A processing system, comprising: a bus having transmit and receive channels, the transmit channel having a plurality of sub-channels (108a-d); a sending component configured to broadcast on each of the subchannels (108a-d) information comprising read and write address locations, read and write control signals, and write data; and a receiving component configured to store the write data broadcast and retrieve read data in response to the information broadcast on any of the sub-channels (108a-d), and broadcast the retrieved read data on the receive channel to the sending component; characterised in that: the sending component is further configured: to provide to the receiving component independent signaling for each of the sub-channels (108a-d), the independent signaling allowing the receiving component to determine the type of information being broadcast on each of the sub-channels; and to further provide to the receiving component signaling common to all of the sub-channels (108a-d), wherein the signaling comprises a signal indicating that the information broadcast on each of the sub-channels (108a-d) is valid, and wherein the receiving component is further configured to provide to the sending component signaling which is adapted to acknowledge a transaction only when a broadcast is received on each of the sub-channels (108a-d). a bus having transmit and receive channels, the transmit channel having a plurality of sub-channels (108a-d); a sending component configured to broadcast on each of the subchannels (108a-d) information comprising read and write address locations, read and write control signals, and write data; and a receiving component configured to store the write data broadcast and retrieve read data in response to the information broadcast on any of the sub-channels (108a-d), and broadcast the retrieved read data on the receive channel to the sending component; characterised in that: the sending component is further configured: to provide to the receiving component independent signaling for each of the sub-channels (108a-d), the independent signaling allowing the receiving component to determine the type of information being broadcast on each of the sub-channels; and to further provide to the receiving component signaling common to all of the sub-channels (108a-d), wherein the signaling comprises a signal indicating that the information broadcast on each of the sub-channels (108a-d) is valid, and wherein the receiving component is further configured to provide to the sending component signaling which is adapted to acknowledge a transaction only when a broadcast is received on each of the sub-channels (108a-d). the sending component is further configured: to provide to the receiving component independent signaling for each of the sub-channels (108a-d), the independent signaling allowing the receiving component to determine the type of information being broadcast on each of the sub-channels; and to further provide to the receiving component signaling common to all of the sub-channels (108a-d), wherein the signaling comprises a signal indicating that the information broadcast on each of the sub-channels (108a-d) is valid, and wherein the receiving component is further configured to provide to the sending component signaling which is adapted to acknowledge a transaction only when a broadcast is received on each of the sub-channels (108a-d). to provide to the receiving component independent signaling for each of the sub-channels (108a-d), the independent signaling allowing the receiving component to determine the type of information being broadcast on each of the sub-channels; and to further provide to the receiving component signaling common to all of the sub-channels (108a-d), wherein the signaling comprises a signal indicating that the information broadcast on each of the sub-channels (108a-d) is valid, and wherein the receiving component is further configured to provide to the sending component signaling which is adapted to acknowledge a transaction only when a broadcast is received on each of the sub-channels (108a-d).