Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for processing variable wavefront sizes on a processor are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes at least a scheduler, cache, and multiple execution units. When operating in a first mode, the processor executes the same instruction on multiple portions of a wavefront before proceeding to the next instruction of the shader program. When operating in a second mode, the processor executes a set of instructions on a first portion of a wavefront. In the second mode, when the processor finishes executing the set of instructions on the first portion of the wavefront, the processor executes the set of instructions on a second portion of the wavefront, and so on until all portions of the wavefront have been processed. The processor determines the operating mode based on one or more conditions.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for routing traffic between clients and system memory are disclosed. A computing system includes a processor capable of executing single precision mathematical instructions on data sizes of M bits and half precision mathematical instructions on data sizes of N bits, which is less than M bits. At least two source operands with M bits indicated by a received instruction are read from a register file. If the instruction is a packed math instruction, at least a first source operand with a size of N bits less than M bits is selected from either a high portion or a low portion of one of the at least two source operands read from the register file. The instruction includes fields storing bits, each bit indicating the high portion or the low portion of a given source operand associated with a register identifier specified elsewhere in the instruction.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing a stream processor with overlapping execution are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes at least a parallel processing unit with a plurality of execution pipelines. The processing throughput of the parallel processing unit is increased by overlapping execution of multi-pass instructions with single pass instructions without increasing the instruction issue rate. A first plurality of operands of a first vector instruction are read from a shared vector register file in a single clock cycle and stored in temporary storage. The first plurality of operands are accessed and utilized to initiate multiple instructions on individual vector elements on a first execution pipeline in subsequent clock cycles. A second plurality of operands are read from the shared vector register file during the subsequent clock cycles to initiate execution of one or more second vector instructions on the second execution pipeline.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for maintaining separate pending load and store counters are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system includes at least one execution unit, a memory subsystem, and a pair of counters for each thread of execution. In one embodiment, the system implements a software based approach for managing dependencies between instructions. In one embodiment, the execution unit(s) maintains counters to support the software-based approach for managing dependencies between instructions. The execution unit(s) are configured to execute instructions that are used to manage the dependencies during run-time. In one embodiment, the execution unit(s) execute wait instructions to wait until a given counter is equal to a specified value before continuing to execute the instruction sequence.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for processing variable wavefront sizes on a processor are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes at least a scheduler, cache, and multiple execution units. When operating in a first mode, the processor executes the same instruction on multiple portions of a wavefront before proceeding to the next instruction of the shader program. When operating in a second mode, the processor executes a set of instructions on a first portion of a wavefront. In the second mode, when the processor finishes executing the set of instructions on the first portion of the wavefront, the processor executes the set of instructions on a second portion of the wavefront, and so on until all portions of the wavefront have been processed. The processor determines the operating mode based on one or more conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for hardware-based performance monitoring of a computer system are presented. The apparatus includes: processing units; a memory; a connector device connecting the processing units and the memory; probes inserted the processing units, and the probes generating probe signals when selected processing events are detected; and a thread trace device connected to the connector device. The thread trace device includes an event interface to receive probe signals, and an event memory controller to send probe event messages to the memory, where probe event messages are based on probe signals. The probe event messages transferred to memory can be subsequently analyzed using a software program to determine, for example, thread-to-thread interactions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for improving divergent conditional branches in code being executed by a processor. For example, in an embodiment, a method comprises detecting a conditional statement of a program being simultaneously executed by a plurality of threads, determining which threads evaluate a condition of the conditional statement as true and which threads evaluate the condition as false, pushing an identifier associated with the larger set of the threads onto a stack, executing code associated with a smaller set of the threads, and executing code associated with the larger set of the threads.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for power control in a processor. The apparatus comprises a plurality of operational units arranged as a group of operational units. A power consumption monitor determines when cumulative power consumption of the group of operational units exceeds a threshold (e.g., either or both of the cumulative power threshold and the cumulative power rate threshold) during a time interval, after which a filter for issuing instructions to the group of operational units suspends instruction issuance to the group of operational units for the remainder of the time interval. The method comprises monitoring cumulative power consumption by a group of operational units within a processor over a time interval. If the cumulative power consumption of the group of operational units exceeds the threshold, instruction issuance to the group of operational units is suspended for the remainder of the time interval.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product embodiments for synchronizing workitems on one or more processors are disclosed. The embodiments include executing a barrier skip instruction by a first workitem from the group, and responsive to the executed barrier skip instruction, reconfiguring a barrier to synchronize other workitems from the group in a plurality of points in a sequence without requiring the first workitem to reach the barrier in any of the plurality of points.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for handling extra contexts for shader constants, and applications thereof. In an embodiment there is provided a computer-based method for executing a series of compute packets in an execution pipeline. The execution pipeline includes a first plurality of registers configured to store state-updates of a first type and a second plurality of registers configured to store state-updates of a second type. A first number of state-updates of the first type and a second number of state-updates of the second type are respectively identified and stored in the first and second plurality of registers. A compute packet is sent to the execution pipeline responsive to the first number and the second number. Then, the compute packet is executed by the execution pipeline.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for power control in a processor. The apparatus comprises a plurality of operational units arranged as a group of operational units. A power consumption monitor determines when cumulative power consumption of the group of operational units exceeds a threshold (e.g., either or both of the cumulative power threshold and the cumulative power rate threshold) during a time interval, after which a filter for issuing instructions to the group of operational units suspends instruction issuance to the group of operational units for the remainder of the time interval. The method comprises monitoring cumulative power consumption by a group of operational units within a processor over a time interval. If the cumulative power consumption of the group of operational units exceeds the threshold, instruction issuance to the group of operational units is suspended for the remainder of the time interval.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product embodiments for synchronizing workitems on one or more processors are disclosed. The embodiments include executing a barrier skip instruction by a first workitem from the group, and responsive to the executed barrier skip instruction, reconfiguring a barrier to synchronize other workitems from the group in a plurality of points in a sequence without requiring the first workitem to reach the barrier in any of the plurality of points.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for hardware-based performance monitoring of a computer system are presented. The apparatus includes: processing units; a memory; a connector device connecting the processing units and the memory; probes inserted the processing units, and the probes generating probe signals when selected processing events are detected; and a thread trace device connected to the connector device. The thread trace device includes an event interface to receive probe signals, and an event memory controller to send probe event messages to the memory, where probe event messages are based on probe signals. The probe event messages transferred to memory can be subsequently analyzed using a software program to determine, for example, thread-to-thread interactions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for improving divergent conditional branches in code being executed by a processor. For example, in an embodiment, a method comprises detecting a conditional statement of a program being simultaneously executed by a plurality of threads, determining which threads evaluate a condition of the conditional statement as true and which threads evaluate the condition as false, pushing an identifier associated with the larger set of the threads onto a stack, executing code associated with a smaller set of the threads, and executing code associated with the larger set of the threads.

