An integrated circuit comprising: clock and data recovery circuitry for operating on an input serial data signal (RXP, RXN) to recover data information from the input serial data signal and for outputting the recovered data information in a retimed data signal (DEVEN, DODD), the clock and data recovery circuitry including a first circuit element that is controllable by a first control signal to perform in any of a plurality of different ways; and utilization circuitry for monitoring the retimed data signal (DEVEN, DODD) in order to detect a communication change request in the retimed data signal and for changing the first control signal in response to detection of such a communication change request, characterized in that the first circuit element comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator supporting a continuous tuning range and a counter, added after the voltage-controlled oscillator, for scaling frequency of an oscillation signal of the voltage controlled oscillator by a plurality of different frequency scale factors, respectively, and for outputting a plurality of oscillatory signals at the scaled frequencies; wherein the continuous tuning range of the voltage-controlled oscillator and the counter setting support a continuous range of data rates of the input serial data signal (RXP, RXN); wherein the clock and data recovery circuitry further includes a plurality of circuit components (42, 44), each of the circuit components (42, 44) adapted to select one of a plurality of oscillatory signals at the scaled frequencies output by the counter; and wherein the utilization circuit is configured to control each of the plurality of circuit components (42, 44) to obtain a respective scaling frequency of signal. clock and data recovery circuitry for operating on an input serial data signal (RXP, RXN) to recover data information from the input serial data signal and for outputting the recovered data information in a retimed data signal (DEVEN, DODD), the clock and data recovery circuitry including a first circuit element that is controllable by a first control signal to perform in any of a plurality of different ways; and utilization circuitry for monitoring the retimed data signal (DEVEN, DODD) in order to detect a communication change request in the retimed data signal and for changing the first control signal in response to detection of such a communication change request, characterized in that the first circuit element comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator supporting a continuous tuning range and a counter, added after the voltage-controlled oscillator, for scaling frequency of an oscillation signal of the voltage controlled oscillator by a plurality of different frequency scale factors, respectively, and for outputting a plurality of oscillatory signals at the scaled frequencies; wherein the continuous tuning range of the voltage-controlled oscillator and the counter setting support a continuous range of data rates of the input serial data signal (RXP, RXN); wherein the clock and data recovery circuitry further includes a plurality of circuit components (42, 44), each of the circuit components (42, 44) adapted to select one of a plurality of oscillatory signals at the scaled frequencies output by the counter; and wherein the utilization circuit is configured to control each of the plurality of circuit components (42, 44) to obtain a respective scaling frequency of signal.