Abstract: A method and system for remapping units that are disabled to active units in a 3-D graphics pipeline. Specifically, in one embodiment, a method remaps processing elements in a pipeline of a graphics pipeline unit. Graphical input data are received. Then the number of enabled processing elements are determined from a plurality of processing elements. Each of the enabled processing elements are virtually addressed above a translator to virtually process the graphical input data. Then, the virtual addresses of each of the enabled processing elements are mapped to physical addresses of the enabled processing elements at the translator. The graphical input data are physically processed at the physical addresses of the enabled processing elements. In addition, each of the enabled processing elements are physically addressed below the translator to further process the graphical input data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using multiple versions of programmable constants within a multi-threaded processor allow a programmable constant to be changed before a program using the constants has completed execution. Processing performance may be improved since programs using different values for a programmable constant may execute simultaneously. The programmable constants are stored in a constant buffer and an entry of a constant buffer table is bound to the constant buffer. When a programmable constant is changed it is copied to an entry in a page pool and address translation for the page pool is updated to correspond to the old version (copy) of the programmable constant. An advantage is that the constant buffer stores the newest version of the programmable constant.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using multiple versions of programmable constants within a multi-threaded processor allow a programmable constant to be changed before a program using the constants has completed execution. Processing performance may be improved since programs using different values for a programmable constant may execute simultaneously. The programmable constants are stored in a constant buffer and an entry of a constant buffer table is bound to the constant buffer. When a programmable constant is changed it is copied to an entry in a page pool and address translation for the page pool is updated to correspond to the old version (copy) of the programmable constant. An advantage is that the constant buffer stores the newest version of the programmable constant.

Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering two data streams via two buses allow one of the buses to be used for delivering selected elements of the data stream that is primarily being delivered by the other bus. At an input rerouting circuit, the selected elements are rerouted from the second data stream into the first data stream; a token inserted in the second data stream identifies a position of the rerouted element. The modified streams are transmitted by the two buses. A receiving circuit reinserts the rerouted data element into the second data stream at the sequential position identified by the placeholder token.

Abstract: Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide circuits, methods, and apparatus that improve utilization of storage buffers by overwriting data in them as soon as the data is no longer needed. An exemplary embodiment employs a counter to add each time a particular unit of data is needed by a circuit. The counter also subtracts each time the data is actually used by the circuit. When the counter reaches zero, upstream circuitry is checked to see if a command allowing the particular data to be overwritten has been issued. If it has, the command is not waited for, rather the data may be overwritten immediately. Embodiments of the present invention may also make use of one level of indirection to mask physical storage buffer locations from upstream circuitry. In this way, utilization can be improved.

Abstract: A computing system has a graphics processor, a graphics memory, main memory, a bridge, and a central processing unit configured to process floating-point data of a first fixed size. An interconnect grid includes communication paths to link the graphics processor, the graphics memory, main memory, the bridge, and the central processing unit. A computing system component (e.g., the graphics processor or central processing unit) converts floating-point data to graphics floating-point data with a fixed size smaller than the fixed size of the floating-point data. The computing system passes the floating-point data and/or the graphics floating-point data over at least a portion of the interconnect grid. Alternately, the graphics processor may directly read and process previously compressed and stored graphics floating-point data.

Abstract: A method of generating pixels in a graphics system including providing a plurality of sub-samples, and providing a source pixel. It is determined which of the plurality of sub-samples are covered by the source pixel, and which of the plurality of sub-samples are not covered. The sub-samples which are covered by the source pixel are filtered. The filtered sub-samples are blended with the source pixel to create a blended sub-sample, followed by the filtering of the sub-samples which are not covered by the source pixel together with the blended sub-sample.