GPU

Mapping Memory

First, to map a memory region on the GPU Address Space, caching needs to be disabled by using svcSetMemoryAttribute. The Address passed is the Virtual Address of the region that will be mapped, the size is the region size, and State0/1 are both set to 8 to disable caching of the memory region. This is done to ensure that the GPU can actually "see" the data written there, and it doesn't get stuck on some cache.

Then, NVMAP_IOC_CREATE is used to create a nvmap object with the desired size. After, NVMAP_IOC_ALLOC is used to allocate the memory on the GPU Address Space, and map data on the process Address Space into the GPU Address Space, by passing the Virtual Address as the input addr parameter, and also the Handle returned from NVMAP_IOC_CREATE. Lastly, the actual mapping is done by using NVGPU_AS_IOCTL_MAP_BUFFER_EX, and the GPU Virtual Address is returned on the offset parameter. It's also possible to manually set the offset where the mapping should be made on the GPU Address Space, by passing the address on the "offset" parameter, and setting the bit 0 of the flags parameter to 1. However, for this to work, the desired GPU Virtual Address needs to be previously reserved using NVGPU_AS_IOCTL_ALLOC_SPACE.

The above process is used to map all data that will be used by the GPU, like Textures, Command Lists (a.k.a. Push Buffers), Vertex/Index buffers and Shaders. They usually have their own mapping, but Command Lists can share the same mapping.

FIFO Commands

The GPU implements a variation of Tegra's push buffer format for it's PFIFO engine. PFIFO is a special engine responsible for receiving user command lists and routing them to the appropriate engines (2D, 3D, DMA).

Commands are submitted to the GPU's PFIFO engine through NVGPU_IOCTL_CHANNEL_SUBMIT_GPFIFO.

This ioctl takes an array of gpfifo entries where each entry points to a FIFO command list. This list is composed of alternating 32-bit words containing FIFO commands and their respective arguments.

Command Structure

Bits	Description
12-0	Method
15-13	Subchannel
28-16	Argument count (in 32-bits Words) or inline data (see below)
31-29	Submission mode

Note: Methods are treated as 4-byte addressable locations, and hence their numbers are written down multiplied by 4.

Note: The command's arguments, when present, follow the command word immediately.

Submission mode

Mode	Description	Offical name
0	Increasing mode (old)
1	Increasing mode - Tells PFIFO to read as much arguments as specified by argument count, while automatically incrementing the method value. This means that each argument will be written to a different method location.	INCR
2	Non-increasing mode (old)
3	Non-increasing mode - Tells PFIFO to read as much arguments as specified by argument count. However, all arguments will be written to the same method location.	NONINCR
4	Inline mode - Tells PFIFO to read inline data from bits 28-16 of the command word, thus eliminating the need to pass additional words for the arguments.	IMM
5	Increase-once mode - Tells PFIFO to read as much arguments as specified by argument count and automatically increments the method value once only.

Command List

All methods with values < 0x100 are special and executed by the PFIFO's DMA puller. The others are forwarded to the engine object currently bound to a given subchannel.

