Minipacket flow control

An apparatus and method for providing minipacket flow control. A device includes a traffic manager interface (TMI) circuit that receives a minipacket, communicates the minipacket to a physical layer circuit, and communicates a minipacket flow control signal to a scheduler circuit that controls if another minipacket is to be sent to the TMI circuit. In one example, upon receiving a minipacket the TMI circuit updates a current credit value, compares the current credit value with a credit limit value, and outputs a minipacket flow control signal that is a function of the comparison. In another example, upon receiving a minipacket the TMI circuit updates a current credit value, compares the current credit value with a credit limit value, reads and compares a credit pool value with a credit pool limit value, and outputs a minipacket flow control signal that is a function of both of the comparisons.