I have gotten halfway there though, I love closed loop steppers, they don't miss steps and i have mach setup to stop if the step driver throws a fault so i don't destroy parts and tools. I have never used servos due to the 'finicky nature' I read about. So I went to the Mesa Board site and read through the products and man it seems like there are alot of options.

I consider the left over BOB's spare parts for 'just in case' moments. I would prefer to use well know solid reliable combinations to have the best performance and reliability for the machines. I am down for getting the components you guys recommend for the Lathe Build. That is interesting! But I am confused, are you saying that a Mesa board in conjunction with the G540 will step at MHz? or the G540 will do it alone? thats how stuff snowballs on me and I don't want that to happen.lol The ESS and mach3 are doing what they need to and have been reliable for a long time for what it has to do, so I don't want to break anything while working on another project.

I don't know the answer to that either but it is a good question! for me If i convert the mill to Linux CNC it will be after I feel comfortable enough to do so with the lathe up and running with Linux. I really don't know much of anything about either of these products, but from the surface it looks like a Mesa 7i80, could possibly directly replace an ESS in a Mach to Linuxcnc conversion.

What cnc controller type is pathpilot