Contains reports on three research projects.Center for Advanced Television StudiesAmerican Broadcasting CompanyAmpex CorporationColumbia Broadcasting Systems (until 5/86)Harris Corporation (until 5/86)Home Box OfficeKodak (from 1/87)Public Broadcasting ServiceNational Broadcasting CompanyRCA CorporationTektronixZenith (from 5/86)3M Company (until 5/86)International Business Machines, Inc.Defense Advanced Research Agency (Contract N00014-85-K-0213

Cherkassky, Alexander

Heytens, Michael L.

Jayavant, Rajeev

Kaliszewski, Joseph V.

Kommrusch, Steve

Lynn, Charles W.

Monta, Peter

Ono, Joanne

Picard, Leonard

Troxel, Donald E.

Tsakiris, Todd

Vinciguerra, Ralph

Contains reports on three research projects.Center for Advanced Television StudiesAmerican Broadcasting CompanyAmpex CorporationHome Box OfficeKodakPublic Broadcasting ServiceNational Broadcasting CompanyRCA CorporationTektronixZenithDARPA/U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-85-K-0213)International Business Machines, Inc

DSpace@MIT

Cognitive Information Processing26.0 Cognitive Information ProcessingAcademic and Research StaffProf. W.F. Schreiber, Prof. D.H. Staelin, Prof. D.E. Troxel, Prof. S. Benton, Prof. R-S.Gong, Dr. C.W. Lynn, Dr. L. Picard, J. WardGraduate StudentsM. Heytens, R. Jayavant, S. Kommrusch, P. Monta, J. Ono, T. Tsakiris, R. VinciguerraS. Hsu, T.T. Huang, E. Krause, D. Kuo, C. Lee, S. Marshall, D. Pian, J. Piot, J. Preisig,J.-P. Schott, J. Shapiro, E. Simoncelli, B. Szabo, A. Tom, J. Wang, G. WornellUndergraduate StudentsA. Cherkassky, J. Kaliszewski26.1 Advanced Television Research ProgramSponsorship. Members of the Center for Advanced Television Studies, an industrygroup consisting of American Broadcasting Company, Ampex Corporation, Home BoxOffice, Kodak, Public Broadcasting Service, National Broadcasting Company, RCACorporation, Tektronix, Zenith26.1.1 GoalsThe purpose of this program is to conduct research relevant to the improvement ofbroadcast television systems. Some of the work is carried out at RLE and some atother parts of MIT, including the Media Laboratory by Prof. Andrew Lippman, Prof.Edward Adelson, Prof. Stephen Benton, and Adjunct Prof. Arun Netravali. Audienceresearch is carried out by Prof. W. R. Neuman in the Political Science Department.Reporting is by means of theses and published papers.26.1.2 BackgroundThe Japan Broadcasting Company (NHK) has demonstrated a high definition tele-vision system of 1125 lines, 30 frames, 60 fields, 25 MHz bandwidth, with imagequality comparable to 35 mm motion pictures. A bandwidth-compressed version re-quiring an 8.1 MHz baseband has been developed. Both of these systems were ori-ginally intended for use in DBS (direct broadcasting from satellites) systems. A so-farunsuccessful attempt has also been made to have the wideband version adopted asan international standard for production and program interchange. Japanese interestshave announced their intention to introduce some version of this system into theUnited States in 1990 via recorded media such as tape cassettes and video disks.The latter possibility is widely seen as a serious threat to the financial stability ofAmerican television broadcasters, and the Federal Communicaitons Commission has221Cognitive Information Processinglaunched an inquiry into the situation. The MIT group is fully participating in the In-quiry.26.1.3 Research ActivitiesIn this contract year, we have put into operation a simulation facility that permitscomputed image sequences to be observed in real time. This is being used to studyproblems in motion rendition. We have also started developing new systems thatmight be used for transmission of improved TV images, both enhanced (EDTV) and"true" high definition (HDTV), using only one standard TV channel.We have carried out a number of studies at the Audience Research Facility inDanvers, Massachusetts for the principal purpose of determining viewer reaction toimproved images and sound, and, in particular, to finding out whether audiences arewilling to pay a premium for better pictures independent of program material.We are continuing our studies of motion estimation and perception; motion-compensated interpolation, noise reduction, and demodulation; optimum filtering; andTV system modeling.PublicationsHerrmann, F.P., A Four-Input Digital Video Combiner with High Definition Output,S.B. thesis, Dept. Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT, 1987.Jesurum, D.A., A Microprocessor- Controlled Dyanmic Raster Convergence System,S.B. thesis, Dept. Eletr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT, 1987.Kuo, D.D., Design of Dual Frame Rate Image Coding Systems, S.M. thesis, Dept. ofElectr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT, 1987.Krause, E.A., Motion Estimation for Frame-Rate Conversion, Ph.D. diss., Dept. ofElectr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT, 1987.Kung, K., Evaluation of a Single Channel High Definition Television System, S.B.thesis, Dept. of Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT, 1987.Oh, M.H., Improved NTSC, S.B. thesis, Dept. of Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT,1987.Schreiber, W.F., "Improved Television Systems: NTSC and Beyond," SMPTEJ. 