Patent ID: 7308514

Claim:
A method for configuring a point to point communication link coupling a first and a second device, the method comprising: configuring a first communication link interface in the first device, the configuring including, setting in a transmit width field for the link interface in the first device a transmit width of a transmit portion of the first communication link interface based on a lesser of a maximum transmit width of the transmit portion of the first communication link interface specified in a maximum transmit width field on the first device and a maximum receive width of a receive portion of a second communication link interface in the second device; and setting in a receive width field for the link interface in the first device a receive width of a receive portion of the first communication link interface, separately from setting the transmit width, based on a lesser of a maximum receive width of the receive portion of the first communication link interface specified in a maximum receive width field for the link interface in the first device and a maximum transmit width of a transmit portion of the second communication link interface.