PICA200
Encyclopedia
PICA200 is a graphics processing unit
(GPU) for embedded devices designed by Digital Media Professionals Inc. (DMP), a Japanese GPU design company. It was announced at SIGGRAPH 2005, and presented on SIGGRAPH 2006
conference. PICA is DMP's brand of graphics processors for embedded devices, scalable from portables up to high-performance arcade systems. PICA200 simply denotes a 200 MHz-clocked GPU from PICA family.
PICA200 has an instruction-programmable core (IPC) that gives it capability to change configuration based on demands for specific target system, which will manage with its 3D graphics engine.
PICA200 supports second-generation DMPs proprietary MAESTRO graphics technology ("MAESTRO-2G") which includes OpenGL ES 1.1
API support, optional OpenGL ES 1.1 extensions pack and some DMP proprietary extensions which enable custom hardware-based shading algorithms such as procedural texturing, bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), Cook-Torrance specular highlights, polygon subdivision ("Geo Shader", aka. tessellation), soft shadow projection and per-vertex subsurface scattering (similar to two-sided lighting).
The 3D processing core of PICA200 consists of up to four programmable vertex pipelines that can be rearranged as four pixel pipelines. The number of IPCs and pipelines will depend on the target processor core and may change in the future.
For 2D graphics rendering there are two optional add-ons: the image post-processing module PICA-FBM ("Frame Buffer Object") that can be used as anti-aliasing filter with support for some specific 2D functions and the vector graphics module PICA-VG ("Vector Graphics") as PICA-FBM extension.
PICA-FBM is also available as a standalone 2D graphics core. PICA-VG is a PICA-FBM are only available as optional addons.
PICA-VG also supports released Khronos OpenVG 1.0 API
, released on July 18, 2005 which give it additional potential for vector graphics acceleration.
PICA200 and MAESTRO-2G is a further refinement of DMP's first-generation MAESTRO developed in DMP's proof-of-concept processor ULTRAY2000.
PICA200's basic OpenGL ES 1.1 support is the functional equivalent to DirectX 7+ ~ 8.0 GPUs, that was actually prominent in the PC market in 1999–2000, but OpenGL ES 1.1 extension pack and DMP's unique extensions (MAESTRO-2G) tweaks made graphics rendering on this fixed function IPC more akin to more contemporary DX9.0c ~ DX10.1 GPUs.
adopted PICA200 as the GPU for the portable game console
Nintendo 3DS
.
Graphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
(GPU) for embedded devices designed by Digital Media Professionals Inc. (DMP), a Japanese GPU design company. It was announced at SIGGRAPH 2005, and presented on SIGGRAPH 2006
SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. The first SIGGRAPH conference was in 1974. The conference is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals...
conference. PICA is DMP's brand of graphics processors for embedded devices, scalable from portables up to high-performance arcade systems. PICA200 simply denotes a 200 MHz-clocked GPU from PICA family.
PICA200 has an instruction-programmable core (IPC) that gives it capability to change configuration based on demands for specific target system, which will manage with its 3D graphics engine.
PICA200 supports second-generation DMPs proprietary MAESTRO graphics technology ("MAESTRO-2G") which includes OpenGL ES 1.1
OpenGL ES
OpenGL for Embedded Systems is a subset of the OpenGL 3D graphics application programming interface designed for embedded systems such as mobile phones, PDAs, and video game consoles. OpenGL ES is managed by the not-for-profit technology consortium, the Khronos Group, Inc.- Versions :Several...
API support, optional OpenGL ES 1.1 extensions pack and some DMP proprietary extensions which enable custom hardware-based shading algorithms such as procedural texturing, bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), Cook-Torrance specular highlights, polygon subdivision ("Geo Shader", aka. tessellation), soft shadow projection and per-vertex subsurface scattering (similar to two-sided lighting).
The 3D processing core of PICA200 consists of up to four programmable vertex pipelines that can be rearranged as four pixel pipelines. The number of IPCs and pipelines will depend on the target processor core and may change in the future.
For 2D graphics rendering there are two optional add-ons: the image post-processing module PICA-FBM ("Frame Buffer Object") that can be used as anti-aliasing filter with support for some specific 2D functions and the vector graphics module PICA-VG ("Vector Graphics") as PICA-FBM extension.
PICA-FBM is also available as a standalone 2D graphics core. PICA-VG is a PICA-FBM are only available as optional addons.
PICA-VG also supports released Khronos OpenVG 1.0 API
OpenVG
OpenVG is a standard API designed for hardware-accelerated 2D vector graphics. It is aimed primarily at mobile phones, media and gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 3, and other consumer electronic devices. It will help manufacturers create flashier user interfaces that are less dependent on...
, released on July 18, 2005 which give it additional potential for vector graphics acceleration.
PICA200 and MAESTRO-2G is a further refinement of DMP's first-generation MAESTRO developed in DMP's proof-of-concept processor ULTRAY2000.
PICA200's basic OpenGL ES 1.1 support is the functional equivalent to DirectX 7+ ~ 8.0 GPUs, that was actually prominent in the PC market in 1999–2000, but OpenGL ES 1.1 extension pack and DMP's unique extensions (MAESTRO-2G) tweaks made graphics rendering on this fixed function IPC more akin to more contemporary DX9.0c ~ DX10.1 GPUs.
Applications
DMP announced that NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
adopted PICA200 as the GPU for the portable game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
.
Specification
- 65 nm Single Core (max. clock frequency 400 MHz)
- pixel performance: 800 Mpixel/s
- 400 Mpixel/s @100 MHz
- 1600 Mpixel/s @400 MHz
- vertex performance: 15.3 Mpolygon/s
- 40Mtriangle/s @100 MHz
- 160Mtriangle/s @400 MHz
- pixel performance: 800 Mpixel/s
- Power consumption: 0.5-1.0 mW/MHz
- Frame Buffer max. 4095x4095 pixels
- Supported pixel formats: RGBA 4-4-4-4, RGB 5-6-5, RGBA 5-5-5-1, RGBA 8-8-8-8
- Vertex program (ARB_vertex_program)
- Render-to-Texture
- MipMapMipmapIn 3D computer graphics texture filtering, MIP maps are pre-calculated, optimized collections of images that accompany a main texture, intended to increase rendering speed and reduce aliasing artifacts. They are widely used in 3D computer games, flight simulators and other 3D imaging systems. The...
- Bilinear texture filtering
- Alpha blending
- Full-scene anti-aliasing (2x2)
- Polygon offset
- 8-bit stencil buffer
- 24-bit depth buffer
- Single/Double/Triple buffer
- DMP's MAESTRO-2G technology
- per pixel lighting
- procedural texture
- refraction mapping
- subdivision primitive
- shadow
- gaseous object rendering