Command	Method	Subchannel	Arg Count	Mode	Name
0x2001?000	0x0000	Variable	1	1	BindObject
0xA0020E00	0xE00	0	2	5	BeginTransformFeedback
0xA0030E30	0xE30	0	3	5	DrawArrays
0xA0050E36	0xE36	0	5	5	DrawElements
0xA0020E2E	0xE2E	0	2	5	PopDebugGroupId
0xA0040E2C	0xE2C	0	4	5	PushDebugGroup
0x2001054C	0x54C	0	1	1	ResetCounter
0x8001047F	0x47F	0	1	4	ResolveDepthBuffer
0x200104C4	0x4C4	0	1	1	SetAlphaRef
0x200404C7	0x4C7	0	4	1	SetBlendColor
0x2001064F	0x64F	0	1	1	SetDepthClamp
0x200200CD	0xCD	0	2	1	SetInnerTessellationLevels
0x200204EC	0x4EC	0	2	1	SetLineWidth
0x200400C9	0xC9	0	4	1	SetOuterTessellationLevels
0x8???0373	0x373	0	Variable	4	SetPatchSize
0x20010546	0x546	0	1	1	SetPointSize
0x20030554	0x554	0	3	1	SetRenderEnableConditional
0x200403EF	0x3EF	0	4	1	SetSampleMask
0x200103D9	0x3D9	0	1	1	SetTiledCacheTileSize
0x20020047	0x47	0	2	1	SetGraphMacroEntry
0xA???0045	0x45	0	Variable	5	SetGraphMacroCode
0x800104B9	0x4B9	0	1	4	?
0x80000374	0x374	0	0	4	?
0xA0040E12	0xE12	0	4	5	?
0x20010E10	0xE10	0	1	1	?
0x120020671	0x671	0	2	9	?
0x800004BB	0x4BB	0	0	4	?
0x2004040C	0x40C	0	4	1	?
0x800103F6	0x3F6	0	1	4	?
0x800?04BA	0x4BA	0	Variable	4	?
0x800?04B3	0x4B3	0	Variable	4	?
0x800?04C3	0x4C3	0	Variable	4	?
0x800004E0	0x4E0	0	0	4	?
0x20010E1A	0xE1A	0	1	1	?
0x8000068B	0x68B	0	0	4	?
0x200308E3	0x8E3	0	3	1	CB_POS(Const buffer position)
0x800?0E0E	0xE0E	0	Variable	4	?
0x20040478	0x478	0	4	1	?
0x800003ED	0x3ED	0	0	4	?
0x800203EE	0x3EE	0	2	4	?
0x800003F5	0x3F5	0	0	4	?
0x80000370	0x370	0	0	4	?
0x80000371	0x371	0	0	4	?
0x80000372	0x372	0	0	4	?
0x80010646	0x646	0	1	4	?
0x800?036B	0x36B	0	Variable	4	?
0x800?036C	0x36C	0	Variable	4	?
0x800?0648	0x648	0	Variable	4	?
0x80000D1E	0xD1E	0	0	4	?
0x80300830	0x830	0	48	4	?
0x80400840	0x840	0	64	4	?
0x80500850	0x850	0	80	4	?
0x8000047C	0x47C	0	0	4	?
0x200308E4	0x8E4	0	3	1	?
0x200308E0	0x8E0	0	3	1	?
0x80??0924	0x924	0	Variable	4	?
0x80??0904	0x904	0	Variable	4	?
0x80??091C	0x91C	0	Variable	4	?
0x80??090C	0x90C	0	Variable	4	?
0x80??0914	0x914	0	Variable	4	?
0x20100458	0x458	0	16	1	?
0x200207??	0x7?? Variable	0	2	1	?
0x20010703	0x703	0	1	1	?
0x800?0620	0x620	0	Variable	4	?
0x80000040	0x40	0	0	4	?
0x200181C0	0x1C0	4	1	1	?
0x200181C2	0x1C2	4	1	1	?
0x20048100	0x100	4	4	1	?
0x200281C4	0x1C4	4	2	1	?
0x20018106	0x106	4	1	1	?
0x200180C0	0xC0	4	1	1	?
0x20040360	0x360	0	4	1	?
0x20010E02	0xE02	0	1	1	?
0x800?0049	0x49	0	Variable	4	?
0x2001036F	0x36F	0	1	1	?
0x20010376	0x376	0	1	1	?
0x80000E24	0xE24	0	0	4	?
0x20010364	0x364	0	1	1	?
0x800?04E7	0x4E7	0	Variable	4	?
0x800?0368	0x368	0	Variable	4	?
0x80020E04	0xE04	0	2	4	?
0xA0040E1C	0xE1C	0	4	5	?
0x200203FD	0x3FD	0	2	1	?
0x20010674	0x674	0	1	1	?
0x200181CC	0x1CC	4	1	1	?
0x200181CA	0x1CA	4	1	1	?
0x200181CD	0x1CD	4	1	1	?
0x200181CB	0x1CB	4	1	1	?
0x200181CF	0x1CF	4	1	1	?
0x200181C3	0x1C3	4	1	1	?
0x20018104	0x104	4	1	1	?
0x200181C5	0x1C5	4	1	1	?
0x200181C6	0x1C6	4	1	1	?
0x200181C7	0x1C7	4	1	1	?
0x200181C8	0x1C8	4	1	1	?
0x20028102	0x102	4	2	1	?
0x20018105	0x105	4	1	1	?
0x20016223	0x223	3	1	1	?
0x20016085	0x85	3	1	1	?
0x20026086	0x86	3	2	1	?
0x20026088	0x88	3	2	1	?
0x20056080	0x80	3	Variable	1	?
0x2004608C	0x8C	3	Variable	1	?
0x20046230	0x230	3	4	1	?
0x20016091	0x91	3	1	1	?
0x20026092	0x92	3	2	1	?
0x20026094	0x94	3	2	1	?
0x800160B5	0xB5	3	1	4	?
0x20046234	0x234	3	4	1	?
0x2004622C	0x22C	3	4	1	?
0x80?003DE	0x3DE	0	Variable	4	?
0xA0050E32	0xE32	0	5	5	?
0x81900E1E	0xE1E	0	400	4	?
0xA0050E42	0xE42	0	5	5	?
0xA0050E34	0xE34	0	5	5	?
0x80000446	0x446	0	0	4	?
0x800?050D	0x50D	0	Variable	4	?
0x800?05F6	0x5F6	0	Variable	4	?
0xA0060E38	0xE38	0	6	5	?
0xA0060E3A	0xE3A	0	6	5	?
0xA0060E44	0xE44	0	6	5	?
0x200205F2	0x5F2	0	2	1	?
0x80050E0C	0xE0C	0	5	4	?
0x8000047E	0x47E	0	0	4	?
0x200C0420	0x420	0	12	1	?
0x200406C0	0x6C0	0	4	1	?
0x800001D1	0x1D1	0	0	4	?
0x800003E0	0x3E0	0	0	4	?
0x80000451	0x451	0	0	4	?
0x200401FA	0x1FA	0	4	1	?
0x80000540	0x540	0	0	4	?
0x80000519	0x519	0	0	4	?
0xA0030E0A	0xE0A	0	3	5	?

