[en] This report oulines progress towards development of a high resolution, high throughput, curved crystal spectrometer suitable for line shape diagnostics of x-rays emitted from hot plasmas. The instrument is designed to interface with the MIT Tokamak (Alcator) with the initial aim of studying the prominent MoL lines which occur in the x-ray spectrum. However, it will have the versatility to function over an energy range of at least 1.5 keV to 7 keV allowing determination of temperature, charge state and density distributions for important impurity ions. The spectrometer employs a large, cylindrically bent crystal which focuses the dispersed x-rays along the cylinder axis where they are recorded by a position sensitive proportional counter. Thus, a wide energy range of the spectrum can be recorded simultaneously and sensitively from a short duration plasma. Computer control of data acquisition and analysis will allow real-time diagnostics