The CMS ECAL Phase 2 Front-End (FE) card is designed to provide streaming of digitized data
generated on the Very-Frond-End (VFE) cards to the CMS ECAL back-end electronics system based on
the Barrel Calorimeter Processor (BCP) ATCA modules. The FE card is intended to utilize data links
developed within the Versatile Link common project. The card will contain four lpGBT ASICS with
corresponding versatile link plus optical link modules.
The first prototype FE card was developed to validate the clock distribution, the high speed serial data links
as well as other specific technical features of the future design using the currently available GBT chipset
and versatile link components