Hello all,
I am looking for a microcontroller solution with atleast the following parameters:

2 timers
2 UART
- 1 for MIDI data
- 1 for interfacing with USB flash drive host board
~35 GPIO
- 11 for interfacing with serial LCD char display (RS, R/-W, E, DB7:0)
- 15 for push buttons
- 9 for LEDs

I looked at the C2000 launchpad but it didn't have nearly enough GPIO. I saw some header boards which would seem to have the necessary pin out but then I would need to invest in a JTAG programmer.

Does anyone know of a board with this level of pin-out that I could program through USB? If there is a better solution please let me know, thanks!

 

Have your read this:

http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=44852

... and this:

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1924&dDocName=en544123

 

Have you had a look at the Arduino Mega 2560?

 

I'm not understanding what a "USB flash drive host board" means. Something that a thumb drive plugs into? If that's the idea, then I'd suggest an SPI interface instead of a UART. That way you'd only need one UART on the processor, which lets you use a "small" microcontroller. In fact it might make sense to use SPI to do much or all of your I/O interfacing; it's generally easier to communicate with multiple devices that way, versus UARTs. You can use 74HC495 chips for output, and 74HC165 chips for input, and you'd end up not needing many I/Os on the chip itself.

But a lot hangs on your programming experience. What are you most confident in working with? If you can spare yourself the need to learn the software for some complex system, you'll save huge amounts of time.

 

Hey guys thank you all for your replies. Perhaps if I share some of the specific components I'd like to interface that would help.

Here is the LCD
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/C-51850NFQJ-LW-AAN/73-1260-ND/769341

The USB interface
http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/usb-host-board-v2

8 LED illuminated switches
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/TL1240GQ1JCLR/EG4614-ND/1805476

I've done work in both C and assembly. I'll take a look at that Arduino board for sure.

 

That is like asking what food you should eat today.

You have tons of choices. You first need to decide on a company. The company is going to depend on how much work you want to do on your own.

If you want plug in modules then the arduino is a good choice.

If you want cheap then Microship is a good choice.

Most chip manufacturers have a parametric search. You can use it to determine the chip you need.