CN1469319A

CN1469319A - Computerized plotter using light spot data repeatedly and its plotting management module

Info

Publication number: CN1469319A
Application number: CNA021407401A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 吕忠晏
Original assignee: Silicon Integrated Systems Corp
Current assignee: Silicon Integrated Systems Corp
Priority date: 2002-07-16
Filing date: 2002-07-16
Publication date: 2004-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-16
Also published as: CN1260686C

Abstract

The computerized plotter includes one memory region, several comparators, one encoder, one counter and one multiplexer. The memory region has several light spot indexes stored, and each comparator compares the stored content with newly accepted vertex index to judge their similarity and difference. For the uniformity in the comparison result, the encoder reports one hit value expressing one hit state and produces one address pointing the item to store the light spot index same as the newly accepted vertex index; and for hit value not expressing one hit state, the counter has one increment to update index and the multiplexer outputs one reference position optionally based on the hit value. Without processing same vertex, the present invention has raised plotting efficiency and less circuits used.

Description

Reuse the computer graphics device of luminous point data and the management module of drawing

Technical field

The present invention relates to computer drafting system, refer in particular to a kind of geometry accelerator (geometryaccelerator) that utilizes and add that drawing management module is with the computer graphics device of the repeated use luminous point data of enhanced performance and the management module of drawing.

Background technology

Computer drafting system is commonly used to the graphical representation of object is presented on the screen of two dimension (two-dimensional), and present computer drafting system can provide highly careful diagrammatic representation, and can use in many different application.

In typical computer drafting system, the object that shows on the screen can be broken down into several drawing primitives (Primitive) and show, and pel is the primary element of drawing image, has comprised the polygon of point, line, triangle or quadrilateral and so on.Generally speaking, with drawing primitive performance or be depicted on the screen of two dimension can software/hardware mode realize, and can on screen, present the visual experience of object multiaspect.

Usually define the three-dimensional body that needs performance with the pel data by pel that host computer provides, for example, when pel is triangle, host computer can X, Y, the Building Z is marked with and is red, green, blue, transparency (R, G, B, α) etc. color-values defines the pel on its each summit, performance hardware (renderinghardware) carries out interpolation to calculate each pixel (pixel) and the R thereof that is presented at representative graph unit on the screen to the pel data, G, B and α value computer drafting system generally include geometry accelerator, dotted line scanner (rasterizer) and page frame impact damper can also add the texture map device.Geometry accelerator forms the pel of scene from definition host computer receives the pel data, and the pel data is changed and each pel is carried out polishing (lighting), pruned the function that (clipping) and plane equation calculate and so on.Dotted line scanner and texture map device utilize the output of geometry accelerator---and the performance data produces the screen coordinate and the color data of each pixel in each pel, leaves the page frame impact damper in to be presented on the screen in conjunction with the pixel information that obtains from dotted line scanner, texture map device and with it.

The primary element of conventional geometric accelerator 102 comprises acquisition unit 110, transform engine (transform engine) 120 and polishing engine (lighting engine) 130 as shown in Figure 1.By sending data requirement REQ, acquisition unit 110 can receive apex document VTD according to vertex index IDX, transform engine 120 receives apex document by bus-bar 112 from acquisition unit 110, and these data are carried out by defined image space rotation of apex document and translation conversion, by bus-bar 122, polishing engine 130 calculates the final color of primitive vertices based on apex document and polishing condition.As shown, polishing engine 130 is handled to carry out further by bus-bar 132 outputs.

Because it is very huge that the data between host computer and the geometry accelerator shifts quantity, and the normal floating-point operation that need carry out several hundred million p.s. of geometry accelerator, aforesaid geometry accelerator computing is extremely heavy, for quickening the integral operation of computer drafting system, generally be to use special hardware circuit to come to handle at conversion and polishing, yet still need further to improve again usefulness, particularly reduce by the performed calculating of geometry accelerator.

Summary of the invention

In view of this, the present invention wishes to propose a kind of computer graphics device of reusing the luminous point data, and so whole apex document quantity of geometry accelerator processing can drop to minimum.

