Modular Routers

Overview

Modular Routers is an item logistics mod centered around one key block: the Item Router. On its own, a Router is just a simple block with a one-slot buffer. The magic happens when you insert modules into its nine module slots. Each module tells the Router to perform a specific action every tick cycle, from dropping items on the ground, to sending them across 48 blocks into a distant Chest, to breaking blocks and collecting the drops.

The system is highly configurable. Modules can be fitted with augments to tweak their behavior, filters to control which items they act on, and the Router itself accepts upgrades for speed, throughput, camouflage, and more. You can browse all items and recipes this mod adds using the tabs above on this page.

The Item Router Block

The Item Router is a block made of Iron with a hardness of 5.0. It has a single-slot buffer that holds one stack of items at a time, nine module slots that determine what the Router does each tick, and five upgrade slots for performance enhancements. The Router processes its modules in slot order (1 through 9) every tick cycle. By default, a Router ticks once per second (20 game ticks).

Routers interact with Redstone in five modes: Always (runs regardless of signal), Low (runs only without signal), High (runs only with signal), Pulse (runs once on a rising Redstone edge), and Never (disabled). You can set this in the Router GUI. When a Router is picked up, it retains all installed modules, upgrades, and its Redstone behavior setting in NBT data on the item, so you can move configured Routers without losing your setup.

The Router also supports fluid transfer through its buffer when a Fluid Module is installed. Any item with a fluid capability (such as a Bucket or fluid tank item) placed in the buffer slot can transfer fluids to adjacent tanks. The base fluid transfer rate is 50 mB per tick, upgradeable to a maximum of 400 mB per tick with Fluid Upgrades.

Modules: The Heart of the System

Modular Routers includes 17 distinct module types. Every module is crafted from a Blank Module combined with one or more vanilla items in a shapeless or shaped recipe. Modules can be configured with direction, filtering, and augments. When a module successfully performs its action, the Router shows an active state (visible glow on the block, unless Muffler Upgrades are installed).

Item Movement Modules

The Dropper Module is the simplest: it drops items from the buffer as entities in the configured direction. The Flinger Module extends this by launching items as projectiles with configurable speed (0.0 to 20.0), pitch (-90 to +90 degrees), and yaw (-60 to +60 degrees). Use a Flinger for long-distance item transport through the air or for feeding items into specific locations with precision.

The Puller Module pulls items from an adjacent inventory into the Router's buffer. For pulling from distant inventories, the Puller Mk2 can reach a target inventory at a set of stored coordinates with a base range of 12 blocks (max 24 with Range Up Augments). Sneak-right-click on the target inventory to store its coordinates.

Sender Modules (Mk1, Mk2, Mk3)

Senders are the workhorses of the mod. The Sender Mk1 searches along its configured direction for the first valid inventory within range (base 8 blocks, max 16). The Sender Mk2 sends to a specific stored target coordinate with a much longer base range of 24 blocks (max 48). The Sender Mk3 has no range limit at all and can send items to any stored target in the same dimension, but it requires an Ender Chest in the recipe, making it the most expensive. All Senders display particle beam effects when transferring items.

World Interaction Modules

The Breaker Module breaks the block in front of the Router (in the configured direction) and collects the drops into the buffer. It respects Silk Touch and Fortune enchantments when applied to the module via an Enchanted Book in a crafting recipe. The Placer Module does the opposite: it places blocks from the buffer into the world. Together, these two modules can automate farming, tree harvesting, or block processing.

The Extruder Mk1 pushes a line of blocks outward from the Router, building a wall or bridge in one direction. It has a base range of 12 blocks (max 24). The Extruder Mk2 is far more powerful with a base range of 24 blocks (max 48) and supports template patterns, letting you extrude repeating block sequences rather than a single block type. Both Extruders support Unbreaking enchantments and play placement sounds (configurable).

The Vacuum Module sucks up dropped items from the ground within its range (base 6 blocks, max 12). It is omnidirectional, meaning it collects from all around the Router. Pair it with a Fast Pickup Augment to eliminate the normal pickup delay, making it grab items the instant they drop. The Void Module simply destroys items in the buffer, acting as a trash can. Use it with a filter to selectively delete unwanted items.

Advanced Modules

The Detector Module turns the Router into a Redstone emitter. When the buffer contains items matching the module's filter, the Router emits a Redstone signal. You can configure the signal strength (0-15), choose weak or strong signal output, and specify which sides emit. This is omnidirectional and perfect for triggering other Redstone devices based on item presence.

The Fluid Module handles fluid transfer between the Router's buffer item and adjacent fluid handlers (tanks, machines). Set the direction to IN or OUT to control flow direction. The Player Module simulates player interactions and can be restricted to specific owners for security-sensitive setups.

The Activator Module is one of the most versatile modules. It uses a fake player to right-click blocks or use items, with three action modes: Activate Block (right-clicks the adjacent block), Use Item (uses the buffer item on a block), and Use Item on Entity (uses the buffer item on the nearest living entity within 3 blocks). You can also configure the look direction (Level, Above, Below) and whether the fake player sneaks.

Upgrades

Upgrades go in the Router's five upgrade slots and affect the Router as a whole, not individual modules. All upgrades are crafted from a Blank Upgrade combined with specific materials.

