Apparatus and method for tracing activities of a shader program executed on shader circuitry of a data processing apparatus
US8159491B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 3, 2009 |
| Grant date | Apr 17, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 3, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/3636
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data processing apparatus and method are provided for tracing activities of a shader program executed on shader circuitry of a data processing apparatus. The data processing apparatus comprises shader circuitry which is responsive to input data for a pixel to execute a shader program to generate a color value for the pixel. The shader program has multiple execution paths via which the color value may be generated, and which execution path is taken is dependent on the input data. An image buffer having a plurality of storage locations is provided, with each storage location being used to store the color value generated by the shader circuitry for an associated pixel. In a trace mode of operation, execution of the shader program by the shader circuitry causes a trace vector to be generated containing a plurality of items of execution path information indicative of the execution path taken, the trace vector comprising a plurality of fields, each field being used to store one item of execution path information. The trace vector as output is constrained to be of the same size as the color value, and in the trace mode of operation the trace vector is stored in one of the storage locati…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.