I am setting up my first CNC. I am using a PC with LinuxCNC and Mesa boards 5i25 and 7i77. I am using Fanuc AC servo motors powered by Allen Bradley Ultra series 100 servo drives.

I chose that Mesa board combo because it would allow me to have encoder feedback to the controller (as well as to the drive) for better control.
Now as far as actually wiring it up, I was planning to split the encoder signal at a terminal strip; one branch going to the servo drive (on connector J2), and one branch going to the Mesa board, like so:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attach...d=370906&stc=1 <== this is from the AB Ultra 100 manual and is fine to do per the manual

As I read the AB Ultra 100 manual, it describes an encoder output:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attach...d=370908&stc=1
So the encoder goes into the drive on J2, pulses divided (or not), and then sent out on J1 to the controller.

Which of these methods is best? Is there any advantage to using the encoder outputs on J1?