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Rust Survival/Automation Circuits

Automation Circuits

Updated May 18, 2026
Post-mortar patch meta

06 — Automation Circuits

Last updated: May 18, 2026

This file is recipes. Each section is a circuit you can replicate in your base. Components and their behaviors are covered in 03_Electricity.md; here we focus on putting them together. Diagrams are text-based because Rust's electrical layouts are best read as input/output flow rather than spatial drawings.

Read each diagram top-to-bottom (or left-to-right where labeled). Arrows are wire connections.

Notation

Circuit 1: Solo auto-turret pod

The simplest defensive setup. One turret, solar+wind during day, battery for night.

[Solar Panel]
  ↓
[Branch IN]
  ↓ (Main Out, all remaining rW)
[Wind Turbine] — OR — wire wind output into same branch input via combine logic
  ↓
[Large Battery IN]
  ↓ (Battery Output, max 100 rW)
[Branch IN]
  ↓ (Branch Out, set to 11 rW)
[Auto Turret]
  ↓ (the rest of battery passes through Main Out for other loads)

Real placement: solar panel + wind turbine on rooftop, wired down through frame to large battery in a sealed room. Branch on battery output peels 11 rW for the turret, rest available for lights/etc.

Why 11 rW not 10? Because at 10, the turret runs but its Has Target / Low Ammo / No Ammo logic outputs don't fire. With 11+, those outputs work, so you can wire them to alarms.

Circuit 2: Multi-turret crossfire pod

Two turrets at crossing angles at your base entrance. Both armed from one circuit.

[Large Battery OUT]
  ↓ (100 rW available)
[Splitter IN]
  ↓ (33 rW each output, but we only need 22 total)
  ├── [Turret 1] (uses 11 rW from output 1)
  ├── [Turret 2] (uses 11 rW from output 2)
  └── (output 3 unused, wasting 33 rW — switch to branches instead)

Better version using branches:

[Large Battery OUT]
  ↓
[Branch IN]
  ↓ (Branch Out: 11 rW)
[Turret 1]

[Branch Main Out]
  ↓
[Branch 2 IN]
  ↓ (Branch Out: 11 rW)
[Turret 2]

[Branch 2 Main Out] → other loads

Two branches in series, no power wasted. This is why we use branches over splitters.

Circuit 3: Smart auto-turret with phone alerts

Turret powered, with Rust+ smartphone alerts when it acquires a target.

[Battery OUT]
  ↓
[Branch IN]
  ↓ (Branch Out: 11 rW)
[Turret] — its "Has Target" logic OUT signal:
  ↓
[Smart Alarm IN]
  ↓ (Smart Alarm pings your phone via Rust+ app)

The smart alarm needs Rust+ pairing (open inventory in-game, find smart device pairing, scan QR with phone app). Once paired, the alarm pings your phone whenever the turret sees a target.

Pro tip: if your turret is positioned at a non-PvP angle (say, looking at a corridor leading to your soul stash), a Has Target signal means a raider has gotten that deep. That's the alert you want at 3am.

Circuit 4: Auto-arming turret at sunset

Turret only fires at night to save ammo against AFK trespassers.

[Solar Panel] (acts as "light sensor" — outputs power when day, 0 at night)
  ↓
[Blocker BLOCK Input]

[Battery OUT]
  ↓
[Blocker IN]
  ↓ (passes only when solar = 0, i.e., dark)
[Branch] → [Turret]

When sun is up, solar panel sends signal to Blocker, which blocks the main power. When sun goes down, solar = 0, Blocker passes power, turret arms. Reverses at dawn.

Circuit 5: Auto-closing front door

You walk in, door closes automatically after 5 seconds.

[Pressure Plate inside door]
  ↓ (output power when stepped on)
[Timer IN] (timer set to 5 seconds, mode: pulse on)
  ↓ (after 5 seconds elapsed, timer fires)
[Door Controller IN] — wired to close (toggle output)
  ↓
[Sheet Metal Door] (closes)

The door controller toggles the door state. If you wire the pressure plate directly to the door controller without the timer, the door slams instantly. Timer adds the 5-second delay so you can walk through.

Circuit 6: Two-keypress airlock

A door that opens only if you press two switches in the correct order/proximity. Anti-raider trap because a raider has to guess the combination.

[Switch A]
  ↓
[AND Gate IN1]

[Switch B]
  ↓
[AND Gate IN2]
  ↓ (output only when both inputs high)
[Door Controller IN]

Both switches must be on for the door to open. If you put switches in different rooms, a raider needs to find both and flip them in sequence.

Circuit 7: Memory-cell light toggle

Press a button once to turn lights on, press again to turn them off. Classic flip-flop pattern.

[Button IN]
  ↓
[Memory Cell SET Input]
  ↓ (Memory Cell Output is always on or off — toggles each press)
[Branch] → [Ceiling Light 1]
[Branch Main Out] → [Ceiling Light 2]
[Branch 2 Main Out] → [Ceiling Light 3]

The memory cell holds state. Pressing the button sends a pulse — memory cell flips. Output stays in new state until next pulse.

For "press to turn on, separate button to turn off," use a second button wired into the memory cell's RESET input.

Circuit 8: Trap corridor with RAND switch

A corridor with 4 shotgun traps. When a raider enters, only one fires (random) — saves ammo but still hurts the raider.

