a comparator 2 Minecraft ticks to pass a Redstone signal. So, you can’t detect signals with 1-tick power.
You need the following items to make a comparator in Minecraft:
- 3 Redstone torches3 Stone blocks1 Nether quartzCrafting table
You can collect Nether quartz by mining Nether quartz ores with a pickaxe in the Nether dimension (easily accessible via a Nether portal). Alternatively, you can trade with an expert-level stone mason villager to get the Nether quartz in exchange for an emerald.
To craft a comparator, you first need to place stone blocks in the bottommost row of the crafting area, completely filling it.
Finally, place the Redstone torches around the Nether quartz — one on the top and two on its sides. Only the corners of the topmost row in the crafting area should be empty.
How to Use Redstone Comparator in Minecraft
A comparator can be powered from its sides as well as its back. With this simple mechanic, you can use a comparator in the following ways:
Use Comparator to Test Fullness of Blocks
Another common use of a Redstone comparator is to test the storage blocks attached to it. You can use it to check how many items are in a particular storage block. The blocks that can be measured using a comparator include:
Interestingly, the comparator can also measure the fullness of some other blocks. These blocks process the items that are stored in them, so technically, they don’t count as storage blocks. Fortunately, the Redstone comparator doesn’t make such a distinction. The exceptions are:
How to Test Redstone Signals
In order to test these blocks, you just have to place them next to a comparator and place a row of Redstone lamps next to it. Then, if you connect the Redstone lamps with the comparator using Redstone dust, the attached block will send out a signal to the comparator. The number of Redstone lamps getting lit will display the strength of signals of that block, and in turn, its fullness too.
Since the comparator can detect changes inside a storage block, something that even an observer in Minecraft can’t do, you can use it to make storage detectors. Follow these steps to make a simple storage detector using Redstone comparator in Minecraft:
First, place a comparator on a solid block. Then, put a piece of Redstone dust right in front of it.
Then, place a Redstone lamp on the other end of the Redstone dust.
Finally, put a hopper at the back of the Redstone comparator. The hopper doesn’t have to face towards the comparator, but it should be placed right next to it.
Now, with everything in place, the Redstone lamp will turn on whenever the hopper is not empty. You can use this simple machine to add a visual cue to your hopper-based item collection system.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you place a comparator?
You can place the comparator on any solid block by looking and putting it on the surface of that block.
What’s the difference between a Redstone repeater and a Redstone comparator?
