Apple Inc.

Fergus W MacGarry

Benjamin Bowman

Steven John Fishwick

Kutty Banerjee

Ali Rabbani Rankouhi

David A Gotwalt

Pratik Chandresh Shah

Andrew M Havlir

Ralph Clay Taylor

Jonathan M Redshaw

Mladen Wilder

Melissa L Velez

Disclosed techniques relate to circuitry configured to aggregate and report usage information in a distributed processor (e.g., a GPU). In some embodiments, graphics processor circuitry that includes at least first and second portions that are respectively configured to execute sets of graphics work. First utilization circuitry may track execution time for sets of graphics work on the first portion of the graphics processor circuitry and second utilization circuitry may track execution time for sets of graphics work on the second portion of the graphics processor circuitry. Command queue circuitry may store multiple different command queues. Control circuitry may access the first and second utilization circuitry and aggregate utilization data on a per-command-queue basis, where for a given command queue, the aggregated utilization data indicates respective utilization of the first and second portions of the graphics processor circuitry. The control circuitry may provide the aggregated per-command-queue utilization data in software-accessible registers.

Quality of service techniques in distributed graphics processor

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

Disclosed techniques relate to distributing graphics work based on priority. In some embodiments, circuitry implements a plurality of tracking slots for sets of graphics work. A set of graphics processor sub-units may each implement multiple distributed hardware slots. Control circuitry may attempt to assign a first set of graphics work having a first priority to a graphics processor sub-unit that is currently executing graphics work having an equal or higher priority than the first priority, where the first set of graphics work is from a first tracking slot. The control circuitry may, in response to a failure of the attempt, generate a signal to graphics software that indicates the failure, wherein the signal indicates the first tracking slot. Disclosed techniques may reduce or avoid problems relating to higher priority work being scheduled behind lower priority work.

Priority inversion mitigation techniques

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Fergus W MacGarry