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A sprite chip literally is a GPU [Graphics Processing Unit], just for 2d graphics (sprites,tiles,color palettes,etc) rather than 3d (vertex,triangles,fragment s
by a1369209993 7y ago
A sprite chip literally is a GPU [Graphics Processing Unit], just for 2d graphics (sprites,tiles,color palettes,etc) rather than 3d (vertex,triangles,fragment shading,etc).
- derefr 7y agoMind you, a PPU is specifically, in most cases, more like an iGPU (integrated GPU, like Intel's on-CPU graphics.) Most of the PPU chip designs tended to share a memory (both physically and in address-space terms) with the CPU, such that the CPU would write directly to that memory, and then the PPU would read back from that memory. (This was when the PPU had memory at all; often they were pixel-at-a-time affairs, doing just-in-time sprite-tile lookups from the ROM pointed to by their sprite-attribute registers.) Most things we call "coprocessors", on the other hand, were a bit different: they had their own on-board or isolated-bus memory, which only they could read/write to, and so the CPU would interact with them with "commands" put on a dedicated command bus for that coprocessor. Most sound chips (down to the simplest Programmable Interval Timer, but up to fancy chips like the SNES's SPC700) were like this; as were storage controllers like memory cards and the PSX's CD drive.
- gumby 7y agoLiterally true. I was thinking of the GPUs we had in those days which were often a couple of VME cards or even a small cardcage, but you’re right: that physical distinction isn’t really relevant.