of fig1 backplane assembly 100 has 4 alignment openings 104 provided therein and adapted to accept alignment pins or dowels not shown provided in a main router chassis alignment openings 104 are strategically located in four strategic locations on the backplane assembly 100 two on the top portion and two on the bottom portion openings 104 are somewhat larger in diameter than the corresponding diameter of alignment pins or dowels on a router chassis the oversizing enables acceptance of the alignment pins of a router chassis without causing misalignment of connectors as was described above backplane assembly 100 in this example consists of two portions 105 and 106 that are assembled together in a slidable fashion providing an adjustment mechanism enabling both vertical and some horizontal float when back panel 101 is completely installed to backplane assembly 100 the slidable position with respect to portions 105 and 106 of the assembly is locked the goal of telescopic capability as an adjustment mechanism is to enable alignment openings 104 to be conditionally tolerenced to fit over fixed alignment pins housed in any main router chassis it is noted herein that the alignment pins in a router chassis are associated carefully to the true position of fabric and line card connectors presented for engaging connectors 102 and 103 respectively such that when backplane 100 is adjusted for fit over the alignment pins all of the optics connections are aligned for plug in the dimensional variance may change somewhat from chassis to chassis therefore provision of an adjustable backplane assembly provides modularity 0031 fig2 is a perspective view of the backplane assembly 100 of fig1 a and b shown disassembled illustrating separate components 105 and 106.