[csmatt]

Look into the TI MSP430. It was built with low-power in mind. There's even an Arduino IDE port for it called Energia if you're not comfortable in C/C++. Check out http://www.43oh.com for forums. Also, I put together an aggregated list of links to tutorials from a really nice blog http://goo.gl/IFsrJi . Also, I should mention, these boards are < $5 shipped from TI and includes 2 chips and a USB cable!

[csmatt]

Edit: I updated the tutorials link with a list of other links I've compiled. Also, it looks like they upped the board price to $9.99 ( http://www.ti.com/ww/en/launchpad/msp430_head.html ). It is absolutely worth it IMO. Good luck with your project!

[codehero]

You can just buy 1 LaunchPad and use it as a programmer to download code to your breadboard or custom PCB. You just need to hook up the TEST, RESET and GND lines. So you can use a cheaper board (and with more pins) like this https://analog10.com/store/BOB-G2553-28.html.

[freehunter]

Thanks, that's some good info! I might prototype with Arduino as a proof of concept and see how far I can get with these TI boards if/when I put the project into "production".

[retSava]

Yeah, I like the Launchpads. I ported Contiki to them, and wrote some stuff for eg low-power wireless networking. Unfortunately had to rip out stuff like uIP. Check this post for an in-depth write-up of a low-power radio duty cycling protocol, with lots of measurements etc. http://www.bithappens.se/blog/2013/05/26/simple-yet-efficien...

For those not interested in Contiki, late in the post there are some power consumption measurements that illustrate rather clearly why switching off the 60 mW radio as much as possible is a must as soon as you go battery.

You can find the Contiki-port at https://github.com/msloth/contiki-launchpad