A Method, Apparatus, And System For Controlling Power Consumption Of Unused Hardware Of A Link Interface

A method comprising:

• determining a common number of virtual channels supportable by a first endpoint and a second endpoint coupled via a link;
• accessing a storage using the common number of virtual channels to obtain a control setting corresponding to the common number of virtual channels;
• and
• providing an operating voltage to selected first hardware buffers of the first endpoint and selected second hardware buffers of the second endpoint based on the control setting.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first link interface to interface the apparatus to a link coupled between the apparatus and a second device, the first link interface including a plurality of independent circuits each to communicate data of a corresponding traffic class;
• a first configuration storage to store a maximum supportable value corresponding to the number of the plurality of independent circuits;
• a configuration logic to determine a link maximum value corresponding to a minimum of the maximum supportable value stored in the first configuration storage and a maximum supportable value stored in a second configuration storage of the second device and to obtain a different representation of the link maximum value;
• and
• a control circuit to enable a first set of the plurality of independent circuits and to disable a second set of the plurality of independent circuits responsive to the different representation, when the link maximum value is less than a number of the plurality of independent circuits.

A system comprising:

• a first device including a first link interface having a first plurality of hardware buffers each to store information associated with one or more virtual channels;
• and
• a second device coupled to the first device via a link, the second device including:
• a second link interface having a second plurality of hardware buffers each to store information associated with one or more of the virtual channels, wherein there are more of the second plurality of hardware buffers than the first plurality of hardware buffers;
• a controller to determine a maximum number of virtual channels commonly supported by the first and second devices, the maximum number corresponding to the number of the plurality of first hardware buffers and to obtain a control value based on the maximum number;
• and
• a gate logic to enable less than all of the plurality of second hardware buffers responsive to the control value.