A method comprising: receiving signal elements corresponding to a first group of symbols of a vector signaling codeword over a first densely-routed wire group of a multi-wire bus at a first set of multi-input comparators, MICs, for detecting a first set of subchannel vectors of a plurality of mutually orthogonal subchannel vectors, the first set of subchannel vectors being carried exclusively via the first densely-route wire group, and responsively generating a respective detected subchannel output for each subchannel vector in the first set of subchannel vectors; receiving signal elements corresponding to a second group of symbols of the vector signaling codeword over a second densely-routed wire group of the multi-wire bus at a second set of MICs for detecting a second set of subchannel vectors of the plurality of mutually orthogonal subchannel vectors, the second set of subchannel vectors being carried exclusively via the second densely-routed wire group, and responsively generating a respective detected subchannel output for each subchannel vector in the second set of subchannel vectors; and characterized by processing, at a global MIC for detecting a subchannel vector of the plurality of mutually orthogonal subchannel vectors being carried by the first and second densely-routed wire groups, (i) signal elements received via the first densely-routed wire group according to a first sampling clock and (ii) signal elements received via the second densely-routed wire group according to a second sampling clock, the second sampling clock having an offset with respect to the first sampling clock, the offset associated with a skew difference between the first and second densely-routed wire groups, the signal elements processed at the global MIC using a third sampling clock having a phase delay with respect to the first and the second sampling clocks. receiving signal elements corresponding to a first group of symbols of a vector signaling codeword over a first densely-routed wire group of a multi-wire bus at a first set of multi-input comparators, MICs, for detecting a first set of subchannel vectors of a plurality of mutually orthogonal subchannel vectors, the first set of subchannel vectors being carried exclusively via the first densely-route wire group, and responsively generating a respective detected subchannel output for each subchannel vector in the first set of subchannel vectors; receiving signal elements corresponding to a second group of symbols of the vector signaling codeword over a second densely-routed wire group of the multi-wire bus at a second set of MICs for detecting a second set of subchannel vectors of the plurality of mutually orthogonal subchannel vectors, the second set of subchannel vectors being carried exclusively via the second densely-routed wire group, and responsively generating a respective detected subchannel output for each subchannel vector in the second set of subchannel vectors; and characterized by processing, at a global MIC for detecting a subchannel vector of the plurality of mutually orthogonal subchannel vectors being carried by the first and second densely-routed wire groups, (i) signal elements received via the first densely-routed wire group according to a first sampling clock and (ii) signal elements received via the second densely-routed wire group according to a second sampling clock, the second sampling clock having an offset with respect to the first sampling clock, the offset associated with a skew difference between the first and second densely-routed wire groups, the signal elements processed at the global MIC using a third sampling clock having a phase delay with respect to the first and the second sampling clocks. <EOS>