Jazzcnc,
Thanks for the reply.

It does validate my thinking on the Cslabs controllers. I may have to just go with the IP-S to play it safe in the future.

Also I did look at the PMDX products in my first round of research. They were working on the PMDX-426 that was to be an integrated board with a motion controller and an Ethernet interface. It was also to be compatible with both PNP and NPN 24 signals, but it hasn't come out, yet. Nevertheless, the integration does seem to be the best in Cslabs.

In terms of drives, I did talk to Gecko. They are coming out with a new G214 that has a maximum resolution of 256 microsteps, which is much lower than Leadshine. Also, it does not have differential inputs for the GND signal. So, I am not sure what direction to take for drives at this time. Once, I get all the mechanicals working, I can do more research on drives.

I will be working on the new steppers this weekend to get them installed. Is there a way I can test how bad the backlash is on the machine without having any drives? Can I make a makeshift pulse controller to test it directly to the stepper so I can measure the backlash?

I will post some pics later of the stepper modifications.

Best,
--mike