Close

AiBridgeMCP Nano: Bringing Modern AI to 80s Micros and Legacy Gear

A project log for Bridge Across Decades

Connect 1980s computers (MSX, CP/M, C64, Apple II) to Claude AI via WiFi. ESP32 MCP bridge brings modern intelligence to vintage machines.

nishioka-sadahikoNishioka Sadahiko 02/23/2026 at 13:540 Comments

I’m excited to announce the release of AiBridgeMCP Nano (Free Edition)!

You can find the repository and documentation here:

https://github.com/OnStepNinja/AiBridgeMCP

  • I’ve been working hard to get this out the door, so there may still be some bugs or rough edges. I would deeply appreciate any feedback or bug reports from the community to help improve the project.

    AiBridgeMCP Nano implements two primary features:

    1. Retro-Micro AI Chat (Serial Bridge)

    This allows 1980s legacy computers—like CP/M machines, Apple II, and MSX—to "chat" directly with modern Large Language Models (LLMs). If you grew up with these 8-bit legends, there's something surreal and rewarding about seeing a Z80-based system discussing code or philosophy with a state-of-the-art AI.

    2. "Instant AI" Systems for Legacy Equipment

    Instead of writing complex custom code for every piece of hardware, you can now turn aging equipment into an "Instant AI System." By simply providing the AI with the device's manual/documentation, the LLM can understand and control the hardware.

    I believe this has massive potential; there is an incredible amount of perfectly functional legacy equipment in the world that can be "upgraded" with AI reasoning without a total overhaul.

    I’m looking forward to seeing what the Hackaday community thinks. Whether you're a retro-computing enthusiast or looking for new ways to implement AI in hardware control, please give it a try!

  • Discussions