How to Make a Redstone Repeater in Minecraft
A Redstone Repeater is one of the most useful components in Minecraft's redstone system. It looks like a small circuit board you place on the ground, and it serves four completely different functions: extending signal range, adding signal delay, blocking reverse signal flow, and locking another repeater's output state. Understanding all four makes complex redstone builds dramatically simpler.
Crafting Recipe
| Material | Quantity Needed |
|---|---|
| Stone (regular, not cobblestone) | 3 |
| Redstone Dust | 1 |
| Redstone Torch | 2 |
Crafting grid layout: Place 3 Stone blocks across the bottom row. Place 1 Redstone Torch in the left-center slot, 1 Redstone Dust in the center slot, and 1 Redstone Torch in the right-center slot. The top row is empty. This produces 1 Redstone Repeater.
Note: Stone (the smooth grey block) is made by smelting Cobblestone in a furnace. You cannot substitute Cobblestone directly.
Where to Get the Materials
Redstone Dust: Mine Redstone Ore in the deepslate layer (Y-coordinates -58 to -16). Each ore block drops 4 to 5 Redstone dust with a standard pickaxe. Use Fortune III to get significantly more per vein.
Redstone Torches: Craft them yourself. Each torch needs 1 Redstone Dust and 1 Stick. Sticks come from Wooden Planks. You need 2 Redstone Torches for the recipe.
Stone: Smelt Cobblestone in a furnace using any fuel. One Cobblestone becomes one Stone. Mine Cobblestone from any stone wall with a pickaxe.
The 4 Functions of a Redstone Repeater
1. Signal Extension (Boost)
Redstone signals weaken over distance. They can only travel 15 blocks before fading out completely. A Redstone Repeater resets the signal to full strength when placed in the line. For any circuit longer than 15 blocks, place a repeater every 15 blocks along the redstone dust path.
2. Signal Delay
A repeater introduces a delay to any signal passing through it. The default delay is 1 redstone tick (0.1 seconds). Right-clicking the repeater adds one additional tick per click, up to a maximum of 4 ticks (0.4 seconds). You can see the current delay by looking at the position of the small torch on the top of the repeater: closer to the back means less delay, closer to the front means maximum delay.
Delays are essential for: timing pistons to fire in sequence, creating clocks (repeating circuits), and building combination locks.
3. Diode (One-Way Signal Flow)
Redstone dust carries signals in multiple directions. A Repeater only allows signals to flow in one direction: in through the back, out through the front. It completely blocks signal from entering through the sides or front. This makes it a diode, useful for preventing signals from interfering with adjacent components or creating signal loops.
4. Signal Lock
This is the least obvious function. If you place a second repeater or a comparator facing the side of the first repeater, the first repeater becomes locked when the side input is powered. While locked, the first repeater ignores its normal input and holds its last output state: on stays on, off stays off. This is used in memory circuits, latches, and flip-flop designs.
Repeater Delay Reference
| Right-Clicks on Repeater | Delay in Ticks | Delay in Seconds |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (default) | 1 tick | 0.1 seconds |
| 1 | 2 ticks | 0.2 seconds |
| 2 | 3 ticks | 0.3 seconds |
| 3 (maximum) | 4 ticks | 0.4 seconds |
Practical Circuit Examples
Long-Distance Signal Line
To carry a button or lever signal more than 15 blocks: Place redstone dust from the source, then place a Repeater at the 15-block point. Continue with more dust. Repeat every 15 blocks. The signal carries indefinitely.
Simple Redstone Clock
Place two Repeaters facing each other (opposing directions) with redstone dust connecting them in a loop. Set both to maximum delay (3 right-clicks each). Place a Redstone Torch next to the dust to start the loop. The circuit now sends a repeating pulse at a regular interval, useful for automated farms.
Also useful for Minecraft: Minecraft Color Codes for formatting text, and the Minecraft CPS Test to measure your clicking speed for PvP. The Minecraft Command Generator builds complex commands for you, and the Pixel Circle Generator helps plan round builds around your redstone contraptions.