66(8)(1987).Schreiber, W.F., "HDTV Technology: Advanced Television Systems and Public PolicyOptions," Telecommun. (1987).Singer, L.A., An Ultra-High-Resolution Display Monitor, S.M. thesis, Dept. of Electr.Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT, 1987.222 RLE Progress Report Number 130Cognitive Information ProcessingTeng, P., Design and Construction of a 1K x 1K Frame Buffer, S.B. thesis, Dept. ofElectr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., MIT, 1987.26.2 Computer-Aided Fabrication System StructureDARPA/U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-85-K-0213)Donald E. Troxel, Michael Heytens, Rajeev Jayavant, Steve Kommrusch, Peter Monta,Joseph Kaliszewski26.2.1 AbstractThe Computer-Aided Fabrication (CAF) system structure carried out within RLE ispart of a larger project within MTL. The overall goal of the CAF project is to integratecomputers into the control, data collection, modeling, and scheduling of the integratedcircuit fabrication process.26.2.2 Computer-Aided Fabrication System StructureThe Computer-Aided Fabrication (CAF) system structure carried out within RLE ispart of a larger project within MTL. The overall aim of the CAF project is to integratecomputers into the control, data collection, modelling, and scheduling of the integratedcircuit fabrication process. The goals of Computer-Aided Fabrication (CAF) of inte-grated circuits can be stated in different ways. One is to provide effective managementof information associated with the fabrication of integrated circuits to improve flexibil-ity, portability, and quality and to minimize turnaround time, development cost, con-fusion, error, and manufacturing cost. Another is to provide a way to operate afabrication facility without using paper in the clean room. Another is to provide aframework for the creation of information that has usually not been available in a con-cise or precise way.To realize these goals we must provide mechanisms and tools for data acquisition,analyses, reports, and instructions (guidance) for the actual operation of the fabricationequipment. Some data collection, analysis, and report generation is ongoing and au-tomated. However, most of the data collected is either entered or entry is initiated by aperson.During the past year we have defined and installed both a hardware configurationand an initial CAF software system architecture. Central to the hardware architectureis the use of computer networking, both to provide integration of functions performedon different computers and to provide access to these computers from the integratedcircuit processing facility and also from the users' offices.The primary computer used for the actual operation of the CAF system within theintegrated circuit processing facility consists solely of a Sun 3/280 processor with diskand network interface. Our processing facilities and offices are equipped with ASCIIterminals which are interfaced to diskless terminal concentrators, which in turn providenetwork connections to any available computer. There are eight terminal concentrators,each of which has provision for up to 48 9600 baud RS 232 ports. These concentrators223Cognitive Information Processingalso provide for communication paths and connection of some of the actual integratedcircuit processing equipment.Another Sun 3/280 is used as a development test bed for enhancements, tests, anddebugging fixes. This insulates the users of the primary CAF system from the introduc-tion of untested software, and it also helps to provide faster response time for thepresent users in that they do not have to share their cpu resources with the developersof new software. The second Sun 3/280 allows the developers of new software inparticular to experiment with data base application programs without corrupting theactual data base used for ongoing processing of integrated circuits.A third computer system consisting of a DEC 785 serves as a common meetingground for the somewhat wider community of people concerned with integrated circuitdesign and manufacture. This computer provides the bulk of the text processing, print-ing, mail, simulation, and other facilities which are related to, but not directly concernedwith, the actual operations in the integrated circuit processing facility. The 785 alsoprovides a connection to an MIT Physical Plant computer and maintains an active alarmlog for the building containing the integrated circuits fabrication facility.Our initial CAFE (Computer-Aided Fabrication Environment) software system wasbased on the Berkeley Roving Shell with a file based data storage system. Our presentCAFE system is based on the Berkeley system with an enhanced user interface menuand uses a commercial version of RTI INGRES data base system. Users log into thisfacility in the gowning room and then attach to the CAFE system at a terminal close bythe equipment to be operated.We have provided an ever growing number of functions to be accessed via the CAFEsystem. We have implemented a personal laboratory notebook facility. We have de-veloped a standard forms based user interface mechanism which is used