Patent ID: 7602212

Claim:
An integrated circuit comprising: a first channel of high-speed serial data signal interface circuitry having a relatively large set of circuit blocks that are at least partly hard-wired to perform functions for implementing various aspects of a high-speed serial data signal interface operation; a second channel of high-speed serial data signal interface circuitry having a relatively small set of circuit blocks that are at least partly hard-wired to perform functions for implementing various aspects of a high-speed serial data signal interface operation; and circuitry for selectively allowing the second channel to make use of circuit blocks of the first channel that are not in the second channel's set of circuit blocks and that are not being used by the first channel, wherein the relatively large set comprises: physical media attachment blocks; and physical coding sublayer blocks, and wherein the circuitry for selectively allowing comprises: multiplexer circuitry for selectively applying to the physical coding sublayer blocks signals from either the physical media attachment blocks or the second channel.