Example embodiments may include a method for configuring an interface that includes determining information for a configuration of an interface of a first device including a plurality of SERDES slices having a plurality of connections to a second device over the interface; and configuring a back channel layer associated with the first device to form a back channel path to carry a message between a transmitter and a receiver of the first device based on the configuration of the plurality of connections to the second device. The transmitter can be in a first SERDES slice of the plurality of SERDES slices and the receiver is in a second SERDES slice of the plurality of SERDES slices.