Name
Abstract | ||
|---|---|---|
Ray tracing is a technique used for generating highly realistic computer graphics images. In this paper, we explore the design of a simple but extremely parallel, multi-threaded, multi-core processor architecture that performs real-time ray tracing. Our architecture, called TRaX for Threaded Ray eXecution, consists of a set of thread states that include commonly used functional units for each thread and share large functional units through a programmable interconnect to maximize utilization. The memory system takes advantage of the application's read-only access to the scene database and write-only access to the frame buffer output to provide efficient data delivery with a relatively simple structure. Preliminary results indicate that a multi-core version of the architecture running at a modest speed of 500 MHz already provides real-time ray traced images for scenes of a complexity found in video games. We also explore the architectural impact of a ray tracer that uses procedural (computed) textures rather than image-based (look-up) textures to trade computation for reduced memory bandwidth. |
Year | DOI | Venue |
|---|---|---|
2008 | 10.1109/SASP.2008.4570794 | Anaheim, CA |
Keywords | Field | DocType |
ray tracing,bandwidth,computer graphics,computer architecture,games,functional unit,memory bandwidth,layout,real time,real time systems,multicore processing,multi threading | Multithreading,Memory bandwidth,Read-write memory,Ray tracing (graphics),Computer science,Parallel computing,Thread (computing),Real-time computing,Computer hardware,Computer graphics,Multi-core processor,Microarchitecture | Conference |
ISBN | Citations | PageRank |
978-1-4244-2334-7 | 11 | 0.74 |
References | Authors | |
15 | 5 | |
Name | Order | Citations | PageRank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josef Spjut | 1 | 101 | 10.20 |
| Solomon Boulos | 2 | 534 | 28.84 |
| Daniel Kopta | 3 | 82 | 5.73 |
| Erik Brunvand | 4 | 509 | 66.09 |
| Spencer Kellis | 5 | 13 | 1.83 |