You can easily check the speed control by applying a voltage to the corresponding terminals. You can make up a battery box which basically consists of a 9v battery and a potentiometer. The potentiometer allows you to vary the voltage from 0v to 9v and thus you can test things out.
Step/Dir is not so easy, you would have to get a way of supplying a pulse to the Step input on the drive, you could possibly connect up to a parallel port and use Mach to generate the pulses.
Regarding the tool setter, I have never used one so cant advise I am afraid.
Hood