Hello , Sir
The project you need can be done with an electric circuit with microcontroller or not, But you did not give enough information to determine that .
The simulation will not be affected where it can be done with a microcontroller or without it on one program (it's Proteus program).
On the other side, IDE will vary depending on the microcontroller , so it is best to specify the microcontroller you want or more details about the project .
I have already worked on projects using this characteristics ( GaAlAs - IR - LEDs ) and many microcontroller .
Can you tell me more about your project ?.... love to know more if you would like to chat about it.
Thanks.
- Mahmoud