Need help with component selection

Yes, the knowledge base within these walls was one of the main factors for choosing Lcnc. I could sense the power & flexibility before I even registered

This is probably not the best section to post this but I didn't want to start a new thread for the sake of a link. It is a bit of a read but I think it's worth it.

www.elwood.com/dRA_EMI_Servo.pdf

Hytek wrote:

After a bit more research I have narrowed it down to a Mesa 5i25 & 7i76 combination.

If the PC you end up using has PCIe slots you also use the 6i25+7i76 combos That can open more possibilities for newer PC candidates.

Thanks very much for the advice

After testing my way through the motherboards & stuff I have around I have settled on:
Gigabyte GA-H61M-S2PV motherboard
Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz
Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB @ 1866Mhz
Radeon 7470 2GB Low Profile GPU
160GB SSD
I know some of this is overkill but working with what I have laying around

Unfortunately to keep a small to form factor, (want to keep everything in the same cabinet) the motherboard only has 1 PCIe slot, which will be taken up with the graphics card. Also, I have already ordered the 5i25 & 7i76

Just going back to 4. Run Linuxcnc on startup

I just can't find a reference for you , but there is a command line switch to tell Linuxcnc to run the last config used. (Might be /l)
So you can set that up as a startup command. Alternatively you can pass an ini file as a parameter instead.

I found running the last config worked for me as I worked through hundreds of configs in my journey. It always opened the last one I was using. I also created a shortcut with this parameter that sits on the desktop.

Thanks for the info rodw.

In my many hours of researching, while I wait for my mesa delivery to arrive. I have also stumbled across some info on how PathPilot does it. Though I doubt it is as simple as it appears on these videos etc. Especially as I am pretty much a noob when it comes to Linux.

Being as the topic of motherboard was brought forward (by me) I might as well ask. When testing the parts I have laying around, I tested an Intel DH57JG motherboard I couldn't get to run great. I would have preferred to use this board as I could orient it horizontally, saving a good amount of room in my enclosure. Does anyone have any suggestions how to improve this and make it a viable option? Or is it just not a good choice being limited to the onboard graphics?

I did all the shutting down hyperthreading, power saving options etc. I did not go as far as only enabling 1 core, above my scope of abilities

Just a quick update. I am still plugging away with my main control panel and wiring. Can add pics if anyone wants, as soon as I can hide my messy workshop in the background

This brings me to a couple of questions. The 5i25 & 7i76 have internal or external 5v options. Are there pros n cons to either?

Next question. According to the information supplied by DMM Tech the cable linking the DYN4 to the 7i76 requires 2 shielded twisted pair + 4 more wires. This combination is not available in a single cable as standard. Guided by the reasoning 'better to have more shielding than I need than need more than I have' I made my first lead using Dynamix CAT 6A. This is 4 individually shielded twisted pairs with an outer shield and therefore VERY rigid. Can anyone suggest suitable alternative to this cable?

Thanks again guys