My current project is retrofitting a Hercus Compulathe I bought from a friend. The main board in it was toast so I have decided to gut it and start anew.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/techshoppdx/3474692749/

I have replaced the dc brushed resolver feedback servos with SimpleServo 200W AC Brushless servos and drives (Hey, it what I had lying around). They have Step/dir input native. For some unknown reason the 180v Permanent magnet DC motor they are using for a spindle motor was only being ran from a 90v control. So I am replacing that too. Another brushless servo. 750w this time around. Of course this is assuming that the drive I am getting off ebay works...

I am trying to reuse as much of the original front control panel as possible. A friend tested the keyboard and figured the pinouts. Going to use a small microcontroller to get a PC to see it as a standard keyboard. For the rest of the controls I am going to use a mix of parallel port IO and one of Peter Homann's ModIO boards.

So... my main question...

It has a 8 position turret. Really simple operation. it runs off 24vdc and uses 3 microswitches for feedback. Two are on the turret itself. One senses tool location, other being home (for some reason tool The last microswitch senses locked position. It works by running the motor one direction where internal gearing pulls a pin back allowing it to turn (CW facing the turret). When the position microswitch closes the motor stops and reverses. The internal gearing extends the locking pin and sets the turret. When it is fully locked the lock microswitch is activated.

My plan is to use a microcontroller with a small motor driver IC: http://www.national.com/mpf/LM/LMD18245.html

Question is what is the best way to communicate with Mach? On the microcontroller: One input home, one input index, one output locked?

Or should I just have mach control the whole thing with a brain or macro?

I have never done anything like this in Mach so I have no clue how to do this.