for most of ourapplications functions. Our implementation of an equipment reservation mechanismhas been enthusiastically accepted by our laboratory users. We have implemented anumber of transaction type applications such as defining of facilities and machines,starting lots, and reports which show machine status and the status of lots being fabri-cated. Just recently we have implemented an initial version of a process flow languageand have provided two interpreters and a browser for this language.We have interfaced to some processing and measuring equipment. The Dektakprofilometer has been interfaced with the CAF computer, and software has been de-veloped for transmitting screen plots and for printing these plots on either a laser printeror a terminal. The Nanospec has been interfaced and data collection software installed.We have also provided a connection to the BTU furnace controller both for creating anddownloading furnace recipes.We have continued our development of a generalized forms based user interfaceprogram, fabform. This single program, when called with a parameter file, produces aterminal display and allows a user to move from field to field and enter data. The typeand content of the screen display are specified by an ASCII file which is referenced bydata included in the parameter file. The form may have arbitrary length and the user canscroll up or down. At present, user interface commands are much like EMACS com-mands. When the user exits, or saves the data, an updated parameter file is written.224 RLE Progress Report Number 130Cognitive Information ProcessingUsing fabform, we have implemented a new version of the equipment reservationsprogram which enables users to sign up for multiple machines at once. Users specifya list of machines that they will use in their next processing operation and access thedata base for the current status of reservations. A locking mechanism has been devisedso that multiple users cannot make conflicting entries. However different users maymake reservations for different machines or different days. This program is in daily useand stores the sign up data in our data base.We have also used fabform to implement a new multilevel menu system for the CAFEshell. We required a multilevel menu as we are accumulating quite a number of func-tions and were running out of space on the two level menu system that we ported fromBerkeley. By using fabform we were able to implement this change fairly smoothly andalso provide users with a more uniform interface.We have continued to make substantial progress in the development of a data modeland schema. Our system architecture is based on the Multibase system developed atCCA. This provides a uniform query interface to data residing in multiple autonomous,heterogeneous data bases.Our data model is the functional model with support of extended data types, in-cluding various temporal types as well as inexact, interval, and null values. The schemacaptures several important aspects of plant and process management: fabrication facil-ities and equipment, users, equipment reservations, lots, lot tracking, wafers, processflow descriptions, work in progress (wip) tracking, and lab activity information.Primarily because of the interface layer between the application programs and thedata base accesses we were able to change the data base out from under the applicationprograms without requiring changes in those applications when we ported the database to the Suns and RTI INGRES.We have continued to progress on the development of a process flow language(PFL). The creation of a PFL and associated interpreters is the key to our approach forgenerating actual fabrication instructions and for collecting the data resulting from ac-tual fabrication steps. The interpreters provide the actual meaning of the process flowsexpressed in the flow language. Our PFL development is based on a two stage processstep model which relates the goal of a change in wafer state first to the physical treat-ment parameters and finally to the actual machine settings used to process the wafers.We have completed initial versions of walk through and fabrication interpreters anda browser all of which utilize our generalized forms based user interface program,fabform. The walk-through interpreter enables a process developer or potential user tosee what will happen when the process is executed. The fabrication interpreter is sim-ilar, but in addition, allows for convenient entry of data as the wafers are actuallyprocessed. We have also completed an initial version of a past history browser whichallows a user to review what actually happened in the fabrication of a lot of wafers.225Cognitive Information Processing26.3 Programmable Frame Buffer SystemsInternational Business Machines, Inc.Donald E. Troxel, Charles W. Lynn, Len Picard, Joanne Ono, Todd Tsakiris, RalphVinciguerra, Alexander Cherkassky26.3.1 AbstractOur research during the past five years has focused on the architecture of interactivegraphics work stations, the user interface, the manipulation of subimages, and algo-rithms for shading, texture mapping, and antialiasing. This year we have implementeda window system