DC/DC conversion

DC/DC converter (narrow strip; built-in) I had some doubts the PW60 DC/DC converter can handle a fully charged lead acid battery - Visual Data said the voltage isn't that high, and a FAQ on the PW I found says that nothing up to doubling the voltage will kill the thing. Got told, too, that 14.4V is the loading voltage for a 12V lead acid battery, not the voltage provided by a fully loaded battery.

Knowing that I ordered

• the PW60/AC-Adapter bundle for a high EUR55,-
• an ATX adapter since I've been told the PW doesn't fit the PD board, and
• a 3.5" to 2.5" HD adapter since the pin out is different between "normal" and "laptop size" hard disks

Downloaded data sheet of HM55B compass module from Parallax - I think I will need that for autonomous navigation. I realized that without the web, doing the research and getting the stuff would have been next to impossible. I think the computer's name will be Loihi (the smallest and newest volcano in Hawai'i; keeping in line with my home naming scheme).

Questions:

• The USB servo controller would be easier to connect to modern computers, plus the USB connection takes care of the power supply. But is the whole combo as good as the serial version (I assume/hope that the USB connection is transparent and will show up as a serial port - as it turned out, it does)?
• How would I interface the compass module with the ITX board (basically I need to provide data in/out plus clock)? Should I use a Basic Stamp for the job (needs 5-12V)? I later did just that.
  
• Is BEC (battery elemination circuit; getting the receiver power from the motor controller) for receivers only, or does it supply the servos, too? It does supply the servos if they are not too hungry.