Apple Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Ati Technologies Inc.

Qualcomm Incorporated

Ati Technologies Ulc

David A Gotwalt

Steven John Fishwick

Rex Eldon McCrary

Kenneth Christian Dyke

Philip J Rogers

Srinivasa Rangan Sridharan

Karthik Ramani

Anthony P DeLaurier

Jonathan Lawrence Campbell

Ali Rabbani Rankouhi

Winnie W Yeung

Muditha Kanchana

Timothy Kelley

Benjamin Bowman

Wolfgang H Klingauf

Luc R Semeria

Fergus W MacGarry

Tom Frisinger

Andrew Evan Gruber

Andrew M Havlir

Ralph Clay Taylor

Oleksandr Khodorkovsky

Colin Christopher Sharp

Jonathan M Redshaw

Andrew S Pomianowski

Rajabali M Koduri

Thomas Edwin Frisinger

Eric Demers

Mladen Wilder

Frank W Liljeros

Arjun Thottappilly

Melissa L Velez

Fergus W Macgarry

Steven Fishwick

Jon Campbell

Tim Kelly

Disclosed embodiments relate to controlling sets of graphics work (e.g., kicks) assigned to graphics processor circuitry. In some embodiments, tracking slot circuitry implements entries for multiple tracking slots. Slot manager circuitry may store, using an entry of the tracking slot circuitry, software-specified information for a set of graphics work, where the information includes: type of work, dependencies on other sets of graphics work, and location of data for the set of graphics work. The slot manager circuitry may prefetch, from the location and prior to allocating shader core resources for the set of graphics work, configuration register data for the set of graphics work. Control circuitry may program configuration registers for the set of graphics work using the prefetched data and initiate processing of the set of graphics work by the graphics processor circuitry according to the dependencies. Disclosed techniques may reduce kick-to-kick transition time, in some embodiments.

Kickslot manager circuitry for graphics processors

Disclosed techniques relate to work distribution in graphics processors. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes circuitry that implements a plurality of logical slots and a set of graphics processor sub-units that each implement multiple distributed hardware slots. The circuitry may determine different distribution rules for first and second sets of graphics work and map logical slots to distributed hardware slots based on the distribution rules. In various embodiments, disclosed techniques may advantageously distribute work efficiently across distributed shader processors for graphics kicks of various sizes.

Logical slot to hardware slot mapping for graphics processors

Techniques are disclosed relating to updating page pools in the context of cached page pool descriptors. In some embodiments, a processor is configured to assign a set of processing work to a first page pool of memory pages. Page manager circuitry may cache page pool descriptor entries in cache circuitry, where a given page pool descriptor entry indicates a set of pages assigned to a page pool. In response to a determination to grow the first page pool, the processor may communicate a grow list to the page manager circuitry, that identifies a set of memory blocks from the memory to be added to the first page pool. The page manager circuitry may then update a cached page pool descriptor entry for the first page pool to indicate the added memory blocks and generate a signal to inform the processor that the cached page pool descriptor entry is updated.

Hardware-assisted page pool grow operation

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for efficiently allocating data in a cache are described. In various embodiments, a processor decodes an indication in a software application identifying a temporal data set. The data set is flagged with a data set identifier (DSID) indicating temporal data to drop after consumption. When the data set is allocated in a cache, the data set is stored with a non-replaceable attribute to prevent a cache replacement policy from evicting the data set before it is dropped. A drop command with an indication of the DSID of the data set is later issued after the data set is read (consumed). A copy of the data set is not written back to the lower-level memory although the data set is removed from the cache. An interrupt is generated to notify firmware or other software of the completion of the drop command.

Cache drop feature to increase memory bandwidth and save power

A method of processing commands is provided. The method includes holding commands in queues and executing the commands in an order based on their respective priority. Commands having the same priority are held in the same queue.

Priority-based command execution

The present disclosure provides for systems and methods to process a non-resident page that may include attempting to access the non-resident page, an address for the non-resident page pointing to a memory page containing default values, determining that the non-resident page should not cause a page fault based on an indicator indicating that a particular non-resident page should not generate a page fault, returning an indication that a memory read did not translate and returning the default value when the access of the non-resident page is a read and the non-resident page should not cause a page fault. Another example may discontinue a write when the access of the non-resident page is a write and the non-resident page should not cause a page fault.

Conditional page fault control for page residency

A multiprocessor system includes a plurality of special purpose processors that perform different portions of a related processing task. A set of commands that cause each of the processors to perform the portions of the related task are distributed, and the set of commands includes a predicated execution command that precedes other commands within the set of commands. It is determined whether commands subsequent to the predicated execution command are intended to be executed by a first processor or a second processor based on information in the predicated execution command and the set of commands includes all commands to be executed by each processor.

Applying non-homogeneous properties to multiple video processing units (VPUs)

A method of managing resources is provided. The method includes identifying a resource associated with a processor responsive to an impending transition, and copying the identified resource from a memory associated with the GPU or to the memory associated with the GPU.

Managing resources to facilitate altering the number of active processors

A processing unit, method, and graphics processing system are provided for processing a plurality of frames of graphics data. For instance, the processing unit can include a first plurality of graphics processing units (GPUs), a second plurality of GPUs, and a plurality of compositors. The first plurality of GPUs can be configured to process a first frame of graphics data. Likewise, the second plurality of GPUs can be configured to process a second frame of graphics data. Further, each compositor in the plurality of compositors can be coupled to a respective GPU from the first and second pluralities of GPUs, where the plurality of compositors is configured to sequentially pass the first and second frames of graphics data to a display module.

Video processing across multiple graphics processing units

A system and method for applying non-homogeneous properties to multiple video processing units (VPUs) in a multiple VPU system are described. Respective VPUs in the system cooperate to produce a frame to be displayed. In various embodiments, data output by different VPUs in the system is combined, or merged, or composited to produce a frame to be displayed. In load balancing modes, each VPU in the system performs different tasks as part of rendering a same frame, and therefore typically executes different commands. In various embodiments, efficiency of the system is enhanced by forming a single command buffer for execution by all of the VPUs in the system even though each VPU may have a different set of commands to execute in the command buffer.

Growing community of inventors

Winter Springs, FL, United States of America

David A Gotwalt