Thanks to Luciano, I found notes of a meeting we had with
Anna Maria on April 30 where we discussed the front panel
slot assignements. Here is what we agreed upon at the time,
and what I remember as the rationales for the decision.
I propose we stick to this assignements.
I encourage everybody to critically review my proposal and
report asap any criticism or suggestion. In the next few days
the AMS layout will have to be frozen.

Last update: July 10, 1998
==============================

Here it is:
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Agreeded upon slot assignements:

The Merger front panel that Anna Maria circulated reports
6 connectors (slots). We number them 1 to 6 from top to bottom.

MERGER : 1,2,3,4 : INPUTS A, B, C, D
         5, 6    : OUTPUTS A, B (two identical streams)
                    
AMS :         4  : OUTPUT (ROADS)
              5  : INPUT  (HITS)
                    
HB :          2  : OUTPUT (Road-Hit Packet)
              4  : INPUT (ROADS)
              6  : INPUT (HITS)
-----------------------------------------------------------------            
Rational:

1. We keep old design for merger, input top, output bottom, this
requires minimal modification to existing AMS and HB layout.

2. Cables from Merger to AMS and HB and from AMS to HB connect
   slots with the same number, so they can be straight and
   horizontal.

3. HB slots are spaced to avoid crowding, and allow placement
   of input and output chips almost exactely where they are now.

4. AMS "is sacrified" with respect to Hit Buffer to use two
   nearby slots with the idea that since it only has two
   connectors and that the bottom one is anyhow not the closest
   to the board bottom edge (slot 5 out of 6), it should be easy
   enough to place AMS chips by using extra space immediately
   above slot 4 and below slot 5.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

We have not discussed the connection from the Hit Finder and the
XTRP Fanout. I guess that since the XTRP fanout is in a different
crate, it will use whatever is left by the HF's of slots 1-4.