Circuits 101 — Automate Storage & Crafting in Dune: Awakening

Turn your chests and stations into a hands‑free factory: how to wire input/output circuits, proven base layouts from starter to late game, and the gotchas that break automation.

Arrakis punishes wasted motion. Circuits let you stop running laps between boxes and benches and start letting your base move materials for you. This guide teaches you how circuits actually work, shows practical layouts (from simple one‑bus to multi‑line factories), and catalogs the failure modes that trip everyone up.

What you’ll get: A clear mental model of circuits, step‑by‑step wiring patterns, starter–mid–late game examples, and a troubleshooting checklist you can run in under a minute.

The mental model: circuits are virtual conveyor belts

Every storage container, refinery, and fabricator has two circuit drop‑downs in its UI: left = Input and right = Output. The Input circuit is the channel a device reads from; the Output circuit is the channel it sends overflow to when its own inventory is full. Think of each numbered circuit as a dedicated “bus” you can join or isolate.

Key rule: Items only move automatically when a device has output to give (i.e., its internal storage is full). Until then, finished items sit in the machine. You can force “always‑output” behavior by blocking the machine’s internal storage with single cheap items (one per slot) so new crafts must overflow to the target storage.

Default behavior. Out of the box, most stations and containers sit on Circuit 1. If you leave everything on 1, overflow “sprays” across any eligible containers, scattering stacks you’ll later have to tidy. Assigning dedicated outputs and matching storage inputs keeps things orderly.

How far can you go? As of mid‑2025, you have eight circuits to work with. That’s plenty for most bases, and there are workarounds when you need more granularity (covered below).

UI quick tour (so you don’t hunt for the toggles)

• Refinery / Fabricator: Interact → Storage tab → top‑right two drop‑downs (“Circuit 1”, “Circuit 2” initially). Left is the input (what it can use), right is the output (where overflow goes).
• Storage Containers: Same two drop‑downs. A container’s Output circuit makes its contents available to any station whose Input matches; its Input circuit is where other devices can send overflow to this container. Containers also overflow only when full—that’s how you make chained “bank” boxes.

Wiring 101: minimal working examples

A. The single‑bus starter (fast setup, light automation)

When to use: Day 1–2, solo or tiny outpost.

1. Put all raw materials into Storage A and set Storage A Output = 1.
2. Set your Ore Refinery to Input = 1 and Output = 2.
3. Set Ingot Storage (B) to Input = 2.

Why it works: Refinery pulls ore from Circuit 1, crafts, then—as it fills—pushes ingots to any container with Input 2 (your B box). To keep it always pushing out, fill each Refinery slot with a “filler” item (1 per slot).

Pro tip: If you don’t set Storage B Input = 2, refined stuff will wander into random boxes on Circuit 1. That’s the “spray” you want to avoid.

B. The two‑bus refinery loop (raw in, refined out)

When to use: Early–mid game; you’re refining multiple ores.

• Circuit 1: Raw intake bus (all gather dumps here).
• Circuit 2: Refined output bus.

Overflow banks: If an ingot box fills, set its Output = 2 and place a second ingot box with Input = 2 to catch overflow. Repeat to create chains for high‑volume lines (Copper, Iron).

C. Three‑bus “factory” (raw → refined → components)

When to use: Mid–late game, when you fabricate components regularly.

• Circuit 1: Raw intake
• Circuit 2: Refined ingots / chemicals
• Circuit 3: Crafted components
• Put Fabricators Input = 3 to consume refined stock.
• Use Fabricators Output = 3 to keep components with the refined bus (compact), or Output = 4 if you want a separate “components” aisle.
• Chain component banks with Input 3/4 and Output 3/4 to extend capacity.

Gotcha: Machines and containers only push when they’re full. If your line “stalls,” check that a) the machine storage is blocked (for continuous overflow), and b) there is at least one container with matching Input on the output circuit. If no storage exists on that circuit, production pauses.

Late‑game niceties & guild‑friendly patterns

1) A “commons” bus + a “vault” bus (permissions + circuits)

Use circuits to enforce access patterns:

• Circuit 3 (“commons”) → chests with guild/member access for daily use.
• Circuit 8 (“vault/quarantine”) → chests with officer‑only access or personal reserves. No stations should have Input = 8, so nothing ever consumes those stacks by accident.

