Abstract: A method of configuring a graphics processing unit (GPU) provides an instruction to the GPU, comprising configuration data for the GPU and a request for a response from the GPU. A timer configured to expire after a time period is initialised, and the response from the GPU is monitored during the time period. The GPU is configured in accordance with the configuration data, and it is determined whether the GPU is correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data, by determining whether an error has occurred in response to determining that: (i) the GPU is not correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data; or (ii) the response is not received from the GPU before the timer expires.

Abstract: A method of detecting an error at a graphics processing unit causes an instruction including a request for a response from a graphics processing unit to be provided to the graphics processing unit. A timer being configured to expire after a time period is initialised, and during the time period the graphics processing unit is monitored for the response from the graphics processing unit. An error is determined to have occurred in response to determining that no response was received from the graphics processing unit before the timer expired.

Abstract: A method of performing safety-critical rendering at a graphics processing unit within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: receiving, at the graphics processing system, graphical data for safety-critical rendering at the graphics processing unit; scheduling at a safety controller, in accordance with a reset frequency, a plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit; rendering the graphical data at the graphics processing unit; and the safety controller causing the plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit to be performed commensurate with the reset frequency.

Abstract: A method of performing safety-critical rendering at a graphics processing unit within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: receiving, at the graphics processing system, graphical data for safety-critical rendering at the graphics processing unit; scheduling at a safety controller, in accordance with a reset frequency, a plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit; rendering the graphical data at the graphics processing unit; and the safety controller causing the plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit to be performed commensurate with the reset frequency.

Abstract: A computer system has a plurality of operating systems, each operating system including a graphics processing unit (GPU) driver; a GPU including GPU firmware for controlling the execution of tasks at the graphics processing unit and, for each operating system: a firmware state register modifiable by the GPU firmware and indicating whether the GPU firmware is online; an OS state register modifiable by a GPU driver and indicating whether the GPU driver is online; a memory management unit mediating access to GPU registers such that each operating system can access its respective registers but not those of other operating systems; One of the GPU drivers is a host GPU driver initialising the GPU and bringing the GPU firmware online. Each GPU driver submits tasks for processing only if its respective firmware state register indicates that the GPU firmware is online. The GPU processes tasks for an operating system if the respective OS state register of that operating system indicates that the GPU driver is online.

Abstract: A method of detecting an error at a graphics processing unit causes an instruction including a request for a response from a graphics processing unit to be provided to the graphics processing unit. A timer being configured to expire after a time period is initialised, and during the time period the graphics processing unit is monitored for the response from the graphics processing unit. An error is determined to have occurred in response to determining that no response was received from the graphics processing unit before the timer expired.

Abstract: A computer system has a plurality of operating systems, each operating system including a GPU driver; a graphics processing unit (GPU) including GPU firmware for controlling the execution of tasks at the graphics processing unit and, for each operating system: a firmware state register modifiable by the GPU firmware and indicating whether the GPU firmware is online; and an OS state register modifiable by the GPU driver of the respective operating system and indicating whether the GPU driver is online; and a memory management unit configured to mediate access to the registers of the GPU such that each operating system can access its respective registers but not those of other operating systems; wherein: one of the GPU drivers at the plurality of operating systems is a host GPU driver configured to initialise the GPU and bring the GPU firmware online; each GPU driver is configured to submit tasks for processing at the GPU only if its respective firmware state register indicates that the GPU firmware is online;

Abstract: A method of detecting an error at a graphics processing unit causes an instruction including a request for a response from a graphics processing unit to be provided to the graphics processing unit. A timer being configured to expire after a time period is initialised, and during the time period the graphics processing unit is monitored for the response from the graphics processing unit. An error is determined to have occurred in response to determining that no response was received from the graphics processing unit before the timer expired.

Abstract: A method of configuring a graphics processing unit includes generating configuration data that specifies a configuration to be adopted by the graphics processing unit. The configuration data is received at the graphics processing unit, which is configured in accordance with the configuration data by writing the configuration data into one or more registers of the graphics processing unit. It is determined whether the graphics processing unit is correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data by determining whether the configuration data has been correctly written into the one or more registers of the graphics processing unit. An error is determined to have occurred in response to determining that the graphics processing unit is not correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data.

Abstract: A method of performing safety-critical rendering at a graphics processing unit within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: receiving, at the graphics processing system, graphical data for safety-critical rendering at the graphics processing unit; scheduling at a safety controller, in accordance with a reset frequency, a plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit; rendering the graphical data at the graphics processing unit; and the safety controller causing the plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit to be performed commensurate with the reset frequency.

Abstract: A method of performing safety-critical rendering at a graphics processing unit within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: receiving, at the graphics processing system, graphical data for safety-critical rendering at the graphics processing unit; scheduling at a safety controller, in accordance with a reset frequency, a plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit; rendering the graphical data at the graphics processing unit; and the safety controller causing the plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit to be performed commensurate with the reset frequency.

