Paul,

Much depends on your level of experience and your ability to pick a soldering iron up the right way

Click image for larger version. 

Name:	stockphotocloseup.jpg 
Views:	148 
Size:	68.6 KB 
ID:	29130

Firstly, disclosure - I have a UC300ETH, however, I'd recommend the AXBB-E. Basically the brains of the UC300ETH coupled to a pretty robust break-out board (BoB). If you don't do this, you'd need to source a BoB anyway, and a 26->25 IDC header cable (at least!). It's just more faff. Another thing though - I'd examine your control box to understand the space envelope you have to play it, or, work out if your want to adapt of replace the control box (just the physical enclosure). Quarts don't fit into pint-pots, and recent experience with another's 6040 indicates the control boxes can be a bit pokey. Your experience may vary.

Before seriously considering this - have a look in your control box and get a photo of the innards and post here - we'd have to understand if you have separate stepper drivers, or integrated onto the controller board. If the latter, you have a steeper cliff to climb. In principle the control box is very simple in design, but implemented in any number of cost-cutting ways, so it's hard to advise anything without eyeballing what you have.