So that board can take 5v signals from the PC and send out 24V signals to the drives? Is this an automatic thing or is it something that need to be set up via dip-switches or parameters etc?

I have some specs of the hardware now too, just pulling out the info. Seems I've been very lucky and got some nice skip-bound hardware to play with.

I have another of the one I already posted coming to me, which a 750W servo motor acting as a stepper with a step&direct drive, no resolver. A pair of Lexion LMx05 drives with 0.4kw servos & encoders and a pair of Mitsubishi MR-J2S-40A servo drives with Mitsubishi 750W (I think) servo motors & encoders. Plus a bag of other bits - pulleys,belts,rails, canbus leads etc.

I think I will start off by sourcing a breakout board and using the stepper drives for my (vertical) learning-curve. I'm not sure exactly how the servo drives will interface with the PC but I can figure the step & direct out pretty easily. I will, of course, keep a log of my progress right here, though exactly how fast that progress will be I don't know as I have a very high workload in my regular job.