IRIS 4D Series VGXT

Leveraging Simulation Technology

The IRIS 4D/VGXT offers advanced graphics and supercomputing capabilities in either a deskside or rack form factor. Utilizing the same texture accelerated pixel processors integral to Silicon Graphics top-of-the-line SkyWriter Host Integrated Computer Image Generators (HI-CIG), the VGXT graphics subsystem offers image generator performance and features in a compact and cost effective package.

Flexible and Powerful

Unlike a specialized visual simulation system, however, the IRIS 4D/VGXT is completely programmable through the Silicon Graphics IRIS Graphics Library (GL) for any application from Scientific Visualization to Animation. The developing industry standard for 3D graphics programming, the IRIS GL provides direct access to the power of the VGXT graphics hardware. Additional tools include the Image Vision Library for image processing, IRIS Explorer for scientific visualization, and CASEvision for visual Software development, debugging, and analysis.

The IRIS 4D/VGXT is the next step in the evolution of the VGX architecture - the unchallenged leader in graphics technology. These systems are the only graphics systems capable of rendering over 1M polygons per second, 1M anti-aliased vectors per second, and 1.5M anti-aliased points per second. Supporting real-time texture mapping, atmospheric effects, special effects like motion blur and depth-of-field simulation, the VGX and VGXT offer the ultimate in interactive graphics capabilities and performance.

Configurable

VGXT systems contain up to eight independent, parallel CPUs which operate in a Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) environment through shared memory. Supporting the CPUs are up to 256MB of main memory and over 80GB of secondary storage. Standard equipment includes an Ethernet controller with optional high speed links to FDDI, SNA, DECnet, and others. For the graphics subsystem, options include the StereoView stereoscopic viewing system for true 3D effects and a variety of video options for real-time and still-frame video capture, live video output, and video encoding for videotape recorders.

IMAGE GENERATION

Performance

Polygons

• Meshed Triangles (Flat Shaded) 1.1M/second

• Meshed Triangles (Gouraud Shaded) 780K/second

• Stripped Quadrilaterals (Gouraud Shaded) 400K/second

• Independent (Quadrilaterals 200K/second

  
  

Vectors

• Anti-Aliased Connected Vectors 1.0M/second

  
  

Points

• Anti-Aliased Points 1.5M/second

  
  

Pixel Fill

• Non-Textured 200M/second

• Bilinear Mip Mapped Textured 50M/second

  
  

Anti-Aliasing

• Primitives Polygons, Vectors, Points

• Full Scene Via proprietary Accumulation Buffer

  
  

Texture Mapping

• Real-Time for Simulation and Animation

• Uses Mip Map Filtering

• Multiple Levels of Detail

• 256x256 resolution for Real-Time

• May be blended w/color, lighting

• 32Kx32K resolution for Tiling

• May be used w/ Polygons, Vectors, Points

• Corrected per-pixel for perspective

  
  

Weather / Environmental Effects

• Fog/Haze Per Vertex or Per Pixel computation

  
  

Transparency / Translucency

• Number of levels per pixel 256

  
  

Shading

• Gouraud (Smooth Shading) Can be blended with texture

  
  

Lighting

• Phong Lighting Model Ambient, Diffuse, Specular

• Up to 8 Local Light Sources

• Spotlights

• Infinite Light Sources

  
  

Special Effects

• Accumulation Buffer performs: Motion Blur

• Full Scene Anti-Aliasing

• Depth-of-field Simulation

  
  

Processors

CPU Type: MIPS                       RISC processors
CPUs per Deskside System             1 to 4
CPUs per Rack System                 1 to 8
MIPS/MFLOPS                          30-286 /5-70
SPECmarks                            25-166

Languages

Object Oriented                      ADA (Validated), C++
High Level                           C, FORTRAN, ?VI

Memory

Main Memory (RAM)                    Up to 256MB
Secondary Disk Storage               Up to 87GB
Removable Disk Drives for Secure Applications
Secondary Disk Technology            SCSI, IP12X

Operating System

IRIX                                 UNIX System V with Berkeley extensions
REACT                                Real Time Kernel for IRIX
Interrupt Latency                    <200 microseconds
POSIX, GOSIP, SVID Compliant
Trusted IRIX (Security level Bl) available

Networking - Host I/O

VME Slots per System Unit            4 (Deskside), 6 (Rack)
VME Bandwidth                        Up to 32 MB/second
Standard                             Ethernet, TCP/IP
Optional                             SNA, DECnet, FDDI
Third Party                          HSD, DRI IW, 1553