Speed and Throughput

The Speed Upgrade reduces the Router's tick interval by 2 ticks per upgrade. A default Router runs once every 20 ticks (1 second). With 9 Speed Upgrades installed, it runs once every 2 ticks (the hard minimum, configurable in the config). The Stack Upgrade doubles the number of items transferred per operation for each upgrade installed: 1 upgrade means 2 items per tick, 2 upgrades means 4, up to 6 upgrades for 64 items per tick.

Utility Upgrades

The Security Upgrade restricts Router access to specific players. Sneak-right-click to set yourself as owner, then right-click on other players to add them to the whitelist. Only permitted players can open the Router GUI. Anyone holding an Override Card bypasses Security Upgrades entirely.

The Sync Upgrade synchronizes multiple Routers to execute at the same game tick. This is crucial for complex multi-Router systems where timing matters. Sneak-right-click to set a tuning value; Routers with the same tuning value will synchronize their execution cycles.

The Fluid Upgrade increases the fluid transfer rate by 10 mB per tick per upgrade, from the base of 50 mB/tick up to a maximum of 400 mB/tick. The Muffler Upgrade progressively silences the Router: 1 reduces effects, 2 eliminates most particles, and 3 fully silences all sounds and visual feedback. The Blast Upgrade makes the Router explosion-proof, preventing TNT, Creepers, or other explosions from destroying it.

Augments

Augments are installed directly into modules (not the Router) and tweak individual module behavior. You craft Augment Cores from a Blank Module and a Blank Upgrade (yields 4 cores), then combine each core with specific materials.

The Range Up and Range Down Augments increase or decrease a ranged module's reach by 1 block per augment. This works on Sender Mk1/Mk2, Puller Mk2, Vacuum, and Extruder modules. The Stack Augment works like the Stack Upgrade but applies to a single module, doubling per-operation throughput. The Regulator Augment limits transfers to a configured maximum per tick, preventing a module from moving more items than intended.

The Redstone Augment overrides the Router-wide Redstone behavior for a single module, letting one module respond to Redstone while others ignore it. The Fast Pickup Augment (Vacuum only) removes the normal item pickup delay so items are collected instantly. The Pickup Delay Augment (Dropper/Flinger only) adds 10 ticks of pickup delay per augment to prevent items from being immediately re-collected. The XP Vacuum Augment (Vacuum only) extends the Vacuum Module to also collect experience orbs.

Smart Filters

Beyond the basic item filter slots built into every module, Modular Routers provides four advanced Smart Filter types that can be placed into filter slots for complex item matching.

The Bulk Item Filter provides 54 filter slots (a full double Chest of filter items), far more than the default module filter. Sneak-right-click on any Chest to bulk-import its contents as filter entries. The Mod Filter matches items by their source mod ID, letting you accept or reject all items from a specific mod with a single filter. The Regex Filter matches against item display names using regular expressions (up to 6 patterns). The Inspection Filter compares item properties like enchantments, NBT data, and durability using up to 6 comparison rules with Match All or Match Any logic.

Key Recipes

All modules follow a simple pattern: combine a Blank Module with one or more vanilla items. For example, a Dropper Module is a Blank Module plus a Dropper, a Breaker Module is a Blank Module plus an Iron Pickaxe, and a Vacuum Module is a Blank Module plus a Hopper and an Ender Eye. Upgrades work the same way with Blank Upgrades as the base. See the Recipes tab above for the full list of all 41 recipes.

Modules can also be enchanted by combining them with an Enchanted Book in a crafting recipe. The Breaker Module accepts Silk Touch and Fortune, while the Extruder Mk1 accepts Unbreaking. To clear all configuration and enchantments from a module, simply craft it alone in a crafting grid to reset it.

Eco Mode and Performance

Routers support an Eco Mode toggle in their GUI. When enabled, a Router that has been idle (no successful module executions) for 100 ticks will enter a low-power state where it only checks for work every 100 ticks instead of its normal tick rate. As soon as a module successfully executes, the Router returns to normal speed. This significantly reduces server load in bases with many Routers that only need to act occasionally.

Template Frames

The Template Frame is a companion block used with the Extruder Mk2. It acts as a transparent, camouflage-capable placeholder block that the Extruder places as part of its template pattern. Template Frames adopt the appearance of the block they are camouflaged to look like. When the Extruder Mk2 retracts, the Template Frames are removed, leaving no trace. They drop nothing when broken normally.

Configuration

The mod's config file offers useful tunables under three categories. Under Module settings, you can adjust base and maximum ranges for all ranged modules (Sender Mk1: 8-16, Sender Mk2: 24-48, Vacuum: 6-12, Extruder Mk1: 12-24, Extruder Mk2: 24-48, Puller Mk2: 12-24), and toggle particle effects individually for Senders, Pullers, Placers, Breakers, Vacuums, Flingers, and Extruders.

Under Router settings, you can change the base tick rate (default 20), the tick reduction per Speed Upgrade (default 2), the hard minimum tick rate (default 2), Eco Mode timeout (default 100 ticks), low-power tick rate (default 100 ticks), and fluid transfer rates (base 50 mB/tick, max 400 mB/tick, +10 per Fluid Upgrade). Under Misc settings, you can choose whether new players start with a guidebook and whether module settings always show in tooltips without holding Shift.