Hi Bob thanks for the motion control link very interesting reading, and I don't mean to side track this thread either……...
I can agree to all you stated from my own build about the advantages of using a motion control board and in my case I’m using the Smooth Stepper connected via USB cable……. and I also use an 8yr old laptop (always plugged into the mains) running Mach 3 and my signal interrupt in the DRIVERTEST.EXE window is as near to a straight line as is possible.
I had asked earlier in this thread about Flashcut's advantages as I'm new to CNC & CNC building. But when all costs from a self CNC build (using a Motion Control Board) are totalled and then compared to Flashcut…. from a hobbyist purview from what I’ve read in this thread I don’t really see any advantage of one over the other….apart from what you said that if one doesn’t have the confidence to put a CNC electrical project together then Flashcut would be an alternative route…..
and thanks Bob for your websiteCNC Cookbook: Software and Information for Machinists it’s fantastic that people like yourself will broadcast soo much CNC info for free to us CNC hobbyists…..