17 November 2005 - MICROCONTROLLERS (original) (raw)

12:02 pm - spare me, I'm a newbie

Hi,
I'm a database and gui programmer mainly.
I've been given a requirement as follows:
The client will output 3 alarms to 3 binary switches.
I need to trap changes to the switches and update a database with what switch changed and what state it changed to.
I'd planned using a microcontroller which the switches would input to and which would output to a PC (via RS232 or preferably USB).
I'm getting conflicting accounts of how long it would take to build such a device (1 week to 1 month). I've been playing with a Microchip picKit Flash starter kit for a day or so.
What I want to know is if there's readily available commercial units that would do what I'm looking for or could be customised quiet easily or failing that how long would it take for someone who knew what they were doing to build this?
We'll only need a dozen or so of them.
Are there any resources on the net which might help me?
TIA