Texram: a smart memory for texturing
Andreas Schilling, G. Knittel, Wolfgang Straßer · IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications · 1996
Logic embedded memory is an emerging technology that combines high transfer rates and computing power. Texram implements this technology and a new filtering algorithm to achieve high speed, high quality texture mapping. Integrating arithmetic units and large memory arrays on the same chip and thus exploiting the enormous internal transfer rates provides an elegant solution to the memory access bottleneck of high quality texture mapping. Using this technology, we can not only achieve higher texturing speed at lower system costs, we can also incorporate new functionalities such as detail mapping and footprint assembly to produce higher quality images at real time rendering speeds. Environment and video mapping are also integrated on the Texram, which therefore represents an autonomous and versatile texturing coprocessor. Logic enhanced memories might become the computing paradigm of the future, not just in graphics applications. Technological advances will foster this trend by providing an ever increasing amount of memory capacity and chip space for arithmetic units. As the ultimate solution, we can expect a complete 3D graphics pipeline including all memory systems integrated on a single chip.