Patent ID: 9588839
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L

Claim:
1. A network device, comprising: a plurality of ports for connecting the network device to a network via a plurality of links, where the plurality of ports are configured to operate in a first operating mode as a single port operating at a first operating speed and in a second operating mode where each of the plurality of ports operate as an independent port connected to the network via one of the plurality of links at a second operating speed; a shared memory device for staging information received from the network for the plurality of ports operating in the first operating mode and the second operating mode; a receive port selector that selects information from the shared memory device when the plurality of ports are operating in the second operating mode; and a shared error correction code module for decoding and performing error correction on information received via the network for the first operating mode and the second operating mode; wherein the shared error correction module includes a shared decoder that operates using at least two different clocks, where for the first operating mode, a clock is obtained from information received from the network and for the second operating mode, a default system clock is used to decode received information.