Abstract: A system and method are described that manage incremental state updates in such a way that multiple threads within a processor can each operate, in effect, on their own set of state data. The system and method are applicable to any processor in which multiple threads require access to sets of state information which differ from one another by a relatively small number of state changes.

Abstract: A multi-chip system and method are disclosed that utilizes a plurality of graphics pipelines to perform large kernel convolution. Each graphics pipeline includes a standard rendering unit and a video data convolve unit. Each video data convolve unit receives video pixel data from the video output of the standard rendering unit. The video data convolve units are connected in a chain. Each group of one or more video data convolve units in the chain convolves the video pixel data received by the group. The last video data convolve unit in the chain outputs a stream of convolved pixels.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for hardware-based performance monitoring of a computer system are presented. The apparatus includes: processing units; a memory; a connector device connecting the processing units and the memory; probes inserted the processing units, and the probes generating probe signals when selected processing events are detected; and a thread trace device connected to the connector device. The thread trace device includes an event interface to receive probe signals, and an event memory controller to send probe event messages to the memory, where probe event messages are based on probe signals. Also presented is a method that includes: inserting event probes in hardware-based processing units, where the event probes generate probe events when predetermined processing events are detected; configuring a hardware-based device to generate probe event messages based on said probe events; and transferring the probe event messages to a memory.

Abstract: A system and method are described that manage incremental state updates in such a way that multiple threads within a processor can each operate, in effect, on their own set of state data. The system and method are applicable to any processor in which multiple threads require access to sets of state information which differ from one another by a relatively small number of state changes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for handling extra contexts for shader constants, and applications thereof. In an embodiment there is provided a computer-based method for executing a series of compute packets in an execution pipeline. The execution pipeline includes a first plurality of registers configured to store state-updates of a first type and a second plurality of registers configured to store state-updates of a second type. A first number of state-updates of the first type and a second number of state-updates of the second type are respectively identified and stored in the first and second plurality of registers. A compute packet is sent to the execution pipeline responsive to the first number and the second number. Then, the compute packet is executed by the execution pipeline.

Abstract: A cache memory with improved cache-miss performance is implemented by providing cache-miss data from system memory directly to its requester. One embodiment of the invention operates as a texture cache in a graphics system. The graphics system comprises a system memory that stores texture data, coupled to a texture cache memory, which is coupled to at least one requester. The texture cache memory is divided into a cache tags unit and a data cache unit. The data cache unit is configured to receive at least two cache address inputs, and has at least two data output ports each coupled to a respective first input of a respective multiplexer. A respective second input of each multiplexer is configured to receive cache-miss data from the system memory. The select input of each multiplexer is configured to receive a respective hit/miss indicator signal associated with the respective cache address input. In case of a cache-miss, cache-miss data from system memory bypasses the data cache unit and is output directly.