Real-time generation of high-definition resolution digital holograms by using multiple graphic processing units

We describe and evaluate a practical approach for implementing computer-generated-holography (CGH) using multiple graphic processing units (GPUs). The proposed method can generate high-definition (HD) resolution (1920 x 1080) digital holograms in real-time. In order to demonstrate the plausibility of our method, some experimental results will be given. First, we discuss the advantage of GPUs for CGH against central processing units (CPUs) by comparing the performance of both. Our results show that use of GPUs can shorten CGH computation time by 2791 times. Then, we discuss the potential of multiple GPUs for generating HD resolution digital holograms in real-time by measuring and analyzing the CGH computational time in accordance with the number of GPUs. Our result shows that the CGH computational time decreases non-linearly, with a logarithmic-like curve, as the number of GPU increases. Therefore, we can determine the number of GPUs to maximize the efficiency. Consequently, our implementation can generate HD resolution digital holograms at a rate of more than 66 hps (holograms-per-second) using two NVIDIA GTX 590 cards. (C) 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.OE.52.1.015803