A 66 MHz DSP-augmented RAMDAC for smooth-shaded graphic applications

A fundamentally new type of RAMDAC (random-access-memory and digital-to-analog converter) in which a custom digital signal processor is interposed between the RAM and the DAC is described. The set of available colors is extended from 256 to over 700000 for an 8-bit frame buffer. The device is fabricated in a 1- mu m CMOS process supporting 15-ns-cycle operation. The device is of use for the display of antialiased text and three-dimensional shaded graphics.<>