Patent ID: 8161207

Claim:
An electronic component comprising: a logic component; an upstream interface circuit; and a downstream interface circuit; wherein the logic component is associated with the upstream interface circuit and the downstream interface circuit of the electronic component, wherein the upstream interface circuit comprises: an input signal path configured to receive data from an upstream logic component; an input buffer configured to receive the data from the input signal path; an upstream transmit readiness signal path configured to receive an upstream transmit readiness signal from the upstream logic component; and an upstream receive readiness signal path configured to transmit an upstream receive readiness signal to the upstream logic component, the upstream receive readiness signal indicative of readiness of the logic component associated with the upstream interface circuit and the downstream interface circuit of the electronic component, and wherein the downstream interface circuit comprises: an output signal path configured to output data from the logic component associated with the upstream interface circuit and the downstream interface circuit of the electronic component to a downstream logic component; a downstream transmit readiness signal path configured to transmit a downstream transmit readiness signal to the downstream logic component; and a downstream readiness signal path configured to receive a downstream receive readiness signal from the downstream logic component, wherein the upstream interface circuit is configured to generate the upstream receive readiness signal in response to an associated logic component readiness signal, the associated logic component readiness signal being indicative of readiness of the logic component associated with the upstream interface circuit and the downstream interface circuit of the electronic component to receive the data, and wherein the logic component associated with the upstream interface circuit and the downstream interface circuit of the electronic component comprises circuitry that is configured to perform one or more functions on the data.