You install home switches on your machine, and when you turn it on, you run a homing routine, which sets a reference position on your machine.How do I then configure controller so It knows its travel limits for each axis, as well as its location on each axis at all times?
Many controls allow you to specify softlimits, which the machine won't exceed. These softlimit positions are relative to the home position.
Most hobby or lower cost controls are open loop systems. They only know where the machine is supposed to be, but there is no feedback to tell them where the machine actually is.
There are a variety of control systems available, and all work similarly.
UCCNC
LinuxCNC
Eding CNC
Planet CNC
Mach3/Mach4