Hello
i am about to start my first hardware control surface design based around an ARM M series MCU, so am presently reviewing prototyping and evaluation boards to use for my first prototype.
My hardware control surfaces will have lots of analogue components incorporated into them which will be connected to the general purpose ins and outs.
Some of the components will be sending signals such as faders, rotary encoders, buttons and switches and, some of the components will be used to show settings such as led's, led rings and maybe even motorised faders (but probably not to start with).
To start with I am likely just to use one or two of each component (one fader, one encoder etc) and will adjust my program to see if i can get the components to work with the MCU and host computer/application.
Once i have passed this stage, i will likely then move on to the next stage of the project, and try to set up all the components needed for the control surface (up to 25 rotary encoders, 20 buttons, and 25 led rings, and 50 single led's) to see if i can get all the components set up together and programmed to work with the board perhaps by using shift registers and strobing to get them all to work at the same time. (although i will have to look into this more at a later date).
However, to start with I need to choose a prototyping or evaluation board that will serve my purposes. Now, I was thinking that perhaps i should go for the prototyping board that has the most general purpose ins and outs, although, from even my basic understanding of embedded electronics, I understand that it is possible to connect even a fairly large amount of ins to a small amount of input pins with clever electronics or electronic circuit design.
Now, also from my very basic understanding, most the prototyping boards and eval boards are inexpensive, so the cost of my original board shouldn't be a problem and as i am designing more for personal use than mass production, the cost of the board isn't really an important deciding factor (although i do not need a board with an LCD screen or HDMI on etc).
What I think i need in a prototyping board, is a board that has an MCU that is powerful enough to suit my purpose. I would also like a board that has as many ins and outs which i can use to connect as many analogue components as I have. So bearing my primary objectives in mind, I would really appreciate some advice regarding which board to buy for my first and second stage prototype.
Also I am very new to embedded electronics but see the ST electronics Nucleo 144 boards have various ways of connecting ins to. I was wondering if someone out there could explain the difference between the various different types of ins/outs on the nucleo 144 boards, as the ST electronics site isn't great at doing this to the complete beginner.
Thanks for any help.
