A method and apparatus for a multi-channel high speed framer is described.
In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus. The apparatus includes
a first plurality of pipeline stages suitable for data framing between a
link layer and a network interface. The apparatus also includes a first
memory coupled to each pipeline stage of the first plurality of pipeline
stages, the first memory to store context information at predetermined
stage locations for each pipeline stage. The apparatus further includes a
first control logic coupled to the first memory and to each pipeline
stage of the first plurality of pipeline stages, the first control logic
to control transfer of data between the first memory and the first
plurality of pipeline stages. Within the apparatus, each stage of the
first plurality of pipeline stages is suitable for loading the context
information from the first memory through first control logic and
performing a sub-function of data framing.