Tunnel device for an input/output node of a computer system

摘要

A tunnel device for an input/output node of a computer system. A tunnel device includes a first interface, a second interface and a control unit. The first interface may receive a plurality of data bytes associated with a command packet on a first external input/output bus. The second interface may be coupled to the first interface by an internal data path configured to convey up to a maximum number of data bytes in a given cycle. The control unit may be coupled to control the conveyance of the data bytes from the first interface to the second interface upon the internal data path. The first interface may further align the smaller number of data bytes on a corresponding number of designated bits of the internal data path with no intervening invalid data bytes when conveying a smaller number of data bytes than the maximum number of data bytes.