NDR-Klein-Computer
The NDR Klein Computer (NKC) was a do-it-yourself computer project from early 1980s Germany, created by Rolf-Dieter Klein and Joachim Arendt. In 1984 it was shown on the NDR-Schulfernsehen educational TV series and later on ComputerTreff on Bayerisches Fernsehen. The goal was to teach how computers work and how to build and upgrade a modular system so beginners could learn programming and operate a home computer.
The NKC hardware could be built in many ways. It started as an 8-bit Zilog Z80A single-board computer, and could be expanded to a 32-bit system with a Motorola 68020 CPU. Software could be loaded from EPROM or run under CP/M. An optional helper card with an Intel 8088 processor allowed MS-DOS to run.
You could connect common peripherals such as a PS/2 keyboard, 3.5-inch floppy drives, IDE hard drives, and other storage. Enthusiasts developed new cards, including a graphics card with VGA output, an extra serial port, a sound card, and keyboard/mouse connectors. There were even IDE-booting configurations for the 68k family.
Graf Elektroniksysteme in Kempten supplied the hardware, which was sold in Detmold. Fischertechnik produced a robot kit used as a teaching tool. Klein also wrote a book, Microcomputer Selbstgebaut und Programmiert (DIY Microcomputer Building and Programming), published by Franzis Verlag, and the TV series was released on VHS.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:06 (CET).