Rob,
>As mentioned before, my second LDPT is for the toolchanger box use. Since there are a lot of hardware keys, Leds, limit switches and two d.c. motors to be controlled, a Microchip MCU is installed there. There is program, together with V.B. program in marcopump, they colaborate with each other to do logical functions/control on those hardwares. It demonstrated to work well. However, in the very near future, I will make the version two. In that, less amount hardware keys will be used, each manual tool holder selection buttons still preserve but thet will be resided to Mach3 screen as virtual keys and leds.
For five tool holders which have their individual sensors, 5 inputs. Two motors, one is for door cover which will be sensed bytwo limit switches, another 2 inputs and 4 outputs(each motorneed to be controlled in forward and backward directions). The lock motor needs 1 input more for some special function as well. In that configuration, I intend to delete the MCU in the toolchanger box and to solely do the control by marcopump program...
> The first LDPT has some ports for coolant pump and spindle controls, when they are controlled by codes and run in M-codes, they are not supposed to resided to the external control by Arduino nor MCU. Pokeys is not my choice at the time being, it says it can be easily programmed graphically, personally, I like to do them by C in MCU or Arduino that I learned, at least, I know every inside them...