For reaching above-mentioned purpose, the present invention proposes a kind of computer graphics device of reusing the luminous point data, is applicable to computer drafting system, and it comprises at least: a storage area, have a plurality of projects, and each project is used for storing a luminous point index; A plurality of comparers, whether the luminous point index that each comparer is received at present with regard to the content and of project corresponding with it in those projects compares, identical with the content of judging this luminous point index of receiving at present and this project of this comparer correspondence; One scrambler, according to the output of those comparers to report the value of hitting and to produce an address, wherein, the content of judging this luminous point index of receiving at present and this project of this comparer correspondence when those comparers comparer wherein is identical, then this hits value representation one hit condition, and this corresponding project is pointed in this address, and it is depositing this identical luminous point index of luminous point index of receiving at present with this; One counter, when this value of hitting is not expression during this hit condition, a New Set more is used for progressively increasing; An and multiplexer, optionally export a reference position according to this value of hitting,, then select this address of output to be used as this reference position if this hits this hit condition of value representation, if this value of hitting is not this hit condition of expression, then select output this more New Set be used as this reference position.

On the other hand, the present invention also proposes a kind of drawing management module, is applicable to a geometry accelerator of a computer drafting system, and it comprises at least: a REFERENCE INFORMATION generator, receive a vertex index, and be used to provide a value of hitting and a reference position; One REFERENCE INFORMATION formation is used for storing this value of hitting and this reference position; One data impact damper is used for storing at least one luminous point data of being handled by this geometry accelerator; An and data management device, capture this value of hitting and this reference position from this REFERENCE INFORMATION formation, when this hits value representation this luminous point data relevant with this vertex index that receives when before having deposited in this data impact damper, be used for controlling this data impact damper and take out this luminous point data according to this reference position, when this hits value representation this luminous point data relevant with this vertex index that receives when not being present in this data impact damper, be used for controlling this data impact damper and store this luminous point data of handling by this geometry accelerator according to this reference position.

Advantage of the present invention is tangible, because most of pels of represented object are the pel that is close to mutually in the computer graphics, these adjacent pels have identical summit, for traditional computer drafting system, identical apex document is the processing that can be repeated, yet the computing of geometry accelerator but is very heavy, and the identical summit of re-treatment over and over again will significantly reduce the speed and the efficient of geometry accelerator.But the summit that not re-treatment of the present invention is identical, the substitute is in the memory buffer zone and fetch the luminous point data, and utilize it further to handle, this will reduce the burden of geometry accelerator computing significantly and reduce the quantity that data shifts between host computer and the computer drafting system, therefore, the present invention can save a large amount of operation time and enhanced performance significantly.In addition, drawing of the present invention management module has only used few circuit just can implement, and so can be used for realizing the computer drafting system of par, and can be in integrated circuit (IC) wafer retaining space to increase new drawing processing capacity in future.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the geometry accelerator calcspar according to known techniques;

Fig. 2 is the calcspar that geometry accelerator adds major function element of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is the calcspar according to REFERENCE INFORMATION generator of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is the process flow diagram of the key step of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator execution of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is the process flow diagram of the key step of data management device execution of the present invention; And

Fig. 6 A-6C is the running example key diagram of preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiment

As shown in Figure 2, one draws manages module 200 collocation one geometry accelerator 202, the management module 200 of wherein drawing comprises a REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240, a REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250, a data management device 260 and a data impact damper 270, and the primary element of geometry accelerator 202 is acquisition unit 210, transform engine 220 and polishing engine 230.By sending data requirement REQ, acquisition unit 210 can receive apex document VTD according to the vertex index IDX that derives from REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240, transform engine 220 receives apex document by bus-bar 212 from acquisition unit 210, and these data are changed, polishing engine 230 receives the apex document changed by bus-bar 222 and calculates the final color on the summit of these pels based on apex document and polishing condition, as a result, polishing engine 230 provides these apex documents (that is luminous point data) of handling through polishing to give data impact damper 270 by bus-bar 232.

In an embodiment, REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 receives vertex index IDX, and be used to provide the REFERENCE INFORMATION that comprises the value of hitting and reference position, relatively more present and nearest those apex documents received of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240, according to result relatively, whether 240 decisions of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator need to receive apex document by signal wire 244 notice acquisition units 210.Whether on behalf of the apex document relevant with the vertex index that receives now, the value of hitting can be repeated to utilize.According to the reference position, luminous point data storage that will be relevant with the vertex index of receiving at present is in data impact damper 270 corresponding positions.REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 is delivered to REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250 to reference via bus-bar 242.REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250 is used for storing above-mentioned value of hitting and reference position, REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250 can cushion the REFERENCE INFORMATION stream between temporary REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 and the data management device 260, and is preferable with the impact damper that is configured to first in first out (FIFO) type.

