Lpc2000

> I didn't actualy want this project. But I've dealt with this 
customer 
> for a long time and they wanted _me_ to do it. I wouldn't agree to 
> take it until they offered cost plus. I initialy budgeted $1k for 
dev 
> tools.

That won't even buy a JTAG dongle other than a Wiggler - not a 
highly regarded solution, by the way.

Not to worry, the GNU toolchain will deal with anything you can come 
up with.  After all, it is used all the time to build Linux kernels 
for the ARM9s and PCs and bigger boxes.

If you are developing under Windows you need Cygwin, under Linux you 
have everything.  You can integrate the tool chain under Eclipse for 
an IDE if you want to skip the command line experience (I do...).

Read through the tutorial at http://tinyurl.com/camje

>I'm not at all against a bigger 
> proccessor, that's part of why I'm seeking advice from this group. 
If 
> an ARM7 isn't a good fit for this type of application please say 
so. 
> I haven't worked with any proccessors large enough to run a full 
OS 
> (other than a PC) so I'm not sure what bennifits that can give me.

Tom Walsh has done a lot of work connecting a MMC card to the 
LPC2138 and has an entire set of code ready to go.  You can log all 
day long to a 1 GB SD/MMC card.  See www.openhardware.net.  There is 
a FreeRTOS port for just about every eventuality if you need a real 
time operating system.

Richard