Variable precision computing system
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsPramod V. Argade, Daniel Nikolai Peroni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A processor selectively adjusts the precision of data for different functional units. Specified functional units of the processor, such as shader processing unit of a graphics processing unit (GPU) include a zeroing module to store, based on the states of corresponding precision flags, a data value of zero at specified portion of an input and/or output data operand. The functional unit then processes the data including the zeroed portion. Because a portion of the data has been zeroed, the functional unit consumes less power during data processing. Furthermore, the precision flags are set such that the reduced precision of the data does not significantly impact a user experience.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- in response to receiving first data at a first shader of a graphics processing unit (GPU) for processing, identifying a state of a first flag associated with the first shader, the first flag indicating reduced precision calculation;
- in response to identifying that the state of the first flag is a first state:
- zeroing a first portion of the first data by replacing the first portion of the first data with zeros to generate first modified data, a size of the first portion based on the first state associated with the first shader;
- and
- performing operations at the first shader based on the first modified data.
A method, comprising:
- determining, for each of a plurality of functional units of a processor, a state of a corresponding flag associated with reduced precision calculation;
- based on the state of the flags, zeroing a portion of first data for processing at a first subset of the plurality of functional units by replacing the portion of the first data with zeros to generated modified first data, a size of the portion based on the state;
- and
- processing the modified first data at the first subset of the plurality of functional units.
A graphics processing unit (GPU) comprising:
- a control module configured to, in response to receiving first data, identify a state of a first flag associated with reduced precision calculation;
- a first shader configured to, in response to the control module identifying that the state of the first flag is a first state:
- zero a first portion of the first data by replacing the first portion of the first data with zeros to generate first modified data, a size of the first portion based on the first state;
- and
- perform shading operations at the first shader based on the first modified data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.