Prediction-based data cache management for ray tracing

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed relating to maintaining a data cache for ray test circuitry using re-use prediction. The cache may be set associative. Circuitry may maintain, for cache lines of the data cache, respective prediction values that predict likelihood of future re-use, including modifying prediction values of other cache lines in a first set in response to the allocation of a cache line in the set and modify the prediction value of the cache line based on a hit to the cache line. The prediction values may be used to determine victim cache line(s). Control circuitry may assign an initial prediction value to the cache line based on characteristics of data stored by the cache line (e.g., level in a bounding volume hierarchy, size of a bounding volume, characteristics of primitives inside a bounding volume, ray characteristics, tracking ray traversal paths, etc.).

Images