new build opinions required

[Boyan Silyavski]

Sorry, don't want to hijack the thread, but here is what i think.

I agree with all that Dean said. But the reason i am still digging for BOBs is axis count and money i would pay for what i would get. Similar to you i will start with 4 motors. Then i want a minimum 1 axis for rotary table, possibly 2. So -6 axis until now. Later i am thinking of separate axis maybe for plasma and may be one more for a device, that pushes MDF sheet while routing and lifts / i saw this somewhwre on internet.
I agree that all can be done with 6 axis and some thinking it out. But also i am living in rented house and in foreign country, so may be one day if i have to change country will be best to sell the machine, so axis count could be better

OK. After continuous digging and analyzing if multi axis tralalala is desired , here are my personal conclusions:

1. No usb boards. They will be obsolete in an year or two. PCI-maybe. Ethernet-best.


2. only 3 boards/ combinations/ for me are worth the money, which support 6 or more axis:

-ESS +PMDX126+PMDX-107 - quite cheaper than the CSMIO, 500Mhz step frequency, mach3, 180$+40$ shipping + 174$ +$57.00 +~40$ shipping = ~410 euro +eventual tax
-CSMIO- 5-24v differential I/O, 6 axis, mach3, 549eur+23% vat= 675 euro +??shipping= ~700euro , so, very nice but quite expensive in fact

-Mesa 7i80+7i76 or 5i25+7i76 . More and more seems Linux is the way. First combo is 119$+150$ +~ 40$ shipping=~250euro , second combo is 200$+~40$shipping =~180 euro.
Basically the first combo is similar to the CSMIO with ethernet, 5v-32V, differential I/0, etc + the added benefit of aditional 5 axis for only 100$ more+ this baby has 4 slots, so 20 axis or aditional things can be put there
The second combo is PCI and again axis can be added later.
And not to speak of the drives and other boards that Mesa have and can be seamlessly integrated for cheap.

The other boards from the previous posts i ignored , due to USB, due to limited support, price per what they offer, lack of differential 24v I/O

I wonder why nobody wrote a serious plugin for the Mesas and Mach3. This is f+==g crazy. Furthermore they have a new board still not supported in Linux -7i76E which is Ethernet 5 axis for 199$ that can be further expanded.

What i will do is start to play with Linux to see if i am up to the task and save some money.

PS. If i knew just before a week what i know now, i would have bought the Galil 4080 for 540eur at ebay just on 31. December. But somebody knew this so he bought all 3 of them. Bloody ignorance of mine.