SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ARBITRATING CACHE REQUESTS

摘要

This disclosure relates to arbitration of different types of requests to access a cache. Features of this disclosure can be implemented in a graphics processing unit (GPU). In one embodiment, an arbiter can receive requests from a color processor and a depth processor and determine which of the received requests has the highest priority. The request with the highest priority can then be provided to the cache. The priority can be configurable. The arbiter can determine priority, for example, based on whether a location in the cache associated with a request is available, a weight associated with the request, a number of requests of a particular type processed by the arbiter, or any combination thereof.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a cache configured to store data; and an arbiter comprising electronic hardware, the arbiter configured to:
assign weights to different types of cache requests based on data received by the arbiter, the different types of cache requests including at least a first type of cache request and a second type of cache request;receive a first request to access the cache from a depth processor, the first request being of the first type of cache request;receive a second request to access the cache from a color processor, the second request being of the second type of cache request;determine which of the received requests has a highest priority based at least partly on the weights associated with the first type of request and the second type of request; andprovide the cache with the received request determined to have the highest priority.