Gerber D-200

Thank you again, this is really great!

I have explored Enroute, but don't use the router enough to justify the cost. Plus I'm not a Windows fan, so I'd love to utilize something non-Microsoft and lose the Windows XP computer that I have been using for some time now... I'd rather not invest in another PC so I can invest in more costly software.

I'm not overly familiar with board level modifications, or repairs, but I'm not afraid to jump in. Do you have a recommendation for both of your suggestions? Boards I should purchase to bypass the Gerber system entirely, or what you used, and (if its not asking too much) how you assembled it?

For the way I did it you will need:
1 - 37pin cable (either wack one end off so you can use the wire leads or get a 37pin cable breakout board, I have the board)
a piece of perf board
4 of these chips www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelec...Zq9rRehoCFTwQAvD_BwE
and a couple of ordinary parallel port breakout boards (I used a C10 board and another board I had laying arround.)

If I did another one of these I would not bother with the 37 pin breakout, but it was very nice for testing, and with both a male and female 37 pin plugs, let me easily snoop the old Arc Station's signals.
I would also probably spring for screw terminals for my home-made board (this one I just soldered on wire leads that I then connected to the other 3 breakout boards.

To to it the easy way you would need:
3 step motor drives (something like a TB6600 ought to work fine)
1 parallel port breakout board. (I needed 2 for the other way because I had to have 12 outputs to control the 3 motors vs 6 for ordinary step/dir commands.)
one or more small relays you can control with the 5v from the breakout board to control the spindle and other peripherals.

I also added a Z-home switch. to the machine using a prox switch.