Magnified texture-mapped pixel performance in a single-pixel pipeline

Abstract

A system and a method for improving magnified texture-mapped pixel performance in a single-pixel pipeline. A plurality of textured pixel addresses corresponding to a plurality of pixels may be generated. A FIFO or other memory unit may be used to linearly order the plurality of textured pixel addresses. Two consecutive textured pixel addresses out of the plurality of textured pixel addresses may be examined if they map to a common set of texels in texture space. The two consecutive textured pixel addresses may be merged together and propagated down the pipeline if they map to the common set of texels. However, only a first of the two consecutive textured pixel addresses may be propagated down the pipeline if the two consecutive textured pixel addresses do not map to a common set of texels. Texel data may be generated in response to receiving either the combined texel structure or the first of the two textured pixel addresses. The texel data may be filtered using one or more texture filters in order to generate texture values. The next two textured pixel addresses that may be examined by the merge unit include the subsequent two consecutive textured pixel addresses, or a second of the two consecutive textured pixel addresses and a subsequent consecutive textured pixel address.