7i92 + existing c11 multifunction board - Need validation

Hello all,
I've been wading through the forums for the answer but haven't quite come up with an answer after searching, and would love the help of one of the many wizards on here (thanks in advance!). I have a new emco lathe compact 8e that I picked up recently that runs on mach3 with this board (c11 rev 9.9):

cnc4pc.com/c11-multifunction-cnc-board.html

I would like to do a retrofit to a 7i92 (since I have latency issues), get it all running and figured out with LinuxCNC then make the jump to PathPilot since that seems to be the recommended route.

From what I gather you need to ensure the pinout of the BoB matches that of the mesa board. I found the files with the pinouts on mesas site and even found a "7i92_C11x2D.pin" file. This leads me to the conclusion that they are indeed compatible.
Mesa pins P1:
I can't find a similar table to the C11 board.

Questions I'm hoping to have some validations on:
1. Will c11 board function for me with the 7i92 (and version I should get, m vs h)?
2. When I switch to pathpilot will I run into any compatibility issues with this combination?
3. My machine utilizes a vfd for spindle control with 0-10 volts and the relays built onto the c11 - any issues here with the 7i92? I read there could be but it was greek to me what others were saying
4. I could get a 5i25 for the same price so the 7i92 seems the better choice, any thoughts?

Thanks for any and all help you're willing to give. Excited to start dipping my toes into LinuxCNC

7i92 m vs h is a matter of db25 or 26 pin header for P2 (io0-16). Functionally the boards are the same.

The C11 pinouts are not conveniently listed in their manual but can be discerned from the Mach config info there.

PathPilot has several machine configs that can be used, you will need to verify in the .hal files for 440, 1100 etc which is best suited pin-wise. Look for one with variable speed spindle. The 7i92_C11Gx2D.pin file at least has PWM on pin 14 for spindle, which might be possible to convert to 0-10v? Or does the C11 do that for you? (I don't have a vfd spindle yet)

In the end it is likely that a bit of cable munging might be required. When I configured PP with a 7i92 and PMDX-132 I used jumpers one section at a time to verify the correct mapping. The goal for me was to avoid modifying the PathPilot provided .hal files.
Personally I saw no benefit in getting LinuxCNC running first, I went staright to PathPilot 2.0 (and then upgraded it to current version)

You need to flash the Mesa 7i92 first with the 7i92_C11Gx2D.bit firmware using "mesaflash" utility, and you will be most probably using P2, not P1.

Hi Tommy,
Thanks for your help! For my understanding why would p2 be more probable to use vs p1?

Stepgens will start counting from P2, and P2 is the connector that is used first since it is attached to the Mesa board, P1 is on a header.

Hi Gerri,
Thanks for your help and reply.

These PP configs are presumably in the PP OS install somewhere correct?

In regards to the variable speed spindle control and 'converting pin 14 to 0-10v" I'm not sure I quite follow. But the c11 documentation does say the below which leads me to believe that if the 7i92 can create a pwm signal to the proper pin it does the rest for me. Do I understand this correctly?

Built-in Variable Speed Control.
It has an optoisolated analog 0-10VDC output that will convert a PWM signal into an
analog signal that can be used to command a commercial VFD. This analog can be
adjusted using on-board potentiometer, so this board can be adjusted to other voltages.

5.2 Variable Speed Control. (Pin 14)
This function lets you control your spindle with PWM and direction signals, as if it was an
axis motor. It converts the PWM signal into an analog (0-10VDC).
A Variable Frequency Drive or Inverter works by modifying the frequency for AC motors.
Most of these devices with an external analog signal (0-10VDC). That is, if there is 5VDC
coming into through the control signal, the motor will run at 50% of full speed, if there was
10VDC, the motor will run at 100% of full speed. If there is no signal coming out, then the
motor will stop.
This function can also be used on many DC motor controllers by replacing the
potentiometer that controls the speed.

As far as cable munging and jumpers go, you're saying you just connected one set of wires (ie stepper motors) at a time to see if they started turning, then would modify hal until they did? Would it be possible for you to share your hal/ other files that I may learn how you matched the two up? That might help me frame my mind towards the c11 board.

When I go to purchase PP I read else where on the forum this is the one to get:
tormach.com/pathpilot-v20-upgrade-38249.html
It seems though that this one would be the better option (or does it not matter)?
tormach.com/pcnc-1100-pathpilot-upgrade-...re-manual-38706.html
Presumably regardless your type of machine you're able to swap between the mill/lathe interfaces easily?

Thanks again.