Abstract: A method of initialising rendering at a graphics processing unit configured to perform safety-critical rendering, the method comprising: causing an instruction for initialising rendering of safety critical graphical data at the graphics processing unit to be provided to the graphics processing unit, said instruction comprising a request for response from the graphics processing unit; initialising a timer, said timer being configured to expire after a time period; and monitoring, during said time period, for a response from the graphics processing unit; determining, by a safety controller external to the graphics processing unit, that an initialisation error has occurred if no response is received from the graphics processing unit before the timer expires.

Abstract: A method of initialising rendering at a graphics processing unit configured to perform safety-critical rendering within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: generating configuration data for initialising rendering of safety critical graphical data at the graphics processing unit; receiving the configuration data for initialising rendering at the graphics processing unit; configuring the graphics processing unit in accordance with the configuration data for initialising rendering; determining whether the graphics processing unit is correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data; and determining, by a safety controller external to the graphics processing unit, that an initialisation error has occurred in response to determining that the graphics processing unit is not correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data.

Abstract: A method of performing safety-critical rendering at a graphics processing unit within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: receiving, at the graphics processing system, graphical data for safety-critical rendering at the graphics processing unit; scheduling at a safety controller, in accordance with a reset frequency, a plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit; rendering the graphical data at the graphics processing unit; and the safety controller causing the plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit to be performed commensurate with the reset frequency.

Abstract: A method of performing safety-critical rendering at a graphics processing unit within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: receiving, at the graphics processing system, graphical data for safety-critical rendering at the graphics processing unit; scheduling at a safety controller, in accordance with a reset frequency, a plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit; rendering the graphical data at the graphics processing unit; and the safety controller causing the plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit to be performed commensurate with the reset frequency.

Abstract: A computer system has a plurality of operating systems, each operating system including a GPU driver; a graphics processing unit (GPU) including GPU firmware for controlling the execution of tasks at the graphics processing unit and, for each operating system: a firmware state register modifiable by the GPU firmware and indicating whether the GPU firmware is online; and an OS state register modifiable by the GPU driver of the respective operating system and indicating whether the GPU driver is online; and a memory management unit configured to mediate access to the registers of the GPU such that each operating system can access its respective registers but not those of other operating systems; wherein: one of the GPU drivers at the plurality of operating systems is a host GPU driver configured to initialise the GPU and bring the GPU firmware online; each GPU driver is configured to submit tasks for processing at the GPU only if its respective firmware state register indicates that the GPU firmware is online;

Abstract: A method of initialising rendering at a graphics processing unit configured to perform safety-critical rendering, the method comprising: causing an instruction for initialising rendering of safety critical graphical data at the graphics processing unit to be provided to the graphics processing unit, said instruction comprising a request for response from the graphics processing unit; initialising a timer, said timer being configured to expire after a time period; and monitoring, during said time period, for a response from the graphics processing unit; determining, by a safety controller external to the graphics processing unit, that an initialisation error has occurred if no response is received from the graphics processing unit before the timer expires.

Abstract: A method of initialising rendering at a graphics processing unit configured to perform safety-critical rendering within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: generating configuration data for initialising rendering of safety critical graphical data at the graphics processing unit; receiving the configuration data for initialising rendering at the graphics processing unit; configuring the graphics processing unit in accordance with the configuration data for initialising rendering; determining whether the graphics processing unit is correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data; and determining, by a safety controller external to the graphics processing unit, that an initialisation error has occurred in response to determining that the graphics processing unit is not correctly configured in accordance with the configuration data.

Abstract: A method of performing safety-critical rendering at a graphics processing unit within a graphics processing system, the method comprising: receiving, at the graphics processing system, graphical data for safety-critical rendering at the graphics processing unit; scheduling at a safety controller, in accordance with a reset frequency, a plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit; rendering the graphical data at the graphics processing unit; and the safety controller causing the plurality of resets of the graphics processing unit to be performed commensurate with the reset frequency.

Abstract: A graphics processing system configured to use a rendering space which is subdivided into a plurality of tiles to render a scene that includes safety-critical elements of geometry, the graphics processing system being configured to: receive elements of geometry of the scene to be rendered, one or more of the elements of geometry being a safety-critical element of geometry; process elements of geometry, in a geometry processing phase, so as to form, for each tile of the rendering space, a respective tile list indicating the elements of geometry included in that tile; and for each of a plurality of the tiles, process elements of geometry in the tile, in a fragment processing phase, so as to generate a respective fragment-processed output; wherein the graphics processing system comprises a controller configured to: cause a set of one or more safety-critical elements of geometry to be processed in the geometry processing phase; identify as protected tiles one or more tiles for which the corresponding one or more