Connector

Connector
Category:	Functional Block
Status:	Functional
Function:
Allows transfer of cargo between two or more grids.
Fits small ship
Mass:	693.2 kg
Capacity:	1,152 L
Power:	50 W
Fits large ship and station
Mass:	3,596 kg
Capacity:	8,000 L
Power:	-5 kW
Data Controls:	[edit] [purge] (?)

The  Connector is a block in Space Engineers.

The primary purpose of the Connector is to form a temporary connection between the conveyor systems of two ships or stations. When two Connectors come within proximity, the rim will turn yellow. If the Connectors are then locked (using the Terminal or by pressing "P") the rim will turn green and thus the connection is established.

The connected systems share electricity and inventory. Blocks within either conveyor system can make push and pull requests as though they were one ship. Players can access the terminal and inventories of ships connected to theirs in this way.

The Connector can also be used to release objects into space from a ship's inventory by selecting the "throw out" option in the terminal, similar to an Ejector. The combination of these two functions can eliminate the need to manually empty containers and move items by hand.

Docking

Next to Landing Gear and Merge Blocks, Connectors are your third option for docking. One connector on each side is needed to, for example, dock a ship to another ship, or to a station.

Similar to landing Gear, Connectors are magnetic and can lock and unlock a smaller vehicle to a carrier or station. In contrast to Landing Gear, Connectors also transfer power, establish a control connection to other owned grids, and give you access to owned and conveyored inventories.

Consider configuring the Cockpit Controls of the hangar Connectors on your carrier so that pressing P is not used for “parking”. On a carrier, when you press P to undock the carrier, you do not want to undock all carried ships!

The owner of a Connector can define an Auto-unlock time after which docked grids are disconnected.

Inventory

With Realistic settings, the Connector has an inventory with a capacity of 1,152L on small ships and 8,000L on large ships and stations. The inventory accepts all items, allowing the transfer and short-term storage of all manner of goods.

If attached to a conveyor system, the container is flagged to receive pushed items from other blocks. It will pull items automatically from any directly-attached inventories when active.^[1] However, Connectors cannot automatically transfer items between two connected ships, you'd have to actively jettison the items into space, and use a Collector to catch them. If you are only using two Connectors, you must manually drag-and-drop items between docked ship/station inventories.

Conveyor-Connector System

With update 1.036, ships can use connectors to connect with other ships or with stations. Items will only be transferred if the connector receives a pull-request from one side of the Connector-Link:

• Welders can pull needed components from containers over a connector-link automatically by sending a pull-request.
• Grinders or Drills can't send gathered components or ores to containers over a connector-link, and containers won't send pull-requests. (Drills seem to empty their inventories to cargo containers if full, at least if there is a refinery without space for ores in the same conveyor network.)
• Conveyor Sorter blocks can send a more 'manual' pull request by enabling the 'drain all' function,which can pull items through Connectors. Still, Connectors cannot automatically 'dump' items on their own.

Power Usage

From version 1.999 on, Connectors no longer require any power to function. This lets players for example connect to a rover that ran out of battery power, which aids in recovery and salvage operations.

Trading Mode

Since the Economy update, you can enable Trading Mode for Connectors. For example all NPC Trading Outposts use Trading Mode on their Connectors. This mode allows a safe way to dock at other grids, but disables automatic power and gas transfer between the trader's connector and your docked ship (to prevent players from "stealing fuel"). Docked grids cannot manipulate items through Connectors in Trading Mode, either, but when you sell or buy items, or complete contracts, items in owned connected inventories are also considered, which is important if their volume exceeds the player inventory's volume.

After disconnecting from a Trading Mode Connector, there is an interval when player cannot connect again.

Trivia

Typically Connectors are built sticking out on the outside to keep the room airtight. If you build Connectors inside, so the circle is flush with the outside wall, you can put walkway panels or windows on the outside to hide them, or to keep the room airtight, and they will still magnetise and transfer items through the panel/glass!

Recipe

Connector
Component	Large Ship/Station Required	Large Ship/Station Optional	Small Ship Required	Small Ship Optional
Computer	20	—	6	—
Display	4	—	1	—
Motor	8	—	6	—
Small Steel Tube	12	—	6	—
File:Icon Item Construction Component.png Construction Component	40	—	12	—
Steel Plate	130	20	15	6

Videos

Space Engineers - Conveyor, Collector, Connector

Blocks

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