for the IBM YODA, experimented with progressive rendering ofgraphics images, completed a graphics system processor based on the TMS34010, andcontinued our investigation of the antialiasing of color graphics images.26.3.2 Frame Buffer SystemsOur research during the past five years has focused on the architecture of interactivegraphics work stations, the user interface, the manipulation of subimages, algorithmsfor shading, texture mapping, and antialiasing, and the raster display itself.The use of color in computer graphics is now prevalent in many areas and at manylevels of sophistication. Color provides additional realism to images and greatly en-hances visual presentation quality. Spatial aliasing on finite resolution color displaysremains a problem, however, although the problem has many applicable solutions formonochromatic images. In most cases the same monochromatic techniques are gen-erally applied to color images, treating each color channel as a separate image to beantialiased and later merged for the full color result. This produces various problemswith the color transition involving dark fringes and incorrect lightness rates along edgeswhich are antialiased. Solutions to general color antialiasing have been developedwhich allow multicolored objects to be rendered on backgrounds of nonuniform colorwith minimum aliasing artifacts. These solutions involve optimized trajectories througha perceptually appropriate hybrid color space, parameterized by the position across eachantialiased edge. Several related issues concerning local adaptation and proper systemmodeling and calibration are described. Data from tests of the algorithm on a set ofhuman viewers is also presented in support of these new solutions. These solutions canalso provide perceptually pleasing transparency effects, boundary blending for imagecomposition, color correct scaling and zooming, and multivalued function displays. Thetools developed for the determination of the solution also provide a convenient frame-work for the manipulation of color on graphic display systems.A recently completed master's thesis by Joanne Ono developed software for a de-mand paged window manager. The objective of this thesis was to develop and imple-ment in C language a method to efficiently redisplay the window information that isexposed as a result of a screen modification. The implementation uses offscreen displaymemory and PC main memory to store bit maps of the obscured portions of the win-dows currently in use. The method utilizes the offscreen memory that is available in thedisplay memory for a demand paged type of storage between main memory and the226 RLE Progress Report Number 130Cognitive Information Processingdisplay. The program is implemented for a desk top window system currently beingdeveloped for the IBM YODA and its updated version, BETTY, that will run on an IBMXT, RT, or AT.A recently completed bachelor's thesis by Alexander P. Cherkassky concerned ageneral purpose graphics system based on a TMS34010. The architecture of thisgraphics system provides a cost effective means for achieving high performance in color(as well as in monochrome) bit mapped graphics displays for personal computers andwork stations. Much of the power of this system is due to the use of TMS34010Graphics System Processor. This system can be adapted to a variety of resolutions andscanning frequencies and can be used in color as well as monochrome modes. It iscapable of handling 1024 by 1024 resolution displays with four bits per pixel, and cancontain up to 16 frame buffers in memory. Alternatively, this system can handle up to16 bits per pixel with corresponding decrease in frame buffer storage. For demon-stration purposes, the system was programmed to deliver resolution of 320 pixels perline, there being 250 lines per screen, four bits in a pixel.A simple progressive rendering system for computer graphic images was developedto explore the trade off of computation time versus image quality. Five distinct levelsof improving image quality were implemented, and a sequence of algorithms was de-veloped that would generate the images sequentially. Algorithms were chosen thatmesh well together, share as much information as possible, and minimize redundantcalculations. The main use of such techniques is in interactive environments where theamount of time needed to produce a very realistic version of the image may be sub-stantial. The idea of progressive rendering is well known in the area of image trans-mission, but relatively new to the computer graphics field. The challenge is to displayas realistic an image as possible given a fixed computation time, and then to subse-quently improve image realism in the most time efficient manner, making pass after pass,until some action by the viewer requires that the rendering process be started all overagain on a new image (perhaps a zoomed or rotated view of the previous image). Thedesired set of algorithms should have the property that each builds upon the one beforeit, using results obtained by the latter so that the final image is approached in an in-cremental fashion.227Professor Jin Au Kong228 RLE Progress Report Number 130

