How to build a CNC Router?

Did a bit of testing with the PC i have lying around (mostly Thinkpads). The old Panasonic thoughbook seems to have died.
My TP x220 (nearly all peripheral deactivated in the BIOS) does the latency test with just not exceeding 35000.
What I still not understand is the complete chain of devices from PC to the machine. As I understand it:
The budget way: 3 TB6600 connected directly over parallel port to the PC (limits the router to what the PC can process (limiting point is the latency)
The more expensive , but higher performance way:
a mesa ethernet card (FPGA doing most of the latency related stuff) connected to (more expensive and powerfull) stepper drivers.

What I seem to miss is the point of the daughter/ I/O boards (like 7i78, 7i76). Are those additional boards to have more options like (spindel speed/ on/off, peripherals like dust collector, air assist etc) or to those have the stepper drivers included).
Please let me know, if those info is somewhere in docs and I managed to miss that.

Got a pic from the ebay guy about the steppers:
D42HSC1413B-24
A quick search didn't bring up something useful, other than me guessing it is a cheap china copy of a nema stepper.

So here are some pics of the used hardware I bought.
As I did not get any exact match, this might have been a quite stupid action on my side.
Anyways, do you think it's worth a try with some of the mentioned TB6600 driver boards? Or should I drop it an start with some nema17 steppers and the mentioned TB6600 driver boards?
Plus (as I want to somewhat keep in mind the setup of the big machine) I'd like to start using a mesa board directly. Would that work with the mesa 7192 type of boards?

Just to substantiate that I am a "knowitall" (if that is the right word) NEMA means National Electrics Manufacturers Association. It is not a company, so no product piracy possible there.
The NEMA 23, 32 etc. solely refer to flange dimensions and bolt mounting patterns. Nothing to do with manufacturer, torque, voltage etc.

The only take is that usually bigger flange motors have bigger shafts, draw more current and have more torque.
There are exeptions, so a long high torque NEMA23 motor can have more torque than a "pancake" NEMA32.

As for a DIY router built. More bigger motor more better..... 

p.s. after looking at the pictures. They look like NEMA17. "Possibly pathetic", just get bigger ones that can move some machinery. For routing or milling you will not get anywhere with this. If you want to engrave some nameplates or want to drill some tiny holes, you might get away with it.

image missing /media/kunena/emoticons/wink.png

pps.: does not matter so much, you can figure out where the coils are at (my guess is 1st pin & 3rd pin for coil 1.... 4th pin & 6th pin for coil 2),
You will find lots of instructions how to figure out the pins on youtube. (tip someone gave me: just connect pin 1 & 3  and try to spin the motor by hand, if that is difficult you  found a coil)
Connect them to your motor driver. Set driver to one amp amp current, if they overheat reduce current. If they are cool enough to touch after running a while you can increase current. If they burn down, buy new ones.
That is what I always did with 2nd hand steppers and so far no fire, no damaged motor.

 

Just another off topic Milling machine vs router anecdote.

I bought a 2nd hand "what I thought" was a milling machine. I later was informed "Thats not a milling machine" (Indiana Jones rings a bell?)
So I learned everything below 5 tons is "not a milling machine".
Criteria for milling machine min. BT40 or HSK63, min. 15kW spindle power (continous load) tool changer

Point beeing, as long as it does what we want it does not matter much (all good).
For communication I now call my supposed mill a "tapping center", because then people know what I mean.

Joking aside I think the difference for hobby users is the ratio between z-height and x-y travel. A router is more flat and large a milling machine more a cube with a z-range in the magnitude of the x-y travel.

Thanks filling in my knowledge gap for what Nema is (and yes then it's Nema17).
This small thing is more for me to understand the build and functions in general, not so much as in really doing stuff (maybe some engraving and PCB, which is more engraving than milling, I guess).
That includes to have a setup similar to what I aim for for the bigger router. That's why I tend to spend a bit more money and do a bit of "overkill" for the little toy machine, but can test the basic working for the relevant things.
So I'd still like some more concrete hints for what might be the right stuff to buy controller wise.
The 7192 seems to be the least costly ethernet connected mesa board. Do I use that an kook up 3 of the TB6600 boards to the parport and start experimenting?
(and a power supply obviously)