A technique includes, in response to feedback received from ongoing link training with an endpoint device over a serial communication link, a processor identifying a first training set sequence to be communicated as part of the ongoing link training. The technique includes the processor selecting a first state machine of a plurality of state machines; and the processor programming the selected first state machine to communicate the first training set sequence to the serial communication link. The programming of the first state machine includes programming the first state machine with a data pattern that is associated with the first training set sequence and programming the first state machine with a condition to regulate a number of times that the state machine communicates the data pattern to the serial communication link.