Data impact damper 270 is used for storing the luminous point data of being handled by geometry accelerator 202, and data management device 260 captures the value of hitting and reference positions via bus-bar 252 from REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250, in an embodiment, data management device 260 is by signal wire 262 control data impact dampers 270.When hitting the value representation luminous point data relevant with the vertex index of receiving at present when before having deposited in data impact damper 270, data management device 260 control data impact dampers 270 directly take out the luminous point data according to this reference position; Otherwise data management device 260 control data impact dampers 270 store the luminous point data of being handled well by geometry accelerator 202 according to this reference position.At last, the luminous point data can be by bus-bar 272 further to handle.

With reference to figure 3, be the calcspar of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 according to the present invention; REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 is made up of storage area 310, scrambler 330, counter 340, multiplexer 350 and a plurality of comparer 320a～d.Storage area 310 has a plurality of projects 312, each project is used for storing a luminous point index, as giving an example among the figure, there are 4 projects storage area 310 and can hold 4 storage areas 310, and preferably be configured to circulating memory impact damper (circular buffer), with the storage area 310 with 4 projects is that example is a purpose for convenience of explanation, and the personage who is familiar with this skill is when using the storage device of principle of the present invention to any size.Each compares comparer 320a～d with regard to content and a vertex index of receiving at present of project corresponding with it in these projects separately, whether identical with the content of judging the vertex index received at present and the project of comparer correspondence, in an embodiment, if the content of certain project is identical with the vertex index of receiving at present, then corresponding comparer output is set at logic ' 1 '.

Continuation is with reference to figure 3, and storage area 310 also provides 4 validity bit VB[3:0] give scrambler 330, because behind the start power supply, the content in the project 312 all is random number, so validity bit VB[3:0] all be initialized as logic ' 0 '.When a vertex index left certain project in the storage area 310 in, corresponding validity bit can be set as logic ' 1 ', utilizes validity bit VB[3:0] can prevent that scrambler 330 from producing unexpected result.Scrambler 330 is reported the value of hitting HIT and is produced address Hiposition according to the output RO～R3 of these comparers, wherein, depositing the luminous point index identical in the project that address Hiposition points to the vertex index of receiving at present, the coding schedule of the output RO～R3 of the comparer that is used in the embodiment of the invention encoding as shown in the following Table I:

Table one

Scrambler output	The scrambler input
Scrambler output	The scrambler input				????Hiposition	????R3	????R2	????R1	????R0
????0	????0	????0	????0	????1	????Hiposition	????R3	????R2	????R1	????R0
????0	????0	????0	????0	????1	????1	????0	????0	????1	????0
????2	????0	????1	????0	????0	????1	????0	????0	????1	????0
????2	????0	????1	????0	????0	????3	????1	????0	????0	????0

Be the generation value of hitting HIT, scrambler 330 is also carried out following logical operation:

HIT＝(R0?AND?VB[0])OR(R1?AND?VB[1])

OR(R2?AND?VB[2])OR(R3?AND?VB[3])

In other words, when one of them of these comparers 320a～d judged that the content of the vertex index receive at present and the project of this comparer correspondence is identical, then scrambler 330 was set the value of hitting HIT for the expression hit condition.

When the value of hitting HIT does not represent hit condition, as shown, the vertex index that then will receive at present is stored in one of them of 310 4 projects 312 in storage area according to New Set Update Pointer more, in this case, and the counter 340 more New Set Update Pointer that is used for progressively increasing.Counter 340 preferably is the counter of modulus (modulo-N) with N, and N is the sum of storage area 310 projects 312.Multiplexer 350 can optionally be exported reference position POSITION according to the value of hitting HIT, if the value of hitting HIT represents hit condition, then multiplexer 350 selects OPADD HitPosition as reference location POSITION, if the value of hitting do not represent hit condition, then multiplexer 350 is selected to export more New Set UpdatePointer as reference location POSITION.

Fig. 4 is the process flow diagram of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 main execution in step, as shown in the figure, is that more New Set UpdatePointer is initial earlier when reseting (reset) or starting in system becomes 0 (step 410) for the counter 340 of modulus with N.When REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 receives a vertex index (step 420), comparer 320a～d compares (step 430) with regard to this vertex index and the luminous point index that leaves in four projects 312 of storage area 310, according to comparative result, scrambler 330 is set the value of hitting HIT and address HitPosition.Then, REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 can check whether the value of hitting HIT is set expression hit condition (step 440), if multiplexer 350 selects OPADD HitPosition as reference location POSITION (step 442); If not multiplexer 350 is selected to export more New Set UpdatePointer as reference location POSITION (step 441), counter 340 then more New Set UpdatePointer increase progressively and add 1 (step 443).At last, REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 is comprising that the REFERENCE INFORMATION of the value of hitting HIT and reference position POSITION is stored to REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250 (step 450).

