Patent ID: 7190366

Claim:
A method for a general instruction raster stage that generates programmable pixel packets comprising: accessing a geometric primitive at a raster stage; rasterizing the geometric primitive into a plurality of pixels; programmably assigning a set of interpolation computations to an array of interpolators, and in accordance with an instruction for said geometric primitive, wherein said array of interpolators includes simultaneously operable low precision interpolators and high precision interpolators; executing said set of interpolation computations by using said interpolators in parallel, wherein said interpolators execute the set of interpolation computations for each of the pixels of said geometric primitive in a row-by-row format; and storing a plurality of results of said set of interpolation computations in a programmable pixel packet, wherein said programmable pixel packet is formatted in accordance with said instruction and wherein said programmable pixel packet is rendered into pixels on a display by a subsequent stage coupled to the raster stage.