Report Number: CSL-TR-83-244
Institution: Stanford University, Computer Systems Laboratory
Title: High speed image rasterization using a highly parallel smart bulk memory
Date: June 1983
Abstract: VLSI technology allows the efficient realization of a class of highly parallel architectures consisting of high density semiconductor memory with an on-chip processor which accesses the memory in large sections simultaneously. A processor is described which uses this architecture to rasterize lines, polygons and text quickly, providing the rasterization support required in high performance graphic raster displays and fast page printers. This on-chip processor translates high-level low bandwidth commands into low-level high bandwidth actions on chip, where the high bandwidth can be tolerated. This architecture is capable of achieving performance comparable to the "processor per pixel" approaches while avoiding the tremendous density penalty incurred by such approaches. Consequently, it is practical to build a very high performance high resolution system from a small number of these chips.
http://i.stanford.edu/pub/cstr/reports/csl/tr/83/244/CSL-TR-83-244.pdf