Hi!
I have an education from both hardware and software computer engineering, but I have only worked with software for many years now. I'm not up to date with what's what in the world of embedded systems now, so I hope someone here might point me in the right direction.
I have a little private pet project which required an embedded system. It is quite simple, but I don't know what CPU or kit to use. Here are some (short) specs on the system:
The CPU should control four small electric motors. There should be two buttons which the CPU gets input from. These buttons should be lit, so that the CPU can control if the light is on or off. There will be a small LED/LCD display of some sort, able to show at least 12 characters. The CPU must keep track of the date/time as the logic depends on time. Ideally the system should run for at least a month on a set of batteries. If batteries are a problem, plugging the system into the socket is possible, but batteries are ideal. During development, it would be great if the CPU was available via USB. I know a bit of asembler code, but if there was any way to program at a higher level (C is fine), that would be great! This is, as I said, a private project, so price on the components is an issue. I'm hoping that the components I need should be less than $100 and absolutelly below $200.
Can anyone recommend any components/kits/resources to help me get started with this project? If you can recommend CPU/kit, display, buttons, power supply or have any other tips, I would be most gratefull!
Chris.