Hello! New to Arduino and the site. I'm in the process of making a homemade pinball machine. I have gathered most of the parts I will need (playfield machinery such as flipper assemblies, stationary targets, lane guides, ramps etc.) and know how to control the solenoid coils (I'll be using a 74HC595 Shift "Output" register, each of its outputs wired to the gate of a mosfet, which will energize the solenoids with high voltage) and know how to make the scoring display (I'll be using a MAX7221 LED driver controlling 7-segment LED displays). Also included will be a switch matrix connected to Shift "Input" registers that the Arduino will read, adding points accordingly and an LED matrix for lighting around the playfield.
But since I've never actually worked with an Arduino before, I'm beginning to wonder if an Arduino will be able to do all of this...at the same time. Maybe my question is: Can the arduino do all of these tasks simultaneously? Or if not, is there a way to cycle through all of these processes (check the switch matrix, run the leds, run the scoring display and control the mosfets/solenoid coils) in a timely fashion? I'm thinking of using the Arduino Mega as it has plenty of I/Os for this project. Is there an alternative or is this a good choice?
Any answers, feedback or advice is very appreciated, thanks!