Richard Altwasser

Richard Altwasser is a British electronics engineer best known for designing the hardware of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. He graduated in engineering from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1978 and joined Sinclair Research in 1980.

His early work at Sinclair included programs for the ZX80 and the printed circuit board for the ZX81. That experience led to a larger role on the next computer, initially known as the ZX82. Altwasser became responsible for the Spectrum's hardware and developed its colour graphics architecture, balancing new capabilities against Sinclair's strict cost limits.

The finished ZX Spectrum used a compact design built around a Z80 processor and a custom logic array. Its colour display and low price helped make it one of Britain's most influential home computers, supporting a large software and games industry.

Altwasser left Sinclair shortly after the Spectrum's launch and founded Jupiter Cantab with Steve Vickers. Their Jupiter Ace used the Forth programming language, an unusual choice in a market dominated by BASIC. He later continued a career in electronics and engineering management.