Dear All

Here is a synopsis of today's AFE8 board production meeting.  These comments
are not intended as full minutes, please comment or correct if wrong.
Although the AFE8 is basically functioning and with reasonable noise
characteristics there was discomfort over the lack of quantified measures of
noise and the incompleteness of test procedures. (That is, there was
insufficient time to perform all the possible tests.)  Also troublesome, the
SVX readout has recently generated errors which are not understood.  Paul
Rubinov, Fred and Marvin all feel that any residual digital problems  can be
treated with green wires and that the analog circuitry is nearly at the
technical limit.  In order to prudently move ahead we decided that

1) after final checks by the engineers the AFE8 gerber files will be
submitted to Sanmina this Thursday or Friday.  We will request Sanmina hold
board production pending final approval.

Prior to that approval,

2) the SVX readout must be validated or the errors understood.

3) The noise and efficiency characteristics must be quantified, presented,
and discussed.  The suggested form of presentation for a single channel was
SIFT efficiency versus discriminator threshold for an input equivalent of 2
photo-electrons. As many channels as possible should be presented.

4) We will meet again next week to discuss the results and approval.

There were many more comments regarding possible additional tests to be
performed before stuffing is approved.  It would be most useful if these
were compiled in a written form.  Please feel free to send them to me.

Jerry