Abstract: A processing system divides successive dispatches of work items into portions. The successive dispatches are separated from each other by barriers, each barrier indicating that the work items of the previous dispatch must complete execution before work items of a subsequent dispatch can begin execution. In some embodiments, the processing system interleaves execution of portions of a first dispatch with portions of subsequent dispatches that consume data produced by the first dispatch. The processing system thereby reduces the amount of data written to the local cache by a producer dispatch while preserving data locality for a subsequent consumer (or consumer/producer) dispatch and facilitating processing efficiency.

Abstract: A processing system selectively allocates storage at a local cache of a parallel processing unit for cache lines of a repeating pattern of data that exceeds the storage capacity of the cache. The processing system identifies repeating patterns of data having cache lines that have a reuse distance that exceeds the storage capacity of the cache. A cache controller allocates storage for only a subset of cache lines of the repeating pattern of data at the cache and excludes the remainder of cache lines of the repeating pattern of data from the cache. By restricting the cache to store only a subset of cache lines of the repeating pattern of data, the cache controller increases the hit rate at the cache for the subset of cache lines.

Abstract: A processing unit performs a dispatch walk of a set of thread groups based on a programmable access pattern. The access pattern is stored at a table that is programmed with the access pattern based upon a specified command. By using the command to program the table with different access patterns, the dispatch order of the set of thread groups is adapted to better suit the processing of different data sets, thereby reducing power consumption at the processing unit, and improving overall processing efficiency.

Abstract: A processing system is configured to translate a first cache access pattern of a dispatch of work items to a cache access pattern that facilitates consumption of data stored at a cache of a parallel processing unit by a subsequent access before the data is evicted to a more remote level of the memory hierarchy. For consecutive cache accesses having read-after-read data locality, in some embodiments the processing system translates the first cache access pattern to a space-filling curve. In some embodiments, for consecutive accesses having read-after-write data locality, the processing system translates a first typewriter cache access pattern that proceeds in ascending order for a first access to a reverse typewriter cache access pattern that proceeds in descending order for a subsequent cache access. By translating the cache access pattern based on data locality, the processing system increases the hit rate of the cache.

Abstract: Techniques for improving memory utilization for communication between stages of a graphics processing pipeline are disclosed. The techniques include analyzing output instructions of a first shader program to determine whether any such output instructions output some data that is not used by a second shader program. The compiler performs data packing if gaps exist between used output data to reduce memory footprint. The compiler generates optimized output instructions in the first shader program and optimized input instructions in the second shader program to output the used data from the first shader program and input that data in the second shader program in a packed format based on information about usage of output data and data packing. If needed, the compiler inserts instructions to perform runtime checking to identify unused output data of the first shader program based on information not known at compile-time.

Abstract: Techniques for improving memory utilization for communication between stages of a graphics processing pipeline are disclosed. The techniques include analyzing output instructions of a first shader program to determine whether any such output instructions output some data that is not used by a second shader program. The compiler performs data packing if gaps exist between used output data to reduce memory footprint. The compiler generates optimized output instructions in the first shader program and optimized input instructions in the second shader program to output the used data from the first shader program and input that data in the second shader program in a packed format based on information about usage of output data and data packing. If needed, the compiler inserts instructions to perform runtime checking to identify unused output data of the first shader program based on information not known at compile-time.

Abstract: A graphics geometry cache. The basic idea of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention is to utilize a graphics geometry cache together with a graphics pipeline. The graphics geometry cache is a relatively small cache (e.g., 128 entries) used for storing and maintaining vertex data. Specifically, the results of computations performed on vertices by the graphics pipeline (e.g., transformed vertices and attributes such as color) are cached within the graphics geometry cache. Furthermore, the cached entries are tagged by their corresponding vertex coordinates. Subsequently, when a particular vertex is specified for the graphics pipeline, a tag compare is executed through a hashing function to determine whether the graphics geometry data for that particular vertex is stored within the graphics geometry cache.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to a method for performing view volume clip-check. Until the present invention, view volume clip-check has been performed within the context of a clip space with its clip coordinates. However, the present invention performs view volume clip-check within an object space with its object coordinates. In one embodiment of the present invention, a frustum in a clip space is back projected into an object space as the back projected frustum. Within the object space, a regularized volume approximates the back projected frustum such that the regularized volume occupies the maximal volume possible within the back projected frustum. Within the object space, geometry of graphics objects is then clip-checked against this regularized volume. In the present embodiment, the above steps of back projection, approximation and clip-checking are performed by the CPU rather than by the graphics pipeline.