I'm trying to shape a non-programmer menu-driven-interactive task-running system capable of running automation approach programs. I don't want it to be too simple or too hard so I can't leave it to thee easy solutions, still working on that.
The user interaction is to be through a terminal emulator or serial monitor. It needs to keep a system log. User needs to be able to see how it's running, the user sets tasks running and the log is the run/debug trace. User needs to be able to make other reports as well. The system will need SD. More files, more buffers, needs more RAM. More RAM means room to store user names for running tasks and more room for more tasks.
More pins lets it do more projects more easily. A 1284 has room to grow.
The system will take care of the non-blocking and other code details, that will all be canned. Setups and links between tasks will be by the user from menu choices and formatted key entry only. I wrote and fixed a lot of business and "expert" code back in the age of text screens, if you let garbage in you get garbage out so filtering is SOP.
The task choices need to cover IO drivers and process tasks. Buttons, sensors, multiplex, 1-wire, I2C, SPI and likely down to apps for the buses, serial text and file... for non-programmers... some is ready, more is close, what's more important is room in flash for lots of devices and wiring to become task choices.
Processes... still working on how flexible the user choices should be. Somewhere there needs to be triggers, repeats and modes. I'm trying to keep variables contained, user shouldn't have to think them up.
Beyond that project, imo serious automation from home level on up needs to keep an operations log if only for when something goes wrong. There's 100's of other uses for big storage but that's number one.
The socket compatibility is to allow it to plug in to existing 1284 boards, some should work. And who do I know that already makes such boards?
No room for 5V operation? It does look packed. Do you have a ballpark on price?