Cognitive Information Processing

Schreiber, William F.

Garcia, Armando

Huang, Shiao-Li

Cognitive Information Processing25.0 Cognitive Information ProcessingAcademic and Research StaffProf. W.F. Schreiber, Prof. R.-S. Gong7 , Prof. J. Lang, Prof. J. Lim, Dr. C.W. Lynn, Dr.L. Picard, Prof. D.H. Staelin, Prof. D.E. Troxel, Mr. J. Ward.Graduate StudentsG. Bartlett, K. Christian, A. Garcia, M. Heytens, S. Hsu, S.-L. Huang M.A. Isnardi, R.Jayavant, E. Krause, D. Kuo, C. Lee, H.S. Malvar, S. Marshall, D. Martinez, J. Ono, D.Pan, D. Pian, J. Plot, J. Preisig, J.-P. Schott, J. Shapiro, L. Singer, B. Szabo, A. Tom,T. Tsakiris, R. Vinciguerra, J. Wang, G. Wornell.25.1 Advanced Television Research ProgramMembers of the Center for Advanced Television Studies, an industry group consistingof American Broadcasting Company, Ampex Corporation, Columbia Broadcasting Sys-tems (until 5/86), Harris Corporation (until 5/86), Home Box Office, Kodak (from1/87), Public Broadcasting Service, National Broadcasting Company, RCA Corporation,Tektronix, Zenith (from 5/86), and 3M Company (until 5/86).William F. Schreiber25.1 .1 GoalsThe purpose of this program is to conduct research relevant to the improvement ofbroadcast television systems. Some of the work is carried out in RLE and some in otherparts of MIT, including the Media Laboratory by Prof. Andrew Lippman, Prof. StephenBenton, and Adjunct Prof. Arun Netravali. Audience research is carried out by Prof. W.R. Neuman in the Political Science Department. Reporting is by means of theses andpublished papers.25.1.2 BackgroundThe Japan Broadcasting Company (NHK) has demonstrated a high definition tele-vision system of 1125 lines, 30 frames, 60 fields, 25 MHz bandwidth, with image qualitycomparable to 35-mm motion pictures. Substantial improvements in image quality overthat of the existing NTSC and PAL systems have been demonstrated by laboratories inEurope, Japan, and the United States which require only signal processing and the useof special electronic components, such as frame stores, at the receiver. These systemsdo not require increasing the present 6-MHz bandwidth. Still other systems have beendemonstrated that achieve nearly NHK quality by adding a second channel to thepresent broadcast signal. In view of all these developments and of the economic im-7 Visiting Scientist203Cognitive Information Processingportance of the US television industry, it was deemed appropriate by the sponsors tofund a research program at an American university.25.1.3 Research ActivitiesIn this contract year, we have completed the assembly of our image-processing sys-tem, based on a VAX 11/785, including a high-speed disk subsystem. The latter, whichbecame operational in 1987, permits simulation of full moving high-definition TV se-quences. The Audience Research Facility in Danvers, Mass. was also completed, andboth of these facilities were used to carry out a variety of studies.Studies have been carried out on motion estimation and perception, optimum filter-ing, TV system modeling, visual psychophysics, and audience reaction to degraded im-ages and sound. Extensive work has been done in motion estimation, and this has beenapplied to frame-rate conversion (e.g., 24-fps film to 60-fps TV) and to noise reductionwithout blurring. Elimination of defects in the US standard (NTSC) TV system by signalprocessing has also been demonstrated, and some proposed improved TV systems havebeen simulated.PublicationsBartlett, G., "Observations of the Spatial and Temporal Response of Human Color Vi-sion," M.S. Thesis, Dept. Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., Cambridge, Mass., 1986.Christian, K., "The Design of an Integrated-Circuit 3D Gaussian Interpolator," M.S.Thesis, Dept. Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass., 1985.Hsu, S.C., "The Kell Factor: Past and Present," S.M.P.T.E. 95, 2 (1985).Isnardi, M.A., "Modeling the Television Process," Ph.D. diss., Dept. Electr. Eng. andComp. Sci., M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass., 1986.Krause, E.A., "Motion Estimation for Frame-Rate Conversion," Ph.D. diss., Dept. Electr.Eng. and Comp. Sci., M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass., 1985.Kuo, D.D., "Design of Dual Frame Rate Image Coding Systems," M.S. Thesis, Dept.Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass., 1987.Malvar, H.S., "Optimal Pre- and Post-Filtering in Noisy Sampled Data Systems," Ph.D.diss., Dept. Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., Cambridge, Mass., 1986.Martinez, D.M., "Model-Based Motion Estimation and its Application to Motion Pic-tures," Ph.D. diss., Dept. Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass.,1986.Pan, D.Y., "Adaptive Filtering for Sampled Images," Ph.D. diss., Dept. of Electr. Eng.and Comp. Sci., 1986.Schreiber, W.F., "Improved Television Systems: NTSC and Beyond," to be publishedin S.M.P.T.E. in 1987.204 R.L.E. P.R. No. 129Cognitive Information ProcessingTom, A., "Prediction of FIR Pre and Post-Filter Performance Based Upon a VisualModel," M.S. Thesis, Dept. Electr. Eng. and Comp. Sci., Cambridge, Mass., 1986.Wang, J.S., "Real-Time Multi-Dimensional Interpolation," M.S. Thesis, Dept. Electr.Eng. and Comp. Sci., M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass., 1986.25.2 Computer GraphicsDonald E. Troxel, Charles W. Lynn, Len Picard, Armando Garcia, Shiao-Li Huang,Joanne Ono, Todd Tsakiris, Ralph Vinciguerra25.2.1 Display Architecture for Interactive GraphicsProgrammable Frame Buffer SystemsInternational Business Machines, Inc.Our research during the past four years has focused on the architecture of interactivegraphics work stations, the user interface, the manipulation of sub-images, and algo-rithms for shading, texture mapping, and anti-aliasing. We have developed novelshading algorithms suitable for realistic image synthesis on graphics work stations.Hierarchical object modeling and ray tracing techniques are combined with efficienthidden surface algorithms to produce images that approximate the quality of picturesnow produced by conventional ray tracing algorithms, but at considerable reduction incomputation time. We continue to investigate the problem of producing anti-aliasedcolor displays.25.2.2 Programmable Frame Buffer SystemsInternational Business Machines, Inc.Our research during the past four years has focused on the architecture of interactivegraphics work stations, the user interface, the manipulation of sub-images, algorithmsfor shading, texture mapping, and anti-aliasing, and the raster display itself. This pastyear we acquired a second IBM PC/XT equipped with a YODA display. One PC/XT isalso equipped with a 370 board and appropriate software so that it is possible to com-pile microcode for the YODA display.We continue to investigate the problem of producing anti-aliased displays in con-junction with our investigation of shading algorithms. There has been considerableliterature and increasing use of anti-aliasing in order to generate more pleasing displaysfor a given spatial sampling grid. This, of course, impacts architectural considerationsas the size of the required image refresh memory can be reduced, thus altering thetrade-offs. An interesting question concerns the trade-off between the spatial and grayscale resolution; i.e., how should available memory be allocated to optimize quality.The issue of color adds an additional dimension to the problem. Present practice isto apply anti-aliasing algorithms separately to the red, green, and blue separations.This205Cognitive Information Processinghas the unfortunate effect of producing color fringes on anti-aliased lines.This does notappear to be optimum; however, it is not obvious what color space should be usedwhen calculating anti-aliasing in order to maintain both a pleasing display and truecolors. Another way to look at this problem is to ask what trajectory in color spaceshould one use in performing the anti-aliasing