This brief proposes a separated multiplication technique that can be used in digital image signal processing such as finite impulse response (FIR) filters to reduce the power dissipation. Since the 2-D image data have high spatial redundancy, such that the higher bits of input pixels are hardly changed, the redundant multiplication of higher bits is avoided by separating multiplication into higher and lower parts. The calculated values of the higher bits are stored in memory cells, caches, such that they can be reused when a cache hit occurs. Therefore, the dynamic power is reduced by about 14% in multipliers by using the proposed separated multiplication technique (SMT) and in a 1-D 4-tap FIR filter by about 10%.Index Terms-FIR filter, low power, LRU, multiplier.

We present an image-based method for propagating area light illumination through a Layered Depth Image (LDI) to generate soft shadows from opaque and nonrefractive transparent objects. In our approach, using the depth peeling technique, we render an LDI from a reference light sample on a planar light source. Light illumination of all pixels in an LDI is then determined for all the other sample points via warping, an image-based rendering technique, which approximates ray tracing in our method. We use an image-warping equation and McMillan's warp ordering algorithm to find the intersections between rays and polygons and to find the order of intersections. Experiments for opaque and nonrefractive transparent objects are presented. Results indicate our approach generates soft shadows fast and effectively. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method are also discussed.

The high complexity and the short lifetime of 3D graphics acceleration hardware increase the necessity of an environment for hardware development. For easy modification and fast testing of architecture, a high-level language based environment is desirable. Therefore, in this paper we propose a Graphics Architecture Testing Environment (GATE) that is based on Microsoft Visual C++. GATE models overall graphics hardware architecture through a modular approach, supports OpenGL, and offers easy modification and rapid testing of architecture. It also gathers computational statistics. A layered approach and Hardware Description Macro (HDM) support hardware modeling and architecture modification. Pre-defined types and operations provide statistical information. Several case studies of 3D graphics architecture on GATE show the capability of our environment.

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