Using a pc as a dro device..

[hotponyshoes]

First, sorry if this in in the wrong place.
Second,
We have finally got a workshop setup, we have a large 4-axis mill, a large lathe and a small lathe.
We have fitted cooling / fluid to them all and now we are looking to add some sort of digital read-out to them.

It would be nice to convert (especially the mill) to cnc but we are wondering what the best way to get started is?

Having looked on ebay, you can get a 3-axis read-out box for around uk£350, the thing that was drawing us to this one is that it has a pcd function, as we will be making car hubs this would be really usefull.

We don't really want to spend 1k+ on 3 of these units though and we also dont want to have to keep unplugging scales to only use one readout box either.

So, can anybody point us in the direction of any information on using a normal pc for the dro display?
We have a stack of cheep moniters (15"svga) and figured we could just fix one to the wall above each machine and run them from a multi-output video card on one central pc,
Our plan being to buy the scales for each machine (unless you can diy these too!) so we need to find some sort of box that can let the scales 'talk' to the pc and also some software to display the info on the computer. software that includes a pcd function if possible!
We also figured that once you had this it would be fairly simple to add cnc to the system - just add motors to the axis's and the computer could move x until x reads whatever..
Is this possible or more to the point is anybody doing it?
Thanks!

[Karl_T]

May be worth a read.

http://www.shumatech.com/

[Al_The_Man]

This has been posted several times before. http://www.lindsayengraving.com/othe...rests/dro.html
Al.

[WayneHill]

removed by wayne.

[Zumba]

Interesting link with the rotary encoders. But with a "central PC" idea, you're going to have to walk back and forth constantly zeroing your axes.