Embedded control channel for high speed serial interconnect

An apparatus, comprising:

• a first component and a second component coupled in communication via a serial interconnect having a plurality of lanes, each of the first and second components having embedded logic configured to facilitate an embedded control channel in a protocol used to transfer information between the first and second components via the serial interconnect, wherein operational aspects of the interconnect are controlled via use of control channel data that is sent over one or more of the data lanes on a periodic basis having a nominal periodicity.

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of components, interconnected via a plurality of interconnects, including a first component and a second component coupled in communication via a serial interconnect having a plurality of lanes, each of the first and second components having embedded logic configured to facilitate an embedded control channel in a protocol used to transfer information between the first and second components via the serial interconnect, the embedded control channel implementing a link state cycle employed for transmitting control information and non-control information over the serial interconnect, the link state cycle including a first period comprising a link control period during which link control information may be transmitted over the one or more lanes, the first period having a starting time that is implemented at a nominal periodicity.