Patent ID: 11907035
Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  Y | IPC G

Claim 9:
10. An apparatus comprising:
an interface to couple to a second device over a link to be established using the interface, wherein the interface comprises:
a set of data pins to support data communication on the link based on an interconnect protocol; and
an auxiliary pin separate from the set of data pins to support the link based on the interconnect protocol, wherein the interconnect protocol defines a set of protocol-defined signals to be communicated on the auxiliary pin; and

circuitry to:
monitor the auxiliary pin for a sideband signal in a set of sideband signals, wherein the set of sideband signals are outside the set of protocol-defined signals;
interpret the sideband signal in the set of sideband signals as intended for a particular subcomponent of the apparatus; and
send information to the particular subcomponent based on the sideband signal in the set of sideband signals.