Low overhead, high bandwidth re-configurable interconnect apparatus and method

Abstract

Described is an low overhead method and apparatus to reconfigure a pair of buffered interconnect links to operate in one of these three modes—first mode (e.g., bandwidth mode), second mode (e.g., latency mode), and third mode (e.g., energy mode). In bandwidth mode, each link in the pair buffered interconnect links carries a unique signal from source to destination. In latency mode, both links in the pair carry the same signal from source to destination, where one link in the pair is 'primary' and other is called the 'assist'. Temporal alignment of transitions in this pair of buffered interconnects reduces the effective capacitance of primary, thereby reducing delay or latency. In energy mode, one link in the pair, the primary, alone carries a signal, while the other link in the pair is idle. An idle neighbor on one side reduces energy consumption of the primary.