2) Sub‑fief & the Construction Tool (the #1 head‑scratcher)

Your Construction Tool pulls building materials from the circuit your Sub‑Fief is set to. If you suddenly “can’t see” materials when building, check the Sub‑Fief console and set its circuits back to your main bus (many players keep both Sub‑Fief Input and Output = 1 to be safe). Multiple player reports confirm this linkage.

“Poor man’s filters”: precision routing without real filters

You don’t have item filters, but you can seed destination boxes with single items so only like items can stack there:

1. Build multiple destination chests that all share the same Input circuit (say, Input = 2).
2. Pre‑fill each chest’s slots with a single unit of the exact item you want it to accept (e.g., one Copper Ingot in every slot of Chest A; one Iron Ingot in every slot of Chest B).
3. Set your refinery Output = 2. Now each new ingot will choose the chest that already has that ingot seeded, giving you per‑item segregation while still using one circuit.

Why it works: overflow prefers a container that can stack the item; by pre‑creating those stacks, each chest becomes a de‑facto “filter” for that item.

Practical layouts you can copy

Layout 1 — Small solo base (4 chests, 1 refinery, 1 fabricator)

• Chest R (raw): Output 1
• Refinery: Input 1 | Output 2 (block internal storage)
• Chest I (ingots): Input 2 | Output 3
• Fabricator: Input 3 | Output 3
• Chest C (components): Input 3
• Chest V (vault): Input 8 (no one reads it), Output 8

Flow: You dump raw in R. Refinery auto‑pushes ingots into I; Fabricator crafts from I and drops finished parts into C; Vault is isolated by putting it on 8, untouched by machines.

Layout 2 — Duo/tribe workshop (two refineries, two fabricators)

• Circuit 1: All Raw boxes Output 1
• Refineries: In 1 | Out 2 (both)
• Circuit 2: Ingot aisle (multiple banks) Input 2 | first banks Output 2 → overflow banks Input 2
• Fabricators: In 2 (for direct ingots) | Out 4
• Circuit 4: Components aisle Input 4; first banks Output 4 → next banks Input 4
• Sub‑Fief: Input/Output 1 (so build tool sees your common stock)

This separates refined stock (2) from components (4) and keeps building materials visible to the tool.

Layout 3 — “Factory floor” guild hall (color‑coded aisles; eight circuits)

Assign circuits by category:

• 1 Raw Intake
• 2 Metals
• 3 Chemicals
• 4 Components
• 5 Weapons/Armor Crafting Outputs
• 6 Contract Turn‑ins / Trade
• 7 Fuel & Utilities
• 8 Quarantine/Vault (no station has Input = 8)

Stations point In to the upstream category and Out to the downstream category. You’ll rarely exceed eight buses; when you need per‑item bins within a bus, use the seeded‑stack trick so Copper and Iron go to different boxes while still on Circuit 2.

Gotchas that break automation (and easy fixes)

1. “Nothing is moving.”

• Cause: Device storage isn’t full; nothing to overflow.
• Fix: Fill each device slot with one cheap item (e.g., darts/fuel cells) to force overflow, or let it fill naturally. If a recent patch makes full‑blocking halt production, leave one slot free so the device can complete crafts then overflow; several players reported patch‑specific behavior changes.

1. “My refined items scatter everywhere.”

• Cause: Leaving everything on Circuit 1.
• Fix: Give each production step its own Output circuit and match a storage Input to catch it.

1. “The fabricator says ‘no materials’ but I have a full chest.”

• Cause: The chest’s Output circuit doesn’t match the fabricator’s Input circuit. Devices only see containers whose Output equals their Input.
• Fix: Match container Output = device Input.

1. “Production paused.”

• Cause: No free slots on the destination circuit (no container with that Input exists or all are full).
• Fix: Add/empty a destination chest with Input matching the device’s Output, or chain more overflow banks.

1. “Build tool can’t find my mats.”

• Cause: Sub‑Fief circuit mismatch; the construction tool reads from the Sub‑Fief’s circuit.
• Fix: Set your Sub‑Fief to the main bus (commonly 1). If in doubt, set both Sub‑Fief Input and Output = 1.

1. “Can I bridge circuits across bases?”

• Not currently. Players report circuits do not link storage between separate sub‑fiefs/bases; keep each base self‑contained.

1. “I ran out of circuits.”

• You have eight. Use categories per circuit, then seeded stacks to split per‑item destinations within a category.

