Re: Beginner question regarding Controller.

For controller software, Mach1 is hard to beat. It is windows based
and will drive my machine faste than it can safely go (3.25" per
second). I've tried the DOS based controllers and never eally had
any success with them. If you want to tinker and experiment, then
maybe DOS is OK. If you want to make parts right out of the box, go
with Mach1. The software just works.

For a stepper driver, Gecko drives are the way to go. They can
handle up to 7 amps and 80 volts. That would be just one more peice
of the puzzle you would not have to worry about.

The direction you go depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
Are you building a machine just for the fun of building it? Or are
you building a machine to run in a production shop to make money?

If you need a production machine, cobbing together odd parts from
eBay probably won't do it. You'll end up with a big pile of parts
that didn't work and in the end, you'll end up buying the parts that
have proven themselves to work anyway.

Ross