computation.The distinction between image processing and graphic systems has been blurred astheir hardware architectures have evolved toward each other. We are interested inproviding tools and functional capabilities to simplify the task of the applicationsimplementors and also to provide guidance to future hardware architects as to thetrade-offs of the parameters of frame buffer systems. These parameters include thenumber of bit planes in the visible frame buffer, the size and number of bit planes ininvisible frame buffers, the number of entries in a video color look up table, the numberof bits in each video color look up table entry, and the manner in which the addressesof the video color look up table entries are generated.The basic functional capabilities desired include transparency and anti-aliasing,clipping, zooming (other than by pel replication), and window management (i.e., dy-namic overlays, animation, and palindromic sequences for depth cueing).A recently completed PhD thesis by Armando Garcia developed novel shading al-gorithms suitable for realistic image synthesis on graphics work stations. Hierarchicalobject modeling and ray tracing techniques are combined with efficient hidden surfacealgorithms to produce images that approximate the quality of pictures now producedby conventional ray tracing algorithms, but at considerable reduction in computationtime. These new algorithms implement rendering, reflection, and shadowing and havebeen programmed to run on both a DEC VAX-11/750 with an IRIS graphics terminal,and an IBM-PC/XT with the YODA attachment. For the most part, the algorithms aredevice independent, and simply make use of the IRIS/YODA hardware for drawingpolygons and single pixels.25.3 Computer Aided Fabrication System StructureDefense Advanced Research Agency (Contract N00014-85-K-0213)Donald E. Troxel, Rajeev Jayavant, Michael HeytensThe Computer Aided Fabrication (CAF) system structure carried out within RLE ispart of a larger project within MTL. The overall goal of the CAF project is to integratecomputers into the control, data collection, modeling, and scheduling of the integratedcircuit fabrication process.Previously, an initial, rudimentary CAF system was implemented. This included apersonal notebook and data structures. During this period we have completed instal-lation of the primary CAF computer, terminal concentrators, wiring of the facility withRS232 ports, and installation of terminals in the fabrication laboratory.We have interfaced to the MIT physical plant computer which monitors a largenumber of sensing points such as resistance of DI water, etc., in our facility. We capture206 R.L.E. P.R. No. 129Cognitive Information Processingall alarms printed, maintain a log of active alarms, and have provided a mechanism forremote query of the status of the monitored points.We have interfaced to some processing and measuring equipment. The Dektakprofilometer has been interfaced with the CAF computer and software has been devel-oped for transmitting screen plots and for printing these plots on either a laser printeror terminal. The Nanospec has been interfaced and data collection software installed.We have also provided a connection to the BTU furnace controller both for the creatingand downloading of furnace recipes.We have decided to use INGRES as a relational data base and have initiated an activeproject to define a scheme. We have initiated the development of a process flow lan-guage. This language will have a lisp-like form, although this need not be apparent otprocess design engineers.The meaning of our process flow language will be provided by several interpreters -fabrication, simulation, production scheduling, and a "walk-through" interpreter. Thewalk-through interpreter will, we think, prove useful in the design of a process, thecommunication of the process to others, and in its approval by lab management.207I208 R.L.E. P.R. No. 129

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