Patent ID: 8514885

Claim:
A method for implementing variable length packets to embed extra control information in an interconnect system, said interconnect system including a plurality of interconnect chips; a plurality of serial links connected between each of said plurality of interconnect chips for sending packets between a source device and a destination device; said method comprising: using said interconnect chips, defining packets to include an End-to-End (ETE) Flow Unit within packet (Flit) count field in a packet header; said ETE Flit count field identifying a specified number of embedded ETE flits; receiving an incoming packet from an incoming link; checking said ETE flit count field, and responsive to an identified nonzero value in said ETE flit count field identifying said specified number of said embedded ETE flits, removing said specified number of said embedded ETE flits from said incoming packet; and using control information from said specified number of said embedded ETE flits being removed from-said incoming packet.