Hi Mactec - I've used a Gecko540 in the past and it is a good unit. Its downside is soldering up all the connections. But it does not have input shaping. I've used a cheap BOB and separate drivers (DM542) on a few builds and that's fine too. But I want to improve the next machines motion and the printer controllers offer that. Here's the Duet3D board that uses external drivers. The BTT boards have plug in drivers so that solves that concern as well. BTT are cheaper but don't seem to have as much info on the CNC side. Its worth keeping an eye on BTT and Clipper they are moving ahead with motion control whereas the CNC world seems to be stuck.
I want to get Frankie making sawdust before I dive seriously into this new area. Peter
https://www.duet3d.com/duet3mainboard6xd
https://biqu.equipment/products/bigt...der3pro-ender5
Also the board integration has come up in another thread. I disagree that the parts should be separate. The CNC hobby industry has shot itself in the foot by keeping parts separate. Its cheaper & better to integrate all of the bits into one device. The industry is fragmented into computers software/machine controllers/BOBs/drivers etc with no chance of improvement unless all of these people get together to streamline and improve things, which has not happened & won't happen. The 3D printer people immediately realised this and made integrated units, investigated motion control and improved everything. Now there are 3D printer retail shops & 3D printer conventions its a whole industry. Routers and mills may well one day not exist. New upcoming young Makers will be familiar with 3D printing tech and will go down the BTT path for their machines, not the clumsy CNC path we now have. Companies like UCCNC that make their own motion controllers may integrate and improve but companies like Mach are out on a limb and will perish. The industry has been "disrupted" and the new wave coming will wash many companies away.....