On Java Edition, try the interactive map designed to accompany the tutorials.
What is Redstone?
Redstone is a substance which can be used to carry redstone power. Redstone power is like electricity. It's a form of energy that can be used to affect the environment (turn on lights, move pistons, etc.)
Redstone devices
A redstone device is any structure that uses redstone power to achieve a goal. Redstone devices can be very complex (for example, large automated farms), but can also be quite simple! Here are two very simple examples:
Example 1: A wooden pressure plate in front of a door. When you walk on the pressure plate, the door opens. When you step off, it closes.
Example 2: A lever next to a redstone lamp. The lever functions as a light switch, turning the lamp on and off.
It might seem odd to call these "redstone devices", because where's the redstone? At least the second one has something called a "redstone lamp", but what makes the door-and-pressure-plate a redstone device?
Well, technically, it's not standing on the plate that causes the door to open. What's actually happening is that standing on the wooden pressure plate generates redstone power, and it’s that power which opens the door.
We can see this in action if we place a few pieces of redstone dust between the pressure plate and the door. When redstone dust is placed on a block, it functions like electrical wire, so we call it redstone wire. When you step on the plate, the redstone wire will become powered (visible by its glow and sparkle), and the door will open. The redstone lamp in the second example works the same way.
If you take away a piece of the wire, the power can no longer make it to the door / lamp, and the device will no longer work.
So you can see how the original example, with just the pressure plate and door, is still a redstone device. It's like plugging a light bulb (the door) directly into an electrical outlet (the pressure plate). Adding in the redstone wire is just adding an extension cord in between.
Redstone components
Redstone devices are made up of redstone components and non-redstone components.
Redstone components are blocks which generate or interact with redstone power. There are four types of redstone components:
Power sources generate redstone power.
Power transmitters get redstone power from point A to point B.
Signal manipulators alter the properties of redstone power in some way.
Redstone mechanisms affect the environment when activated by redstone power.
We'll explore all of these blocks in detail over time. For now, we'll just take a brief look at what's in each category, so you have a general sense for them.
Power sources
Lever, button, pressure plate
Redstone torch
Redstone block
Daylight detector
Tripwire hook, trapped chest, lectern, detector rail
Observer, redstone comparator
Daylight detector (configured for nighttime operation) activating a redstone lamp
POWER Transmitters
Redstone dust (or "redstone wire” once placed)
Redstone repeater
Charged block
A lever using a charged stone block and redstone wire to transmit power
Signal manipulators
Redstone torch
Redstone repeater
Redstone comparator
Redstone torches can be used to invert redstone signals (on-to-off, and vice versa). More on this in later chapters.
Redstone Mechanisms
Door, trapdoor, fence gate
Redstone lamp
Dispenser, dropper
Hopper
Piston, sticky piston
Rail, powered rail, activator rail
TNT, note block, bell
Command block (creative mode only)
A piston activated by a redstone block
You might have noticed that some items appear in more than one category. That’s because they can be used in multiple different ways. (Redstone torches, for example, can function as both a power source and a signal manipulator.) Because of this overlap, the categories are a bit arbitrary. Different players or websites may categorize things differently, but I believe this breakdown will prove intuitive and easy to learn.
It's also worth highlighting charged blocks as a type of power transmitter. Charged blocks are often regular, everyday blocks (like dirt, wood or stone) repurposed to transmit redstone power over short (single-block) distances. This turns out to be a very important part of how redstone devices work. We'll learn about this in Chapter 3.
Non-redstone components
Non-redstone components do not generate or interact with redstone power. There are two types of non-redstone components:
Structural components are blocks that provide surfaces to place redstone components on. Almost any block can serve as a structural component -- dirt, wood, stone, glass, etc.
Dynamic components interact with the environment in some way relevant to the redstone device's goals. Examples include water, slime blocks, and things like minecarts.
Structural components can be easy to forget about. For example, with our example redstone lamp device from earlier, you may think of the device as the lever, redstone wire, and lamp. But the device also includes the blocks under the lever and wire -- without those, it won't work! This makes a big difference when figuring out how to integrate a redstone device into your build.
A redstone device, including its structural components
Chapter Summary
Redstone Basics
Redstone is a substance which can be used to carry redstone power.
Redstone power is like electricity. It's a form of energy that can be used to affect the environment (turn on lights, move pistons, etc.)
Redstone dust, when placed on blocks, is called redstone wire and can conduct redstone power.
Redstone Devices
A redstone device is any structure that uses redstone power to achieve a goal.
Redstone devices are made up of redstone components and non-redstone components.
Redstone Components
Redstone components are blocks which generate or interact with redstone power. There are four types of redstone components:
Power sources generate redstone power.
Power transmitters get redstone power from point A to point B.
Signal manipulators alter the properties of redstone power in some way.
Redstone mechanisms affect the environment when activated by redstone power.
Non-Redstone Components
Non-redstone components do not generate or interact with redstone power. There are two types of non-redstone components:
Structural components are blocks that provide surfaces to place redstone components on. Almost any block can serve as a structural component -- dirt, water, stone, glass, etc.
Dynamic components interact with the environment in some way relevant to the redstone device's goals. Examples include water, slime blocks, and things like minecarts.
Next up: working with redstone wire
The first step in building your redstone skills is learning how to work with redstone wire. The next chapter covers some of the basics and pitfalls to avoid.