How to develop a microcontroller software in java with eclipse

Question

I don't know if I've been looking at the wrong place but it seems the documentation for this is very limited on the Oracle website. (Even on google)

I'm working on a school project in which we have to make a software in java and embed it on a micro controler. The program is never actually going to be put on a microcontroller though, we just have to develop it.

I've been looking at the Java SE Embedded, ME Client and ME documentation for the better part of 2 hours now and I still have no idea where to start.

Here's what I need to do.

1. I would like to develop it in eclipse preferably because it's connected to our repository. (we could use netbeans if it's not possible with eclipse)
2. We need a way to load the software on a microcontroller. (like an eclipse plugin)
3. We need to be able to run the program on a UI that we will code to test it and to show our teacher that it works.

We almost had it going with the Java ME Embedded but there is no way to make a UI to test it.

If someone can give me a link to a tutorial or anything would be much appreciated.

Thank you

+++++++++ Edit +++++++++

I need to specify that we can choose any microcontroller or any range of microcontroller.

Answer 1

Does this need to run directly on the micro or can there be an OS? If you are allowed to run an OS then take a look at the beagle board which has several JVMs available (See http://elinux.org/BeagleBoard#Java )

For a lower cost alternative, Raspberry Pi offers a JVM as well (See http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/4920 )

Both the boards I've listed above are well supported by the community so you should be able to find lots of information by utilizing your favorite search engine.

If you need to run java directly on the CPU, then it appears your options are more limited... A quick search turned up a company called ajile systems who make a CPU module which can directly process java bytecode.