Re: Newbie controller questions
1) No. Spindle control is different from an axis, and the others are digital (on/off) signals.
2) Parallel is the standard that has been around for a LONG time, and the most widely used Hobby-level implementation. USB is starting to ramp up more and more. There are USB solutions (and Ethernet as well) that convert to a parallel cable breakout. Look up SmoothStepper from Warp9. There are some others as well. USB is the current/future tech, but Parallel is LONG established and more than up to the job for most users.
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