Architecture and instructions for accessing multi-dimensional formatted surface memory

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor executing a program to access a multi-dimensional formatted surface memory, by performing the steps of:

• receiving a surface instruction that specifies an x-coordinate of a sample and a y-coordinate of the sample, wherein the sample is associated with a multi-dimensional formatted surface;
• computing an address of a location in the multi-dimensional formatted surface memory based on the x-coordinate, the y-coordinate, and attributes of the multi-dimensional formatted surface, by computing a plurality of address fields included in the address, wherein two or more address fields in the plurality of address fields comprise one or more bits corresponding to the x-coordinate and one or more bits corresponding to the y-coordinate;
• and
• accessing the sample via the address;
• wherein:
• a first address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a block within the multi-dimensional formatted surface, and
• a second address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a group of blocks (GOB) within the block.

A system comprising:

• a multi-dimensional formatted surface memory;
• and
• a parallel thread processor coupled to the multi-dimensional formatted surface memory and configured to:
• receive a surface instruction that specifies an x-coordinate of a sample and a y-coordinate of the sample, wherein the sample is associated with a multi-dimensional formatted surface;
• compute an address of a location in the multi-dimensional formatted surface memory based on the x-coordinate, the y-coordinate, and attributes of the multi-dimensional formatted surface, by computing a plurality of address fields included in the address, wherein two or more address fields in the plurality of address fields comprise one or more bits corresponding to the x-coordinate and one or more bits corresponding to the y-coordinate;
• and
• access the sample via the address;
• wherein:
• a first address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a block within the multi-dimensional formatted surface, and
• a second address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a group of blocks (GOB) within the block.

A method for accessing multi-dimensional formatted surface memory by a program, comprising:

• receiving a surface instruction that specifies an x-coordinate of a sample and a y-coordinate of the sample, wherein the sample is associated with a multidimensional formatted surface;
• computing an address of a location in the multi-dimensional formatted surface memory based on the x-coordinate, the y-coordinate, and attributes of the multi-dimensional formatted surface, by computing a plurality of address fields included in the address, wherein two or more address fields in the plurality of address fields comprise one or more bits corresponding to the x-coordinate and one or more bits corresponding to the y-coordinate;
• and accessing the sample via the address;
• wherein:
• a first address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a block within the multi-dimensional formatted surface and is computed based on a first bit corresponding to the x-coordinate and a first bit corresponding to the y-coordinate,
• a second address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a group of blocks (GOB) within the block and is computed based on a second bit corresponding to the x-coordinate and a second bit corresponding to the y-coordinate,
• a third address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a cache line in the GOB and is computed based on a third bit corresponding to the x-coordinate and a third bit corresponding to the y-coordinate,
• a fourth address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a sector in the cache line and is computed based on a fourth bit corresponding to the x-coordinate and a fourth bit corresponding to the y-coordinate, and
• a fifth address field in the plurality of address fields identifies a byte in the sector and is computed based on a fifth bit corresponding to the x-coordinate and a fifth bit corresponding to the y-coordinate.