With reference to the process flow diagram of figure 5 to further specify the performed key step of data management device 260, at first, data management device 200 is picked up and is looked into whether REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250 is empty (step 510), if REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250 has had REFERENCE INFORMATION, data management device 260 takes out the REFERENCE INFORMATION (step 520) that comprises the value of hitting HIT and reference position POSITION from REFERENCE INFORMATION formation 250.Then, data management device 260 checks whether the value of hitting HIT is made as expression hit condition (step 530), if then fetch luminous point data (step 540) according to reference position POSITION from data impact damper 270; If the value of hitting HIT does not represent hit condition, data management device 260 can be watched new luminous point data and whether be ready for (step 531), when new luminous point data is off-the-shelf, data management device 200 according to reference position POSITION with new luminous point data updating data impact damper 270 (steps 533), then, data management device 260 control data impact dampers 270 are exported new luminous point data (step 540) according to reference position POSITION.

Feature of the present invention and advantage can be by the example explanations of Fig. 6 A-6C, as shown in Figure 6A, to comprise 5 summit (Va, Vb, Vc, Vd, Ve) three pels are example, hypothetical reference information generator 240 receives that the order of vertex index is Va, Vb, Vc, Vc, Vb, Vd, Vb, Ve, Vd, when REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 receives first vertex index Va, storage area 310 is not deposited the luminous point index as yet, therefore, the value of the hitting HIT of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 reports does not set the expression hit condition and provides UpdatePointer=0 to work as reference location POSITION output, similarly, in storage area 310, can't find second, three vertex index Vb, Vc.When REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 is received the 4th vertex index Vc, find to conform to the content of the 2nd project in the storage area 310, the value of the hitting HIT of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240 reports as a result sets the expression hit condition and provides HitPosition=2 to work as reference location POSITION output.As above-mentioned discussion, Fig. 6 B shows the operation of REFERENCE INFORMATION generator 240, and Fig. 6 C is the content of description references information generator 240 interior storage areas 310 then.According to the present invention, the example of Fig. 6 A-Fig. 6 C only needs 5 apex documents are changed and the polishing processing, and on the contrary, the conventional geometric accelerator of directly handling each apex document then needs 9 apex document computings.

Most of pels of represented object are the pel that is close to mutually in the computer graphics, these adjacent pels have identical summit, for traditional computer drafting system, identical apex document is the processing that can be repeated, yet, the computing of geometry accelerator but is very heavy, and the identical summit of re-treatment over and over again will significantly reduce the speed and the efficient of geometry accelerator.Otherwise, the summit that not re-treatment of the present invention is identical, the substitute is in the memory buffer zone and fetch the luminous point data, and utilize it further to handle, this will reduce the burden of geometry accelerator computing significantly and reduce the quantity that data shifts between host computer and the computer drafting system, therefore, the present invention can save a large amount of operation time and enhanced performance significantly.In addition, drawing of the present invention management module has only used few circuit just can implement, and so can be used for realizing the computer drafting system of par, and can be in integrated circuit (IC) wafer retaining space to increase new drawing processing capacity in future.

Though the present invention discloses as above with preferred embodiment; right its is not in order to qualification the present invention, any those who are familiar with this art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; when can doing a little change and retouching, so the present invention's protection domain is as the criterion when looking claims scope person of defining.

Claims

1. a computer graphics device of reusing the luminous point data is applicable to computer drafting system, it is characterized in that: comprise at least:

One storage area has a plurality of projects, and each project is used for storing a luminous point index;

A plurality of comparers, whether the luminous point index that each comparer is received at present with regard to the content and of project corresponding with it in those projects compares, identical with the content of judging this luminous point index of receiving at present and this project of this comparer correspondence;

One scrambler, according to the output of those comparers to report the value of hitting and to produce an address, wherein, the content of judging this luminous point index of receiving at present and this project of this comparer correspondence when those comparers comparer wherein is identical, then this hits value representation one hit condition, and this corresponding project is pointed in this address, and it is depositing this identical luminous point index of luminous point index of receiving at present with this;

One counter, when this value of hitting is not expression during this hit condition, a New Set more is used for progressively increasing; And

One multiplexer, optionally export a reference position according to this value of hitting,, then select this address of output to be used as this reference position if this hits this hit condition of value representation, if this value of hitting is not this hit condition of expression, then select output this more New Set be used as this reference position.

