Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 13:02:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Dan Edmunds <edmunds@pa.msu.edu>
To: Marvin Johnson <mjohnson@imapserver1.fnal.gov>
Cc: John T. Anderson <janderson@fnal.gov>, Alan L. Stone <alstone@fnal.gov>,
     Hal Evans <evans@nevis.columbia.edu>,
     Paul Padley <padley@physics.rice.edu>, 'Darien Wood' <darien@neu.edu>,
     Maris Abolins <abolins@pa.msu.edu>, Raymond L. Brock <brock@pa.msu.edu>,
     Hendrik Weerts <weerts@pa.msu.edu>
Subject: Re: paddle board

On Tue, 25 May 2004, Marvin Johnson wrote:

> Dan,
> Is it possible to have the connectors on your paddle board modified for
> the 3M D connector?  If you do not have time and the schematic is in
> orcad, I can have George Wolf do it.  I would like to build a prototype
> to test and having a paddle board with the correct connectors would be
> very nice.
> Marvin

Hello Marvin,

We made 5 or 6 versions of that paddle card to take care of the
different arrangements of cables that we need to bring into the back
of the Trigger Framework backplanes.  I think that I did them all by
typing in the ascii net lists,  i.e. there are no schematics as such
for any of them.

The net list for the paddle card that we were looking at Monday
afternoon is on the web:

   www.pa.msu.edu/hep/d0/ftp/l1/framework/hardware/pb_rear/
                                           rear_paddle_brd_net_list.txt

There is a whole section on that web site about those paddle cards about
2/3 of the way down in:  www.pa.msu.edu/hep/d0/l1/framework/index.html
But I do not have orcad schematics.

I 100% strongly agree that for all of these cabling type projects,
having a prototype or model of the component so you can hold it in
your had and test it is very important.

We can test any of these new cabling setups out on the sidewalk area.
To verify that things will fit we could dress all the cables into a
crate or a rack.  For some of the 2004 shutdown (starting at the end
of August) I will have the current L1 Cal Trig turned off so people
can have the doors open and examine the current setup of the BLS cables.

I assume that we should push to make the pinout lists at the 5 points
of connection and from that we could make the net lists or schematics
for the paddle card and for the patch panel.   Connection points:

       existing BLS cable to patch panel
       patch panel to pleated foil cable
       patch panel monitor/test points
       pleated foil to paddle board
       paddle board to crate P2 (ADF-2 card analog input through P2)

I know the pinout at the existing BLS connectors and of the ADF-2 card
input (i.e. the P2 backplane connector).  All of that stuff is on the
web and I can show it to whoever will do this detailed work.

Concerns:

    The crates are Wiener 6U VME-64X commercial crates.  Will it
    require special mechanics in back of the backplane to support
    the paddle cards and the ton of cables ??   These crates have
    removable power supplies that are right under these cables.
    These cables will need to exit the back of the crate to the left
    and right to provide access to the power supply.

    Will the ERNI 5 row female connector (as used on the TFW paddle
    card that we looked at on Monday afternoon) fit into the Wiener
    P2 shrouds ??

    These crates have the metric P0 connector.  We are using (plugging
    cables into)  the P0 connectors at 20 of the 21 slots.   Do the
    ears on the ERNI connector interfere with access to the P0 connector?
    (I think that they do.)  The top edge of the paddle card can not
    interfere with the P0 access.

    In back of the backplane we need to support / strain relief:

         the LVDS cables going into P0
         the BLS cables going into paddle cards
         the top and bottom edges of the paddle cards

I spent time this morning working with John Foglesong and Johnny Green.
We made sketches of things, counted cables and circuits, and looked at
all the existing stuff.  I will send them a note with some follow up
information.

I want to thank you and John Anderson for helping Alan with this cable
project.  There are clearly lots of electrical issues that need to be
thought about (or else the BLS signals will have less accuracy than
they do now)   and   there are lots of mechanical issues that need to be
thought about (or else this cabling will not fit together).

  Thank you again for your time on Monday,   Dan

P.S.  I copied this to Hal, Darien, Paul, Maris, Chip and Harry
      (the managers) to let them know that you and John Anderson
      are starting Fermi D-Zero electrical support working on this
      cabling project.   They are the contacts for budget information
      and such.