Note: These still need to be heavily verified and could be wrong.

BindObject

In order to bind an engine object to a specific subchannel, method 0 (BindObject) must be used first. The target subchannel is specified in bits 15-13 of the command word.

After the engine object is bound to the desired subchannel, setting it's value in bits 15-13 of any subsequent command word will make PFIFO forward the command to the target engine.

This method only takes one argument, an engine ID.

Engine IDs

ID	Engine
0x902D	FERMI_TWOD_A (2D)
0xB197	MAXWELL_B (3D)
0xB1C0	MAXWELL_COMPUTE_B
0xA140	KEPLER_INLINE_TO_MEMORY_B
0xB0B5	MAXWELL_DMA_COPY_A (DMA)

Fences

Command lists can contain fences to ensure that commands are executed on the correct order, and subsequent commands are only sent when the previously sent commands were already processed by the GPU. Fences uses the QUERY_* commands, and works like this:

• First, QUERY_ADDRESS_HIGH and QUERY_ADDRESS_LOW commands are added to the Command List, with the High/Low 32 bits part of the 64-bits GPU Virtual Address where the fence is located. This GPU Virtual Address needs to be mapped to the process Virtual Address beforehand.
• Then, QUERY_SEQUENCE is added with a sequential number. This number is basically a incrementing counter, so the first Command List can have QUERY_SEQUENCE = 1, the next one QUERY_SEQUENCE = 2, 3, 4... and so on.
• Finally, QUERY_GET is added and contains the mode and other unknown data.

The above commands are added using the increasing mode, since the Ids for all those 4 registers are sequential.

QUERY_GET Structure

Bits	Description
1-0	Mode
4	Fence
15-12	Unit

QUERY_GET Mode

Value	Mode
0	Write
1	Sync
2	Write ?
3	Write ?

