Here's the real setup for servo powered full sized cnc machines.

Ajax has a controller that runs on Mach.  http://www.ajaxcnc.com/
Check the link. you won't be limited to 80 volts as per Gecko drives. Easy to setup, no adjusting pots needed to tune your motors.
The drive is very similar to the ajax drive I have on a vertical mill running the Ajax program. If they would have come out with this unit a year ago , I would definitly have one, instead of any other drive out there for Mach..
The Ajax unit I have, has been running since Jan 2006, with no problems.
I am in no way affiliated with Ajax, just a user, and a happy one.

Just thought I'd pass on this info.

Ed

On the one hand, anything to get away from a parallel ports limitations.

OTOH, they're using a frickin' Jacobs Chuck!?!!

That's not right...

Cheers,

BW

  you do not need external motion controllers/cards etc to run full size machines...

I have VMC with 15kW spindle and 2,5kW DC brush servos in X and Y, Z axis I have 5Kw servomotor but drives I use are only able deliver about 4kW power.
For now all of these are running from paraller port and Koyo DL06 PLC.
This setup I have been running 4433 hours ( just checked from maintenans hours) with better reliability than many new cheap commercial machine!

To run these big servos you need commercial drives, not hobby size or quality,
OK Gecko is industrial quality but small power use only...
big or small depeds who you ask, in some commercial applications less than 10 kW per axis is small =)

I use Copley Controls drive "Xenus XTL" witch can be used to drive AC or DC brushless or brush motors..
http://www.copleycontrols.com/Motion/Products/Drives/Digital/index.html
These drives accept directly step/dir or analog commands and accept 110/220V AC power as power supply... no need capacitors etc..
One neat feature is double encoder loop whera you can use encoder signal from motor for tight PID loop and secondary encoder signal from linear scale for accurate position loop....
ok these are lot more expensive... about 800 euros each,  but... THE POWER!! =)

Regards Mika

Now that's what I call a powerful setup Mika - I could break some serious tooling with that. 

Tweakie.

Mika
 what size of drives are the €800 ones? I have already got drives for my machines but these Copleys look almost as good and the price seems much better.

Hood

  of course the BIGGEST one 
40 amps

Regs Mika

Thats certainly a good price for drives that size, the ones I use are €2000+ for that size, then again the most I have paid was £180 for the 22KW ones I have
 But looks like they might be an good option if I never need big drives in a hurry and cant wait for ones at the right price to come along.

Hood

Hood,

 how are the servo motors tuned with Ajax d3io and mpu11 drive card

Adam
 I dont have Ajax stuff, its Ed. But I would presume there is software from Ajax that you use to tune the drives/motors.
Hood

Hood ,

My bad sorry thanks tho