How Imagination tested the PowerVR Series6XT

How Imagination tested the PowerVR Series6XT
by Don Dingee on 01-23-2015 at 10:00 pm

We have been hearing for some time about the Synopsys HAPS-70 and how they have co-created the hardware and software architecture for FPGA-based prototyping with their customers. Now, we see details published by Synopsys on how they collaborated with Imagination on the design of the PowerVR Series6XT GPU.

The first thing to come… Read More


GPU Benchmarks? Try to See the Complete Picture…

GPU Benchmarks? Try to See the Complete Picture…
by Eric Esteve on 10-15-2014 at 3:29 am

We all know benchmarks, but do we really understand benchmark results? Benchmark users should always look beyond the simple score when making in-depth technical analysis and request to see all the facts. There are many graphics benchmarks to choose from but let’s name today these three below:

3DMark Ice Stormfrom Futuremark… Read More


Raptor Image Signal Processor

Raptor Image Signal Processor
by Paul McLellan on 11-18-2013 at 9:00 am

This fall there seems to be a bumper harvest of cores. Today Imagination Technologies announced their latest core for image signal processing. Like all of their cores, it is designed to be part of an SoC and is designed to work with other Imagination cores to build a complete image processing system. In particular, it is designed … Read More


Texture decompression is the point for mobile GPUs

Texture decompression is the point for mobile GPUs
by Don Dingee on 09-18-2013 at 9:00 pm

In the first post of this series, we named the popular methods for texture compression in OpenGL ES, particularly Imagination Technologies PVRTC on all Apple and many Android mobile devices. Now, let’s explore what texture compression involves, what PVRTC does, and how it differs from other approaches.… Read More


How Do You Do Computational Photography at HD Video Rates?

How Do You Do Computational Photography at HD Video Rates?
by Paul McLellan on 09-18-2013 at 2:22 pm

Increasingly, a GPU is misnamed as a “graphics” processing unit. They are really specialized architecture highly parallel compute engines. You can use these compute engines for graphics, of course, but people are inventive and find ways of using GPUs for other tasks that can take advantage of the highly parallel… Read More


Compressing OpenGL ES textures

Compressing OpenGL ES textures
by Don Dingee on 08-14-2013 at 6:00 pm

The 80s called, and they want lazy programming back. Remember “Mr. Mom”? Michael Keaton is talking about rewiring the house, and Martin Mull asks if he’s going to use all 220V, and Keaton responds “Yeah, 220, 221, whatever it takes.” Not knowing what’s inside can make you look silly.

Such is the case with OpenGL ES. Taking a look at … Read More


♫ IMG Sitting on the DOK of the Bay…Closin’ Timin’

♫ IMG Sitting on the DOK of the Bay…Closin’ Timin’
by Paul McLellan on 07-24-2013 at 7:00 am

Scott Fitzgerald is supposed to have said “the rich are not like other people” to Ernest Hemingway (he didn’t). In the same way, processors are not like other blocks, and not because they have more gates (they don’t). However, special approaches to optimizing processors are important because the clock… Read More


Should ARM care about MIPS acquisition?

Should ARM care about MIPS acquisition?
by Eric Esteve on 11-06-2012 at 3:09 am

It was not really a surprise to learn that, finally, MIPS have been sold, as the company was officially for sale since April 2012. Nevertheless, the interesting part of this news comes from the buyer’ identity: Imagination Technologies. Imagination is an UK based company, like ARM, selling processor IP cores, like ARM, but the … Read More