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Fast = find an old PC with parallel port, a cable for it, download LinuxCNC ISO, burn, install, wire drives directly to that cable for parallel port = make chips
Cheap = see above
Easy = get a Mesa 7i96S and see above, minus the parallel port stuff
Good = se above this
Very good = see above this
Extremely good = get a Mesa 7i95T as you can later add encoder or glass scales to anything.
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For now, download the ISO on the downloads page and use it to boot any PC or laptop in Live mode, test the included sim configurations and the included GUI's as much as you like, it will not delete anything on the hard drive ... unless you explicitly ask it to.

You should be able to debug the encoder issue by monitoring these pins::

hm2_7i97.0.encoder.0N.input-a
hm2_7i97.0.encoder.0N.input-b

in halshows 'Watch' tab

Where N is the number of the encoder you want to monitor (0..5)

These pins should toggle as you rotate the encoder

If the a or b hal pins do not change, you can trace back to the hardware
by measuring the voltage at the 7I97 encoder input pins, these should
toggle between near 0V and say +3V to +5V

So not i get no motion and an immediate following error. Before i would get a small amount of rotation but no counts in both configurations. Keep in mind this is a cheap amazon encoder that might just be a piece of junk. When I swapped this 4th from a resolver to an encoder i was able to see like 1440 0r so counts per encoder revolution but for some reason linux just doesnt like this guy. Not a problem, i can get one that y,all recommend.. i just dont know which one to get. It would be nice if I could get this one to work because I had to design/print a new riser/mount to fit the analigm dc servo... I can send you a link to the encoder that i bought if that might help....

Hi everyone,
I’m building a 4-axis CNC machine to cut marble and granite slabs. It uses a large vertical diamond disk, and the A-axis swivels the blade to follow the cut direction . I’m using a Mesa 7i92 for the control.
I’ve built several  plasma tables before, so I can completely handle the mechanical and electrical sides of this build. However, I have no idea about the software side of it. I’ve always just relied on the Pncconf wizard and have never manually edited HAL or INI files.
Could someone point me in the right direction for the software setup? Specifically:

1. How to configure LinuxCNC " A-axis that automatically follows the X/Y path"
2. How to set up the CAM software  so  the cut is perfectly to size without the top of the blade overcutting the part.
   
   Any  examples, component recommendations, or guides would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Ok, thank you.. thats what im getting. i will try that next.

Hello everyone,
I am new to this community and new with cnc as-well. I have experience building a 3D printer and tweaking its firmware and programing some scripts to generate and clean up 3D meshes but a cnc seems to be much more complex. I bought a 2KW spindle with a VFC, nemas23, stop buttons and a cheap generic 5 axis breakout board with optocoupler isolation that connects directly to the montherboard of the computer via a passive parallel port adapter.
I still have no idea about how most of this stuff works but I hope it will not be an odyssey. Do you have any suggestions on how to start? Sort of like the "hello world" in programing.
Thank you and regards

An immediate following error may also be because the feedback is backwards.
(if the encoder is scaled right and has the correct direction, you may need to
reverse the analog output polarity in the hal file)

I just checked and they are in the left hand position.... I'm going to swap them over and give it a try!! Thank you as always for your help. 

The 4th jerks when I enable the machine and i get a following error. The only way I can get it to work is if I enter a crazy high pulse count. It will rotate but with terrible accuracy, like 1 revolution shows a couple of degrees of rotation.

You can use single ended (5 wire) encoders with the 7I97/7I97T
as long as the three 7I97/7I97T encoder jumpers for the single ended
encoder are in the single ended/TTL positions (right hand position)

What error do you get?

Good morning gents!! 
I was wondering if a cheap amazon Incremental rotary encoder (5 wire including ground/shield) could be used for a 4th axis? I am using a Mesa 7i97T board and am experiencing so difficulty with it. I can see it count in Hal show but when i try to use it in real time it keeps erroring out...
Once again thank you to all the experts that make this possible!!! 
 

github.com/bildobodo/lcnc-suite
This repo for web GUI, linuxCNC on isolated core arm CPU working without problem , another one for linux and web GUI on ZYNQ 7010

@Oxbown fixed in dev branch

awesome glad you are back up and running!

please add your json config, i take a look

okok, can reproduce it: ERROR  (CT2000) : "/mnt/data2/src/riocore/Output/Tangbob/Gateware/fpga0/pins.cst":69 | 'syntax error' near token 'mbus0'