Graphics processor with memory management unit and cache coherent link

摘要

In contrast to a conventional computing system in which the graphics processor (graphics processing unit or GPU) is treated as a slave to one or several CPUs, systems and methods are provided that allow the GPU to be treated as a central processing unit (CPU) from the perspective of the operating system. The GPU can access a memory space shared by other CPUs in the computing system. Caches utilized by the GPU may be coherent with caches utilized by other CPUs in the computing system. The GPU may share execution of general-purpose computations with other CPUs in the computing system.

主权项

1. A graphics processor comprising:
one or more processing engines configured to execute one or more general-purpose computation programs; a memory management unit configured to couple the graphics processor to a memory; a core configured to execute an operating system, the operating system configured to control the memory management unit and allocate memory space to the one or more general-purpose computation programs; and a cache coupled to the memory management unit, the cache configured to be coherent with a cache of a central processing unit coupled to the graphics processor.