VK_KHR_16bit_storage

Other Extension Metadata

Last Modified Date

2017-09-05

IP Status

No known IP claims.

Interactions and External Dependencies

• This extension provides API support for GL_EXT_shader_16bit_storage

Contributors

• Alexander Galazin, ARM
• Jan-Harald Fredriksen, ARM
• Joerg Wagner, ARM
• Neil Henning, Codeplay
• Jeff Bolz, Nvidia
• Daniel Koch, Nvidia
• David Neto, Google
• John Kessenich, Google

Description

The VK_KHR_16bit_storage extension allows use of 16-bit types in shader input and output interfaces, and push constant blocks. This extension introduces several new optional features which map to SPIR-V capabilities and allow access to 16-bit data in Block-decorated objects in the Uniform and the StorageBuffer storage classes, and objects in the PushConstant storage class. This extension allows 16-bit variables to be declared and used as user-defined shader inputs and outputs but does not change location assignment and component assignment rules.

Promotion to Vulkan 1.1

All functionality in this extension is included in core Vulkan 1.1, with the KHR suffix omitted. However, if Vulkan 1.1 is supported and this extension is not, the storageBuffer16BitAccess capability is optional. The original type, enum and command names are still available as aliases of the core functionality.

New Structures

• Extending VkPhysicalDeviceFeatures2, VkDeviceCreateInfo:
  • VkPhysicalDevice16BitStorageFeaturesKHR

New Enum Constants

• VK_KHR_16BIT_STORAGE_EXTENSION_NAME
• VK_KHR_16BIT_STORAGE_SPEC_VERSION
• Extending VkStructureType:
  • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_16BIT_STORAGE_FEATURES_KHR

New SPIR-V Capabilities

• StorageBuffer16BitAccess
• UniformAndStorageBuffer16BitAccess
• StoragePushConstant16
• StorageInputOutput16

Version History

• Revision 1, 2017-03-23 (Alexander Galazin)
  • Initial draft