2. device as claimed in claim 1, it is characterized in that: when above-mentioned storage area is not the above-mentioned hit condition of expression in above-mentioned value of hitting of above-mentioned scrambler report, the above-mentioned luminous point index of receiving at present one of is stored in above-mentioned a plurality of project according to above-mentioned more New Set.

3. device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: the above-mentioned storage area with above-mentioned a plurality of projects is configured to a circulating memory impact damper.

4. device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: above-mentioned counter is one to be the counter of modulus with N, and N is the sum of above-mentioned a plurality of projects of above-mentioned storage area.

5. module is managed in a drawing, is applicable to a geometry accelerator of a computer drafting system, it is characterized in that: comprise at least:

One REFERENCE INFORMATION generator receives a vertex index, is used to provide a value of hitting and a reference position;

One REFERENCE INFORMATION formation is used for storing this value of hitting and this reference position;

One data impact damper is used for storing at least one luminous point data of being handled by this geometry accelerator; And

One data management device, capture this value of hitting and this reference position from this REFERENCE INFORMATION formation, when this hits value representation this luminous point data relevant with this vertex index that receives when before having deposited in this data impact damper, be used for controlling this data impact damper and take out this luminous point data according to this reference position, when this hits value representation this luminous point data relevant with this vertex index that receives when not being present in this data impact damper, be used for controlling this data impact damper and store this luminous point data of handling by this geometry accelerator according to this reference position.

6. drawing management module as claimed in claim 5, it is characterized in that: if the above-mentioned value representation above-mentioned luminous point data relevant with the above-mentioned vertex index that receives of hitting is not present in above-mentioned data impact damper, then above-mentioned vertex index becomes a luminous point index, is used to refer to the above-mentioned luminous point data of handling to above-mentioned geometry accelerator.

7. drawing management module as claimed in claim 6, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned REFERENCE INFORMATION generator comprises at least:

One storage area has a plurality of projects, and each project is used for storing above-mentioned luminous point index;

A plurality of comparers, whether each comparer compares with regard to the content and the above-mentioned vertex index that receives of project corresponding with it in those projects, identical with the content of judging the above-mentioned vertex index that receives and this project of this comparer correspondence;

One scrambler, according to the output of those comparers to report the above-mentioned value of hitting and to produce an address, wherein, when those comparers comparer wherein judges that the content of the above-mentioned vertex index that receives and this project of this comparer correspondence is identical, then above-mentionedly hit value representation one hit condition, and this corresponding project is pointed in this address, and it is depositing the above-mentioned luminous point index identical with the above-mentioned vertex index that receives;

One counter, when the above-mentioned value of hitting is not expression during this hit condition, a New Set more is used for progressively increasing; And

One multiplexer, optionally export above-mentioned reference position according to the above-mentioned value of hitting, if above-mentioned this hit condition of value representation of hitting then selects this address of output to be used as above-mentioned reference position, if the above-mentioned value of hitting is not this hit condition of expression, then select output this more New Set be used as above-mentioned reference position.

8. drawing management module as claimed in claim 7 is characterized in that: if the above-mentioned luminous point data relevant with the above-mentioned vertex index that receives before deposited in above-mentioned data impact damper, and the then above-mentioned above-mentioned hit condition of value representation of hitting.

9. drawing management module as claimed in claim 7, it is characterized in that: when above-mentioned storage area is not the above-mentioned hit condition of expression in above-mentioned value of hitting of above-mentioned scrambler report, the above-mentioned vertex index that receives one of is stored in above-mentioned a plurality of project according to above-mentioned more New Set.

10. drawing management module as claimed in claim 7, it is characterized in that: the above-mentioned storage area with above-mentioned a plurality of projects is configured to a circulating memory impact damper.

11. drawing as claimed in claim 7 management module is characterized in that: above-mentioned counter is one to be the counter of modulus with N, and N is the sum of above-mentioned a plurality of projects of above-mentioned storage area.

12. drawing management module as claimed in claim 5, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned REFERENCE INFORMATION formation is configured to a first in first out (FIFO) impact damper.