Scalable Interactive Volume Rendering Using Off-the-shelf Components

This paper describes an application of a second generation implementation of the Sepia architecture (Sepia-2) to interactive volu-metric visualization of large rectilinear scalar fields. By employingpipelined associative blending operators in a sort-last configuration a demonstration system with 8 rendering computers sustains 24 to 28 frames per second while interactively rendering large data volumes (1024x256x256 voxels, and 512x512x512 voxels). We believe interactive performance at these frame rates and data sizes is unprecedented. We also believe these results can be extended to other types of structured and unstructured grids and a variety of GL rendering techniques including surface rendering and shadow map-ping. We show how to extend our single-stage crossbar demonstration system to multi-stage networks in order to support much larger data sizes and higher image resolutions. This requires solving a dynamic mapping problem for a class of blending operators that includes Porter-Duff compositing operators

A bibliometric analysis of the Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling

This paper reviews the articles published in Volumes 2-24 of the Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling (formerly the Journal of Molecular Graphics), focusing on the changes that have occurred in the subject over the years, and on the most productive and most cited authors and institutions. The most cited papers are those describing systems or algorithms, but the proportion of these types of article is decreasing as more applications of molecular graphics and molecular modelling are reported

A Multiprocessor three-dimensional graphics systems.

by Hui Chau Man.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991.Includes bibliographical references.ABSTRACT --- p.iACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iiTABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iiiChapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTIONChapter 1.1 --- Computer Graphics Today --- p.2Chapter 1.1.1 --- 3D Graphics Synthesis Techniques --- p.2Chapter 1.1.2 --- Hardware-assisted Computer Graphics --- p.4Chapter 1.2 --- About The Thesis --- p.5Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- GRAPHICS SYSTEM ARCHITECTURESChapter 2.1 --- Basic Structure of a Graphics Subsystem --- p.8Chapter 2.2 --- VLSI Graphics Chips --- p.9Chapter 2.2.1 --- The CRT Controllers --- p.10Chapter 2.2.2 --- The VLSI Graphics Processors --- p.11Chapter 2.2.3 --- Design Philosophies for VLSI Graphics Processors --- p.12Chapter 2.3 --- Graphics Boards --- p.14Chapter 2.3.1 --- The ARTIST 10 Graphics Controller --- p.14Chapter 2.3.2 --- The MATROX PG-1281 Graphics Controller --- p.16Chapter 2.4 --- High-end Graphics System Architectures --- p.17Chapter 2.4.1 --- Graphics Accelerator with Multiple Functional Units --- p.18Chapter 2.4.2 --- Parallel Processing Graphics Systems --- p.18Chapter 2.4.3 --- The Parallel Processor Architecture --- p.19Chapter 2.4.4 --- The Pipelined Architecture --- p.21Chapter 2.5 --- Comparisons and Discussions --- p.22Chapter 2.5.1 --- Parallel Processors versus Pipelined Processing --- p.23Chapter 2.5.2 --- Parallel Processors versus Multiple Functional Units --- p.23Chapter 2.6 --- Summary of High-end Graphics Systems --- p.24Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- AN ISA 3D GRAPHICS DISPLAY SERVERChapter 3.1 --- Common ISA Graphics Cards --- p.26Chapter 3.1.1 --- Standard Video Display Cards --- p.26Chapter 3.1.2 --- Graphics Processing Boards --- p.27Chapter 3.2 --- A Depth Processor for the ISA computers --- p.28Chapter 3.2.1 --- The Z-buffer Algorithm for HLHSR --- p.28Chapter 3.2.2 --- Our Hardware Solution for HLHSR --- p.29Chapter 3.2.3 --- Design of the Depth Processor --- p.31Chapter 3.2.4 --- Structure of the Depth Processor --- p.34Chapter 3.2.5 --- The Depth Processor Operations --- p.35Chapter 3.2.6 --- Software Support --- p.40Chapter 3.2.7 --- Performance of the Depth Processor --- p.44Chapter 3.3 --- A VGA Accelerator for the ISA Computers --- p.45Chapter 3.3.1 --- Display Buffer Structure of the SuperVGA --- p.46Chapter 3.3.2 --- Design of the VGA Accelerator --- p.47Chapter 3.3.3 --- Structure of the VGA Accelerator --- p.49Chapter 3.3.4 --- Combining the VGA Accelerator and the Depth Processor --- p.51Chapter 3.3.5 --- Actual Performance of the DP-VA Board --- p.54Chapter 3.3.6 --- 3D Graphics Applications Using the DP-VA Board --- p.55Chapter 3.4 --- A 3D Graphics Display Server --- p.57Chapter 3.5 --- Host Connection for the 3D Graphics Display Server --- p.59Chapter 3.5.1 --- The Single Board Computers --- p.60Chapter 3.5.2 --- The VME-to-ISA bus convenor --- p.61Chapter 3.5.3 --- Structure of the VME-to-ISA Bus Convertor --- p.61Chapter 3.5.4 --- Communications through the bus convertor --- p.64Chapter 3.6 --- Physical Construction of the DP-VA Board and the Bus Convertor --- p.65Chapter 3.7 --- Summary --- p.66Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- A MULTI-i860 3D GRAPHICS SYSTEMChapter 4.1 --- The i860 Processor --- p.69Chapter 4.2 --- Design of a Multiprocessor 3D Graphics System --- p.70Chapter 4.2.1 --- A Reconfigurable Processor-Pipeline System --- p.72Chapter 4.2.2 --- The Depth-Processing Unit --- p.73Chapter 4.2.3 --- A Multiprocessor Graphics System --- p.75Chapter 4.3 --- Structure of the Multi-i860 3D --- p.77Chapter 4.3.1 --- The 64-bit-wide Global Data Buses --- p.77Chapter 4.3.2 --- The 1280x1024 True-colour Display Unit --- p.79Chapter 4.3.3 --- The Depth Processing Unit --- p.82Chapter 4.3.4 --- The i860 Processing Units --- p.84Chapter 4.3.5 --- The System Control Unit --- p.87Chapter 4.3.6 --- Performance Prediction --- p.89Chapter 4.4 --- Summary --- p.90Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- CONCLUSIONSChapter 5.1 --- The 3D Graphics Synthesis Pipeline ……… --- p.91Chapter 5.2 --- 3D Graphics Hardware --- p.91Chapter 5.3 --- Design Approach for the ISA 3D Graphics Display Server --- p.92Chapter 5.4 --- Flexibility in the Multi-i860 3D Graphics System --- p.93Chapter 5.5 --- Future Work --- p.94Chapter APPENDIX A --- DISPLAYING REALISTIC 3D SCENESChapter A.1 --- Modelling 3D Objects in Boundary Representation --- p.96Chapter A.2 --- Transformations of 3D scenes --- p.98Chapter A.2.1 --- Composite Modelling Transformation --- p.98Chapter A.2.2 --- Viewing Transformations --- p.99Chapter A.2.3 --- Projection --- p.102Chapter A.2.4 --- Window to Viewport Mapping --- p.104Chapter A.3 --- Implementation of the Viewing Pipeline --- p.105Chapter A.3.1 --- Defining the View Volume --- p.105Chapter A.3.2 --- Normalization of The View Volume --- p.106Chapter A.3.3 --- The Overall Transformation Pipeline --- p.108Chapter A.4 --- Rendering Realistic 3D Scenes --- p.108Chapter A.4.1 --- Scan-conversion of Lines and Polygons --- p.108Chapter A.4.2 --- Hidden Surface Removal --- p.109Chapter A.4.3 --- Shading --- p.112Chapter A.4.4 --- The Complete 3D Graphics Pipeline --- p.114Chapter APPENDIX B --- DEPTH PROCESSOR DESIGN DETAILSChapter B.l --- PAL Definitions --- p.116Chapter B.2 --- Circuit Diagrams --- p.118Chapter B.3 --- Depth Processor User's Guide --- p.121Chapter APPENDIX C --- VGA ACCELERATOR DESIGN DETAILSChapter C.1 --- PAL Definitions --- p.124Chapter C.2 --- Circuit Diagram --- p.125Chapter C.3 --- The DP-VA User's Guide --- p.127Chapter APPENDIX D --- VME-TO-ISA BUS CONVERTOR DESIGN DETAILSChapter D.1 --- PAL Definitions --- p.131Chapter D.2 --- Circuit Diagrams --- p.133Chapter APPENDIX E --- 3D GRAPHICS LIBRARY ROUTINES FOR THE DP-VA BOARDChapter E.1 --- 3D Drawing Routines --- p.136Chapter E.2 --- 3D Transformation Routines --- p.137Chapter E.3 --- Shading Routines --- p.138Chapter APPENDIX F --- PIPELINE CONFIGURATIONS FOR N PROCESSORSREFERENCE

