A little new patent..

[nAo]

This new patent is from Mr. Kahle, director of the CELL Project.
So we learn APUs (that are no longer called that way, now they call them SPU, Synergistic Processing Unit) can have or can share a L1 cache memory, moreover each SPU has a local memory, as we already know
The patent is about a DMA prefetching mechanism, adn to be fair it's quite vague about it..

DMA prefetch

ciao,
Marco

 

[Panajev2001a]

Let me read .

 

[Panajev2001a]

L1 e L2 caches for the PU, 128x128 bits GPRs + 128 KB of Local Storage + L1 cache + Virtual Memory support (TLB in the DMAC and shared work with the MFC in the SPU) = WHOA .

 

[Fafalada]

I'd be lying if I said I liked the new abbreviation - it sounds way too close to SPU2 (brrrrrr :?), and APU (especially pronounced from my language perspective, though you Italian guys may have a similar manner of saying it too) just sounds cutey ... but the latest info about caches and the like sounds encouraging at least.

With some of the rumours thrown about, I was just about ready to resign myself that we'll get an eDram heavy CPU where we'll get the "pleasure" to manually manage all moving of data between mainram-edram-localstorage and possibly have no caches whatsoever
At least these recent patents give a glimmer of hope it won't be all bad...

 

[Panajev2001a]

No 90s Faf, we go to 65's disco baby, disco.




APU, we pronounce it like the Simpson character's Apu (aah-poo)... I think you would pronounce it that way too.

 

[Panajev2001a]

With some of the rumours thrown about, I was just about ready to resign myself that we'll get an eDram heavy CPU where we'll get the "pleasure" to manually manage all moving of data between mainram-edram-localstorage and possibly have no caches whatsoever
At least these recent patents give a glimmer of hope it won't be all bad...

It won't be all bad .

 

[one]

'APU' in IBM's context is confusing with APU defined by Book E.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Well, that explains the name change .

Edit: so so... if Altivec is APU... I do not see the problem with calling CELL's SPUs APUs .

 

[Fafalada]

No 90s Faf, we go to 65's disco baby, disco.

If that's the case it's good news, I always thought 90s were overrated (aside for the early techno stuff, but kids wouldn't even remember that now).

IIRC that should mean there will be room for more dancers on the floor, or at least I would have like it that way

APU, we pronounce it like the Simpson character's Apu (aah-poo)

Yep, pretty much the same(I wasn't just guessing, I do know a teensy bit Italian too, though I learned most from sports commentary) - native english speakers are missing out 8)

 

[DeanoC]

I've always spelt it out or thought of it like the Simpsons character.

On the other hand, I know a few people who say SPU (the sound chip) like Spew (as in vomit) but I think that was general disgust rather than proper grammer ;-)

 

[Guden Oden]

Well, that explains the name change .

Edit: so so... if Altivec is APU... I do not see the problem with calling CELL's SPUs APUs .

Maybe Matt Groenig threatened to sue?

 

[Panajev2001a]

Ok, I will buy nAo's dinner when we meet if all Broadband Engine CPUs in PlayStation 3 are at 90 nm when PlayStation 3 launches in the major territories.

Otherwise he will buy my dinner.

 

[nAo]

I hope to be the one who lose that bet.. 8)

 

[Fafalada]

Here's hoping nAo looses his bet too, and over more then just semanthics (ie. that the BEs are actually engineered to make use of 65nm).

On the other hand, I know a few people who say SPU (the sound chip) like Spew (as in vomit) but I think that was general disgust rather than proper grammer Wink

I think that one is quite deservedly so too

 

[Panajev2001a]

I do not know, the PlayStation 2 Linux kit does not really touch SPU2 .

I hope they make a PlayStation 3 Linux kit, even if it involves me having to get the lowest-end CELL Work-Station model .