Just wondering if anyone has worked on a project which enhances the Amstrad NC100 using a Raspberry Pi? Anyone brought a broken NC100 back to life?
I haven't, but it would be interesting. The NCs are really nice machines!
Maybe be able to use a Pi as file server/internet connection would be a cool thing to do.
Technically you can use the Pi as mainframe and the NC100 as terminal device; but what you end up getting out of the serial port of the Pi may be too much to fit on the device. A NC200 may be better fit for that purpose, since the screen is bigger, but maybe you can get some usage out of it also on the NC100.
If you want to do more than just use the serial connection, I am not sure there is much out there; I just saw some videos on youtube showing BBS running on the NC devices, but not much more.
Check CPC-Link (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?msg=213786)
The same thing could be used on a NC100/150/200 using the serial link (or printer for more speed) and BBC basic on the raspberry to manage another screen with more power than the Z80 and feeble screen resolution.
Not sure that it is even possible to be honest.
The CPC has an ALU; which is totally absent in the NC machines, so the video signal handling may be ported to the Pi but it would not be more than just text, bringing not much more than what you already get on the onboard monitor.
At that point if you are running everything on a Pi, why even bother with the NC? :) you can simply connect its keyboard to an arduino, make it a HID USB keyboard and connect it to a Pi. The output beside terminal would need to go on an external monitor anyway; so you effectively use the board of the NC to power the Pi and for its keyboard at that point.
Curious to see if anyone ever got anywhere with a hybrid NC-Pi