AMD gets close to edge with close to metal

AMD IS TODAY bragging about its latest superthin hardware interface known as Close To Metal, or CTM, which the company says will increase processing application performance by at least eightfold more than more traditional 3D app programming interfaces.

According to the company, CTM will give developers access to the native instruction set and memory of the "massively parallel computational elements" in AMD Stream Processors. Blimey! CTM will give developers the ability to access hardware required to cook up those essential base tools such as debuggers, compilers and math libraries.

With CTM AMD is trying to kickstart a steady growth in the software industry for stream computing. Apparently, over 60 companies and research organisations are currently involved in the CTM trial programs, which in an impressive stream of spin, AMD says the organisations "are bringing best-of-breed software to market that enable application developers to have a broader choice in how they develop and deploy their applications." Sheesh, AMD.

Marty Seyer, who shares his first name with fictitious Marty McFly of Back to the Future fame, seems rather excited about all of this CTM malarkey. "Allowing open innovation to flourish will ultimately enable better software, with more features to come to market faster than any proprietary approach."

CTM is currently available for developers to license right now, at no cost whatsoever. So if you're a lucky enough developer, you may want to head over to AMD's site and see if you can hook yourself up. µ