Multiple device frame synchronization method and apparatus
AssigneeATI International SRL
InventorsIndra Laksono, Milivoje Aleksic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiple device frame synchronization method and apparatus utilizes events completion signaling between multiple devices, such as multiple graphics processors. The signaling serves as a stall command for stalling graphics data rendering commands in a command FIFO of the rendering engine of a graphics processor in response to a rendering complete signal, or other event signal generated by the other graphics processor. Accordingly, the processor that, for example, completes a current frame relay is stalled until the other processor has completed its rendering function for a particular odd line, even line, entire frame or partial frame as desired.
Claims23
A multi-graphics processor system comprising:
- at least a first graphics processor having a first input operatively coupled to receive graphics data for rendering and a first output coupled to output rendered data for at least a first display device and including a first rendering complete signal generator and a first render command stall circuit;
- at least a second graphics processor, operatively coupled to the first graphics processor having a second input coupled to receive graphics data for rendering and a second output operatively coupled to output rendered data for the first display device, including a second rendering complete signal generator and a second render command stall circuit;
- and
- at least one display router, operatively coupled to the first and second outputs to route display data for the first display device generated by either of the first or second graphics processors.
A method for synchronizing rendered data for display comprising the steps of:
- rendering data by a first graphics processor to produce rendered data for at least a first display device;
- rendering data by a second graphics processor to produce rendered data for the at least first display device;
- unstall graphics data rendering commands to a rendering engine of the first graphics processor in response to a first rendering complete signal generated by the second graphics processor;
- unstall graphics data rendering commands to a rendering engine of the second graphics processor in response to a second rendering complete signal generated by the first graphics processor;
- and
- routing the rendered data for display on the first display device as generated by either of the first or second graphics processors.
A multi-graphics processor system comprising:
- at least a first graphics processor having a first input operatively coupled to receive graphics data for rendering and a first output coupled to output rendered data for at least a first display device and including a first rendering complete signal generator and a first render command stall circuit;
- at least a second graphics processor, operatively coupled to the first graphics processor having a second input coupled to receive graphics data for rendering and a second output operatively coupled to output rendered data for the first display device, including a second rendering complete signal generator and a second render command stall circuit;
- a processor operatively coupled to the first and second graphics processors and operative to provide a stall command and a rendering complete command to the first graphics processor and to provide the stall command and the rendering complete command to the second graphics processor;
- and
- at least one display router, operatively coupled to the first and second outputs to route display data for the first display device generated by either of the first or second graphics processors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.