diff --git a/src/proc/play/output-slot-connection.hpp b/src/proc/play/output-slot-connection.hpp
index 570ca3ebf..93efd8ca9 100644
--- a/src/proc/play/output-slot-connection.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/play/output-slot-connection.hpp
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ namespace play {
       
     private: // Implementation details
       
-      DataSink
+      static DataSink
       connectOutputSink (CON& connection)
         {
           DataSink newSink;
@@ -189,9 +189,10 @@ namespace play {
           return newSink;
         }
       
-      void
-      shutdownConnection (CON* toClose)
+      static void
+      shutdownConnection (void* toClose)
         {
+          ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO problem: is it possible to pass the concrete type????
           UNIMPLEMENTED ("how to mark a connection as closed");
         }
     };
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/play/diagnostic-output-slot.hpp b/tests/components/proc/play/diagnostic-output-slot.hpp
index ffd1ce829..39105874c 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/play/diagnostic-output-slot.hpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/play/diagnostic-output-slot.hpp
@@ -32,15 +32,19 @@
 
 
 #include "lib/error.hpp"
+#include "include/logging.h"
 #include "proc/play/output-slot.hpp"
+#include "proc/play/output-slot-connection.hpp"
+#include "proc/engine/buffhandle.hpp"
+#include "proc/engine/tracking-heap-block-provider.hpp"
 #include "lib/iter-source.hpp"  ////////////TODO really going down that path...?
 #include "proc/engine/testframe.hpp"
 //#include "lib/sync.hpp"
 
-//#include <boost/noncopyable.hpp>
+#include <boost/noncopyable.hpp>
 //#include <string>
 //#include <vector>
-//#include <tr1/memory>
+#include <tr1/memory>
 //#include <boost/scoped_ptr.hpp>
 
 
@@ -48,14 +52,77 @@ namespace proc {
 namespace play {
 
 //using std::string;
+  using ::engine::BufferDescriptor;
   using ::engine::test::TestFrame;
+  using ::engine::TrackingHeapBlockProvider;
 
 //using std::vector;
-//using std::tr1::shared_ptr;
+  using std::tr1::shared_ptr;
 //using boost::scoped_ptr;
   
   
   
+  class TrackingInMemoryBlockSequence
+    : public OutputSlot::Connection
+    {
+      
+      shared_ptr<BufferProvider> buffProvider_;
+      BufferDescriptor bufferType_;
+      
+      
+      /* === Connection API === */
+      
+      void
+      lock (FrameID)
+        {
+          buffProvider_->lockBufferFor (bufferType_);
+          /////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO: should return that
+        }
+      
+      void
+      transfer (FrameID frameNr)
+        {
+          pushout (frameNr);
+        }
+      
+      void
+      pushout (FrameID)
+        {
+          UNIMPLEMENTED ("simulate output");
+        }
+      
+      
+    public:
+      TrackingInMemoryBlockSequence()
+        : buffProvider_(new TrackingHeapBlockProvider())
+        , bufferType_(buffProvider_->getDescriptor<TestFrame>())
+        {
+          INFO (engine_dbg, "building in-memory diagnostic output sequence");
+        }
+      
+      virtual
+     ~TrackingInMemoryBlockSequence()
+        {
+          INFO (engine_dbg, "releasing diagnostic output sequence");
+        }
+    };
+  
+  
+  class SimulatedOutputSequences
+    : public ConnectionStateManager<TrackingInMemoryBlockSequence>
+    , boost::noncopyable
+    {
+      TrackingInMemoryBlockSequence
+      buildConnection()
+        {
+          return TrackingInMemoryBlockSequence();
+        }
+    };
+  
+    
+    
+    
+  
   /********************************************************************
    * Helper for unit tests: Mock output sink.
    * 
@@ -64,6 +131,14 @@ namespace play {
   class DiagnosticOutputSlot
     : public OutputSlot
     {
+      /* === hook into the OutputSlot frontend === */
+      ConnectionState*
+      buildState()
+        {
+          return new SimulatedOutputSequences();
+        }
+        
+      
     public:
       /** build a new Diagnostic Output Slot instance,
        *  discard the existing one. Use the static query API