Will it work: RPi4 8GB (64bit?) + MESA 7C81 RPI FPGA + MESA 7I76 + XHC WHB04B?

Hi LinuxCnc people, new to this community, but excited to try this setup for my second CNC Router, a QueenAnt from Yuyong (Beefed up QueenBee with linear rails and ballscrews).

I was gonna go with an old laptop and the Mesa 7I76e with ethernet, but chip shortage put an arrow through that idea, with 15 weeks of lead time (and maybe even more). So I found the MESA 7i76 used on ebay (and acted fast, maybe too fast), bought a new MESA 7C81 and a very expensive RPi4 8GB (In route as I type). And then the questions start to accumulate:

1. How do I connect the MESA 7C81 with the 7i76? Are they even compatible or did I make a mistake? If they are, what cable do I connect them with?
2. I was gonna try the 64bit on the RPi 8 gb, but could not find an image. Is the only way to compile from scratch?
3. I want a teach pendant like the XHC WHB04B-4. I can see from doc, that this is supported from linuxcnc. But can I expect that this will also work on the RPi? Any tips and tricks to get a teach pendant up and running on the pi as painless as possible is welcome (since I have not bought that one yet).

Background: Mechatronic engineer, 20 + Arduino and 5 RPi, second CNC build, old one was a 6040 with Mach3 and Smoothstepper.

Hi andypugh

Thank you for the quick reply, i have heard that this was a great community and so far you are proving it.

1. As far as I can see the 7I76 only comes with a printerport (and no 25 pin connector) and the 7C81 only has a 25pin connector (If that is what the long black once are called. So I guess i would need an adapter cable?

2. Thank you for that link, that was exactly what i was looking for

3. Well i might just take the plunge then, and order one. Then i can report on my findings.

Thanks
Thank you for that link, that was exactly what I was looking for