Shader complex with distributed level one cache system and centralized level two cache

US8195882B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Anthony P. DeLaurier · Sunnyvale, US
• Mark Leather · Saratoga, US
• Robert Scott Hartog · San Luis Obispo, US
• Michael Mantor · Orlando, US
• Mark Fowler · Boxborough, US
• Marcos P. Zini · Oviedo, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 1, 2009
• Grant date: Jun 5, 2012
• Expiry date: Jun 28, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G09G2360/06
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A shader pipe texture filter utilizes a level one cache system as a primary method of storage but with the ability to have the level one cache system read and write to a level two cache system when necessary. The level one cache system communicates with the level two cache system via a wide channel memory bus. In addition, the level one cache system can be configured to support dual shader pipe texture filters while maintaining access to the level two cache system. A method utilizing a level one cache system as a primary method of storage with the ability to have the level one cache system read and write a level two cache system when necessary is also presented. In addition, level one cache systems can allocate a defined area of memory to be sharable amongst other resources.