Interfaces & linear scale for LinuxCNC

Hi,
I originally wanted to run a cheap DIY cnc machine using an old Intel Atom dualcore computer which has an LPT connector. But meanwhile I start thinking about higher quality components.

Same specs:
-stepper motors (already exist)
-linear rails for a work area of 1000/600/200mm (already exist)
-spindle Kress FME800 (already exists)
-stepper driver board with 5x Toshiba TB6560 (already exists)
-USB connected hand controller/job wheel LHB04 (already exists)

Now I wonder if I'd better go for an network/USB controlled Mesa card to get rid of that old Intel Atom computer and be able to use any machine (probably a modern notebook).

Also I would like to bux linear scales for my build, but couldn't figure out how they would be connected to LinuxCNC.
Is there a lis with reliable (but not too expensive) supportet linear scales?

And would you rather ust the Toshiba stepper driver board listet above or get some modern alternative?

Since I didn't really start building it, I'm free to change components for the good

I'm going to weld the frame for my machine. So I wonder what's the best way to start? At the moment I think I'm going to build z-axis first and depending on it's dimensions I can design the x-axis, then Y-axis.
But for designing the z-axis I need to know which linear scale system I need to mount and what size it is.

Since this CNC machine is intended to build electrical guitars, I don't require the highest precision, but I'd like to have as small tollerances as possilbe for a reliable pricetag.

A modern notebook might not be better.

Laptops are designed to be light, small and power-efficient.

Low latency is not usually their main design feature.

Newer is not always better.

Sure, but I would get rid of the LPT-port requirement and could use any computer, not only this specific one (if broken one day...).

Which Mesa card would be your go-to in 2025?

And is there a card combining outputs (for the stepper drivers) as well as inputs for linear magnetic encoders or would this be a combination of two cards?

A 7I95T combines the functions, or a 7I96S+ a 7I85, or 7I85S can do it in two cards

7I95T looks good. But I couldn't find a cheap German oder european source. There's a German shop that has none in stock. Just contacted them to see when it'll be re-stocked

Will this be a good choice for a hobby machine?
de.aliexpress.com/item/1005005087476488.html

If your current computer breaks, take out its hard drive and LPT card and put them into a different PC.

It will probably work just as if the original PC never broke at all!

The PC I was using to control the CNC router at my school didn't turn on one day after I shut it down and moved it.

I took out its hard drive and plugged it into a similar, older, not-broken PC; the new PC runs exactly the same as the one that broke!

You might have to change the LPT port number, but that's usually all.

Nice idea - but that won't work, since the LPT-port is connected to the motherboard

Would a LPT port have enough inputs and outputs to read linear encoders for 3 axis?

Regarding linuxcnc.org/docs/html/hal/parallel-port.html that should work. So I coult start using the Intel Atom computer and once it's broken, I'll swap over using a Mesa card.

I guess I'll try to install a new version of LinuxCNC on the computer, connect it to the Toshiba driver board and the steppers and see if I can get it rotating.

Maybe I'll order one linear scale and test if it'll work with the LPT connection.

I see. So is there something like GRBL for output, but used for encoder-inputs?
Like an Arduino or Teensy based encoder-decoder?

I just started um this old computer. There's an old Grub 1.98 with Ubuntu 13 installes. Linux 2.6.32-122-rtai (I probably installed this about 10 years ago )
Also I have to change the bios battery, since it is empty.
It has an Intel D425 installed and 4GB memory.


//Edit: github.com/AlexmagToast/LinuxCNC_ArduinoConnector
That might to the trick. I'm sure there's at least one Arduino Mega2560 within the range of two meters around me. Also I can see at least 5 Arduino Uno in front of me