Chris Shelton

Chris Shelton was an electronics engineer and design consultant whose earlier work included terminals and computer-related equipment. In 1977 John Marshall of Lynx Electronics asked Shelton Instruments to design a low-cost single-board microcomputer around the Zilog Z80 processor.

Shelton created the Nascom 1 with an integrated keyboard, video display circuitry, serial interface and monitor software. It offered far more than a bare processor trainer and could grow into a practical personal computer through expansion boards and software.

The Nascom 1 was introduced at the end of 1977 and became one of the foundational machines of the British microcomputer-kit movement. Shelton's compact, expandable design influenced the more capable Nascom 2 and a broad community of users.