Retrofitting a Hurco SM1

I recently dragged home a Hurco SM1 with a BX controller. The controller is missing a master program and I don't think I want to spend 600 dollars on a tape emulator just to have a 31 year old control that might work. I have the servo drives and servos powered and all 3 are acting appropriately. I would like to retrofit it with a Mesa 5i25+7i77 (I have analog servo drives) and LinuxCNC. Here's the holdback, I don't want to spend eternity fighting to make a half-assed controller, and I'd like conversational. Is there a reasonably easy path to the end goal? I'm fairly capable, but I am not familiar with Linux. I did install Ubuntu with LinuxCNC on an old PC, and it's running the software, nothing hooked up (obviously). I'm hoping there's an easy path towards a controller with a GUI like PathPilot.

Looks like LinuxFeatures would be basically what I'm looking for, maybe a bit less polished. Mesa seems like the go-to board provider, on a 0-10 how hard is it to convert to LinuxCNC? I'm a bit ignorant to Linux, haven't run it in years. I have programmed in VBA, VB, C, C# and C++ (mostly before .net) and I program PLCs from time to time. Is there a go-to guide for Mesa 5i25+7i77?

I went with PICO PPMC on my retrofit, Hurco BMC30.

I have had my share of challenges with the retrofit as Andy and Jon know well....

But nothing huge, and the support here is awesome. The Pico PPMC is designed for the analog signal machines. The DAC card has four outputs to run to the servos and spindle for the speed and direction. The IO cards are real easy to get setup and going.

I had my challenges with the code writing and trying to get the inputs and outputs to match up with the Linux parameters, thanks to all the help from here I should be doing my servo tuning this weekend if USPS ever gets the last couple parts to me that I need.

OKAY! So I'm planning on going forward with this! I can find/have servo wiring, but I'm looking for what else I'm going to need. Here's my plan:

MESA 5i25 and 7i77

ins:
Estop
axis select (3) + jog (wheel?)
Enable
Limit Switches (4, 1x, 1y, 2Z)
3 axis encoders
3x Tach(?)


OUTS:
Coolant Relay
Spindle On
3 axis analog servo signals

What else do I need to get rolling? My control currently has 10 or so relays, and I can't find a schematic! I'm sure I'll add buttons to the control in the future...