Editing Guide to Research and Development (section)

=== Upgrading Machines ===

All machines are composed of components. There are better versions of many components, attained through research. They are organized in 4 tiers, and upgrading the tier of a machine's components will have different effects for each machine.

Without minerals, you can achieve up to tier 2-3; to go further you'll require ores for production.

Tier 2 parts are all unlocked with "Industrial Engineering," which also unlocks the RPED. Others are unlocked as noted.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; background:#DDDDDD;" width="100%" 
|+Stock Parts
! style="background:#CCCCCC;" colspan="2" | Tier 1
! style="background:#CCCCCC;" colspan="2" | Tier 2
! style="background:#CCCCCC;" colspan="2" | Tier 3
! style="background:#CCCCCC;" colspan="2" | Tier 4
! style="background:#CCCCCC;"             | Usual Effect
|-
|[[File:Micro_Manipulator.png]]||Micro-Manipulator
|[[File:Nano_Manipulator.png]]||Nano-Manipulator
|[[File:Pico_Manipulator.png]]||Pico-Manipulator<sup>1</sup>
|[[File:Femto_Manipulator.gif]]||[[File:Diamonddone.png]]Femto-Manipulator<sup>5</sup>
|Improves speed and efficiency.
|-
|[[File:Matter_bin.png]]||Basic Matter Bin
|[[File:Advanced_Matter_Bin.png]]||Advanced Matter Bin
|[[File:Super_Matter_Bin.png]]||Super Matter Bin<sup>1</sup>
|[[File:Bluespace_Matter_Bin.gif]]||[[File:Diamonddone.png]]Bluespace Matter Bin<sup>5</sup>
|Improves capacity.
|-
|[[File:Micro-laser.png]]||Basic Micro-Laser
|[[File:High-Power_Micro-Laser.png]]||High-Power Micro-Laser
|[[File:Ultra-High-Power_Micro-Laser.png]]||[[File:Uraniumdone.png]]Ultra-High-Power Micro-Laser<sup>2</sup>
|[[File:Quad_Ultra_Micro_Laser.gif]]||[[File:Diamonddone.png]][[File:Uraniumdone.png]]Quad-Ultra Micro-Laser<sup>6</sup>
|Improves speed and efficiency.
|-
|[[File:Scanning_Module.gif]]||Basic Scanning Module
|[[File:Adv_scan_module.gif]]||Advanced Scanning Module
|[[File:Super_scan_module.gif]]||[[File:Silverdone.png]]Phasic Scanning Module<sup>3</sup>
|[[File:Triphasic_Scanning_Module.gif]]||[[File:Diamonddone.png]]Triphasic Scanning Module<sup>5</sup>
|Improves scanning precision.
|-
|[[File:Capacitor.png]]||Basic Capacitor
|[[File:Adv_capacitor.png]]||Advanced Capacitor
|[[File:Super_capacitor.png]]||[[File:Golddone.png]]Super Capacitor<sup>4</sup>
|[[File:Quadratic_Capacitor.gif]]||[[File:Diamonddone.png]]Quadratic Capacitor<sup>7</sup>
|Improves power efficiency.
|-
|}

<sup>1</sup>: Unlocked with High Efficiency Parts<br>
<sup>2</sup>: Unlocked with Advanced Electromagnetic Theory<br>
<sup>3</sup>: Unlocked with Applied Bluespace Research<br>
<sup>4</sup>: Unlocked with Advanced Power Manipulation<br>
<sup>5</sup>: Unlocked with Miniaturized Bluespace Research<br>
<sup>6</sup>: Unlocked with Quantum Electromagnetic Technology<br>
<sup>7</sup>: Unlocked with Bluespace Power Technology<br>
<br><br>
Once you unlock advanced components, people around the station will probably want you to upgrade the machinery. Overall, the process is simply replacing obsolete stock parts with higher-tier parts. 

The least efficient way is to upgrade by hand. Since the RPED unlocks at the same time as tier 2 parts, there's really no reason to ever do this unless your station for some incomprehensible reason just can't afford an RPED.

# Screwdriver on the machine.
# Crowbar on the machine.
# Take the board and re-insert it into machine.
# Insert parts you want to use.
# Screwdriver the machine closed.

[[File:RPED.gif]] As a much more efficient alternative, you can use '''RPED (Rapid Part Exchange Device)''', which unlocks with the Industrial Engineering topic. That is, the RPED unlocks as soon as you actually have your first upgraded parts, so you should pretty much always be upgrading with an RPED. The RPED replaces each component in a machine with the highest component of its tier that's loaded in the RPED.

# Load RPED with parts, such as stock parts, loaded power cells, beakers and vendor restocking units. 
# Screwdriver on the machine.
# Click on it with RPED.
# Screwdriver again to close the machine.

[[File:BS RPED.gif]] The best alternative is to use the even more advanced '''Bluespace Rapid Part Exchange Device (BRPED)''', which functions just like an RPED except that you don't need access to the machine, screwdrivers, or even adjacency! That's right: BRPED works '''even through camera views'''. Consider building a camera console in R&D once you have a BRPED instead of running all over the station. This device is unlocked with Applied Bluespace Research and operates as follows:

# Load Bluespace RPED with parts, such as stock parts, loaded power cells, beakers and vendor restocking units. 
# Click on the machine to upgrade with the Bluespace RPED. That's it! No screwdrivering or asking the AI or people to open doors into their departments.


[[Guide_to_advanced_construction|Here you can see how the specific machines will benefit from parts.]]

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