Investigating SRAM PUFs in large CPUs and GPUs

Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) provide data that can be used for cryptographic purposes: on the one hand randomness for the initialization of random-number generators; on the other hand individual fingerprints for unique identification of specific hardware components. However, today's off-the-shelf personal computers advertise randomness and individual fingerprints only in the form of additional or dedicated hardware. This paper introduces a new set of tools to investigate whether intrinsic PUFs can be found in PC components that are not advertised as containing PUFs. In particular, this paper investigates AMD64 CPU registers as potential PUF sources in the operating-system kernel, the bootloader, and the system BIOS; investigates the CPU cache in the early boot stages; and investigates shared memory on Nvidia GPUs. This investigation found non-random non-fingerprinting behavior in several components but revealed usable PUFs in Nvidia GPUs.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures. Code in appendi

On the design of a real-time volume rendering engine

An architecture for a Real-Time Volume Rendering Engine (RT-VRE) is given, capable of computing 750 × 750 × 512 samples from a 3D dataset at a rate of 25 images per second. The RT-VRE uses for this purpose 64 dedicated rendering chips, cooperating with 16 RISC-processors. A plane interpolator circuit and a composition circuit, both capable to operate at very high speeds, have been designed for a 1.6 micron VLSI process. Both the interpolator and composition circuit are back from production. They have been tested and both complied with our specifications