Apparatus and method for vectorization of detected saturation and clipping operations in serial code loops of a source program

摘要

An apparatus and method for vectorization of detected saturation and clipping operations in serial code loops of a source program are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the analysis of source program code to identify source code utilizing conditional constructs to perform saturation/clipping operations. Once analysis is complete, identified source code is vectorized to implement identified saturation/clipping operations utilizing single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) saturation/clipping instructions. Accordingly, utilizing embodiments of the present invention, conditional statements utilized to implement saturation arithmetic, as well as clipping of data values, such as pixel values within graphics applications, are replaced with SIMD saturation arithmetic instructions, as well as clipping instructions.