Step‑by‑step: setting up an automated station (reliable pattern)

1. Choose your buses. e.g., 1 = raw, 2 = refined.
2. Wire the station input. Set Refinery Input = 1 so it can use ore from any chest with Output = 1.
3. Wire the station output. Set Refinery Output = 2.
4. Create a destination. Set Ingot Chest Input = 2 (and place it somewhere logical).
5. Force overflow (optional). Drop one cheap item into each refinery slot so new ingots go directly to the chest instead of lingering in the machine.
6. Extend capacity. If Ingot Chest fills, set its Output = 2 and place Ingot Chest 2 with Input = 2 to receive overflow.
7. Test. Craft two cycles and watch where items land. If nothing moves, revisit step 5 or confirm your inputs/outputs.

Advanced tricks (when you’re ready)

• Per‑item sorting on one bus: Use the seeded‑stack filter method to route different ingots to different chests while sharing the same Input circuit. Great for keeping a tidy “metals aisle.”
• Locked reserves: Put a reserve chest’s Output on a circuit with no device Input (e.g., set to 8 if no machine reads 8). Now nothing can consume those materials by mistake. Combine with permissions for officer‑only vaults.
• Continuous production: Chaining two or three overflow banks per high‑volume item prevents production halts when you step away for a spice run. Machines will pause if the destination circuit has no space—give them runway.

Quick troubleshooting checklist (60 seconds)

• 1. Are station/storage circuits set correctly?
  • Device Input must equal container Output. Device Output must equal container Input.
• 2. Is there a destination with matching Input?
  • If none (or all are full), production pauses.
• 3. Is the device full?
  • If you want immediate outbound flow, block the internal slots with singles.
• 4. Is the Sub‑Fief on the right bus?
  • Building tool reads that circuit; set it back to 1 if you’re confused.
• 5. Still scattered stacks?
  • You left outputs on Circuit 1. Assign a dedicated Output and match a destination Input.

FAQ

Q: Do I have to block every machine slot to force overflow?
A: No, it’s optional. Blocking each slot with a single cheap item guarantees every craft overflows; some patches have changed how strict “full” is interpreted, so if production stops when fully blocked, leave one slot open and rely on periodic overflow instead.

Q: Can a machine “follow” circuits (e.g., Input 2 which reads a chest whose Output is 3)?
A: No. Matching is direct: a machine only uses containers whose Output exactly equals the machine’s Input. There’s no transitive chaining for inputs.

Q: What’s the maximum number of circuits?
A: Eight, currently. Use category buses + seeded stacks to stretch that further.

Final checklist for a clean, reliable network

• [ ] Decide your bus plan (1 = raw, 2 = refined, 3 = components, 8 = vault).
• [ ] Set Storage Outputs to the bus they belong to.
• [ ] Set Refinery/Fabricator Inputs to the bus they should draw from.
• [ ] Set Refinery/Fabricator Outputs to the bus for their products.
• [ ] Ensure at least one destination chest has Input matching each station’s Output.
• [ ] (Optional) Block machine storage with singles to force immediate overflow.
• [ ] Chain overflow banks for high‑volume items.
• [ ] Set Sub‑Fief to your main bus so the Construction Tool sees your stock.

Master these patterns and your base stops being a pile of boxes and starts feeling like a factory.

3 common mistakes to avoid (quick recap)

1. Leaving everything on Circuit 1 (scatter city).
2. Forgetting that outputs only move on overflow (nothing “auto‑sends” from an empty or half‑full machine).
3. Mismatching container Output and device Input (“no materials” despite a full chest).

Fix those and 90% of circuit issues disappear.

Alternate ways to lay out lines (micro‑patterns you can steal)

• Refine‑then‑craft on one rail: Refinery Out = 2 → Ingot Bank (In 2 | Out 3) → Fabricator (In 3 | Out 3) → Component Bank (In 3).
• Dual‑rail components: Fabricator A Out = 4 (weapons), Fabricator B Out = 5 (armor); two separate component aisles keep turn‑ins clean.
• Quarantine line: Output = 8 on a chest with no station Inputs = 8; perfect for hoarding Deep Desert building kits or guild donation boxes.

You’re ready

Decide your buses, wire inputs/outputs, give every output a matching destination, and block internal storage where you want “always‑on” flow. Whether you’re a solo scavenger or running a guild hub, these patterns scale cleanly—and once you use them, you’ll never want to hand‑carry stacks again.