TODO: Move this to a separate page with all GPU Commands with descriptions. Also figure out what the other values mean.

Some of the other fields are still unknown/unobserved.

Official games will set Mode to 0, Fence to 1 and Unit to 0xF. The QUERY_SEQUENCE value is then written by the GPU to the address pointed to by QUERY_ADDRESS. On the CPU side, the game code should wait until the value at the address pointed to by QUERY_ADDRESS is >= to the last written SEQUENCE value. Official code waits for this condition to be true on a loop, and won't send any further commands before that.

Vertex Data Submission

Note: This is a observation on how the game Puyo Puyo Tetris sends textured squares to the GPU.

1. VERTEX_ATTRIB_FORMAT (0-15) are set (only the first 3 are really used, the rest are set float, with Size = 1 and offset at 0).
2. VERTEX_ARRAY_FETCH (0) is set with the lower 12 bits set to 0x1c (Stride) and bit 12 to 1 (Enabled).
3. VERTEX_ARRAY_START_HIGH/LOW (0) are set to the GPU Virtual Address where the Vertex Data is located.
4. VERTEX_ARRAY_LIMIT_HIGH/LOW (0) are set to the GPU Virtual Address where the Vertex Data is located, plus the Vertex Data size in bytes minus 1.
5. VERTEX_BEGIN_GL is used with the primitive type set to TRIANGLE_STRIP.
6. VERTEX_BUFFER_FIRST with value 0 (indicating the index of the first primitive to render?).
7. VERTEX_BUFFER_COUNT is set to 4, because the Vertex Buffer with the square has 4 vertices.
8. VERTEX_END_GL is used with value 0 (currently unknown what this value means).

Texture View

Texture information such as address, format and size is sent to the GPU through a structure know as Texture View (a.k.a. Texture Image Control, or TIC). Each texture that the game uses needs a separate TIC, and those TICs are written to a table, one after the other. Each TIC entry has 0x20 bytes, and is composed of 8 32-bits words where the texture information is packed.

The index of the TIC entries that should be used by the shader is sent to the GPU with the CB_POS/CB_DATA (0) methods. Games usually follows the following steps to write the TIC entry indexes:

• CB_ADDRESS_HIGH/LOW method is used to set the GPU Virtual Address of the Const Buffer.
• CB_POS is used to set the write offset of the Const Buffer to 0x20 + n * 4, where n is the is the index of the active texture that will be used by the shader (?).
• CB_DATA (0) method is used to write the value into the Const Buffer. The value is a word where the lower 20 bits is the TIC index.

The address of a given TIC entry can be calculates as:

tic_entry_address = tic_base_address + tic_index * 0x20

Where tic_base_address is the address written to TIC_ADDRESS_HIGH/LOW (methods 0x1574 and 0x1578), tic_index is the lower 20 bits of the word written into the Const Buffer with CB_DATA (0), and 0x20 is the size of each TIC entry in bytes.

Note: More research still needs to be done on the Const Buffer and how it is used by the shader.

TIC Structure

Word	Bits	Description
0	6-0	Texture Format
0	9-7	R Channel Data Type
0	12-10	G Channel Data Type
0	15-13	B Channel Data Type
0	18-16	A Channel Data Type
1	31-0	Lower 32-bits of the Texture GPU Virtual Address
2	15-0	Higher 16-bits of the Texture GPU Virtual Address
4	15-0	Texture Width minus 1
5	15-0	Texture Height minus 1

Channel Data Type

Value	Type
1	SNORM
2	UNORM
3	SINT
4	UINT
5	SNORM_FORCE_FP16
6	UNORM_FORCE_FP16
7	FLOAT

References

FIFO engine overview: [1]

Method values from the Fermi family GPU (a bit older than the Tegra X1, but values seems to be mostly the same): [2]

TIC structure used on a Maxwell GPU: [3]

Values for some types used on the above XML: [4]

Command word packing code used on Mesa3d: [5]

TIC entry pack/write code used on Mesa3d: [6]