[Laser Detector] (beam across corridor entrance)
  ↓ (output when broken)
[RAND Switch IN]
  ↓ (one of 4 outputs fires randomly)
  ├── [Shotgun Trap 1] (powered, fires when signal received)
  ├── [Shotgun Trap 2]
  ├── [Shotgun Trap 3]
  └── [Shotgun Trap 4]

The RAND switch picks one of its 4 outputs per trigger. Raider sprints through — RAND picks #2, trap 2 fires. Raider doesn't know which trap will fire next time, can't bait the corridor.

Pro tip: Shotgun traps are 100 frags + 10 wood + 1 metal blade, Workbench 2. Load with handmade shells (cheap) or 12 gauge for more damage. A loaded trap deals ~80 damage per shotgun shell, enough to kill an under-armored raider.

Circuit 9: Base alarm system (door open detection)

Get a phone notification whenever the front door opens.

[Door Controller wired to door]
  ↓ (Door Controller has a "Door Open" signal output)
[Smart Alarm IN]
  ↓ (notifies Rust+ phone)

The door controller doesn't just open/close the door — it also reports the door's state. Wire that state to a smart alarm and you get pinged whenever the door is opened, including by you (so you know when teamies enter the base).

Circuit 10: Counter-based ammo low alert

Counts turret shots fired. When count reaches a threshold, alarm fires meaning the turret needs reloading.

[Turret "Has Target" OUT]
  ↓
[Counter IN] (counter set to threshold = 50)
  ↓ (when count hits 50, output fires)
[Memory Cell SET]
  ↓
[Smart Alarm]

Each "Has Target" pulse increments the counter. After 50 acquisitions, the counter outputs, the memory cell latches on, the alarm fires (and stays firing until you reset the counter on the next base visit).

50 is a placeholder — set higher or lower based on how aggressive your turret is. Turrets at remote outposts that rarely see targets, set to 5; turrets at the front door that fire at every stray boar, set to 100.

Circuit 11: Auto-lock at logout

Your base auto-locks the front door when no one's home. Uses smart switch + Rust+ to detect player presence.

[Smart Switch] (paired to Rust+, you toggle it on phone)
  ↓
[Door Controller IN]
  ↓ → [Front Door] (closed/locked when switch off)

Manually flip the smart switch via Rust+ from your phone before logout. Or wire it more elaborately to a pressure plate inside the base — if no one's stepped on the plate for 10 minutes, switch flips, door locks. (Use a timer-based reset for the no-presence detection.)

Circuit 12: Greenhouse sprinkler timer

Sprinklers run for 30 seconds every 10 minutes to keep planters watered without flooding.

[Constant Power Source 5+ rW]
  ↓
[Timer 1 IN] (set to 10 min pulse interval)
  ↓ (fires every 10 min, 30 second pulse)
[Sprinkler 1]
[Sprinkler 2] (branch off, same pulse)
[Sprinkler 3] ... etc

The timer's behavior: when triggered, outputs power for its set duration, then waits for next trigger. To make it pulse periodically, you wire its output back to its own input through a brief delay.

Alternatively use a memory cell + timer combo:

[Constant Power] → [Memory Cell SET]
[Memory Cell OUT] → [Timer (30 sec)] → [Sprinkler]
[Timer OUT (after 30s)] → [Memory Cell RESET]
[Memory Cell RESET output (also pulse)] → [Timer 2 (10 min wait)] → [Memory Cell SET]

Honestly, get this off rustrician.io rather than rebuilding from text.

Circuit 13: Decoy lights for offline base

External lights that pulse at random intervals to suggest someone's home.

[Solar Panel + Battery as power source]
  ↓
[Timer 1 (1 min)] → [RAND Switch IN]
  ├── (RAND Out 1) → [Light Group A]
  ├── (RAND Out 2) → [Light Group B]
  ├── (RAND Out 3) → [Light Group C]
  └── (RAND Out 4) → (nothing — period of darkness)

Every minute, a random group of lights turns on (or none). From outside, looks like someone moving around inside. Doesn't fool a real raider but might dissuade a casual.

Circuit 14: Boom-trap pressure plate

Hidden pressure plate behind a wall, wired to satchel charge or to a triggerable explosive. Mean.

[Pressure Plate (hidden under floor tile)]
  ↓
[Memory Cell SET]
  ↓ (held on after trigger)
[Some explosive output mechanism — Rust has limited "boom on signal" — typically wired to detonate a placed satchel by destroying its support]

Honest note: there isn't a simple "boom signal" output in Rust electricity. Boom traps usually mean wiring the plate to open a door that has explosives behind it and the explosives are triggered by player proximity rather than power signal. A more practical pattern: pressure plate → many shotgun traps in a small room (the player walks in, all traps fire at once).

Circuit 15: Industrial network alarm

Combine all your industrial conveyors' Filter Fail outputs into a single alarm. Tells you when items you didn't filter for are passing through.

[Conveyor 1 Filter Fail OUT]
  ↓
[OR Gate IN1]

[Conveyor 2 Filter Fail OUT]
  ↓
[OR Gate IN2]
  ↓ (fires if either conveyor sees an unrecognized item)
[Siren Light]
[Smart Alarm]

Useful in established industrial setups when you start getting strange loot you forgot to write a filter for.

Layout principles for circuit rooms

A dedicated "electrical room" in your base helps you wire and maintain. Recommended:

Sticky note discipline: write what each switch does on a sign next to it. You're going to forget by hour 30.

Common debugging

Pro tips on automation in general