perf(buffers): remove GPU syncs from CircularBuffer/DelayBuffer hot path

CONTRIBUTORS.md

@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ Guidelines for modifications:
 * Gary Lvov
 * Giulio Romualdi
 * Grzegorz Malczyk
+* Haixuan Xavier Tao
 * Haoran Zhou
 * Harsh Patel
 * HoJin Jeon

source/isaaclab/config/extension.toml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [package]
 
 # Note: Semantic Versioning is used: https://semver.org/
-version = "0.54.3"
+version = "0.54.4"
 
 # Description
 title = "Isaac Lab framework for Robot Learning"

source/isaaclab/docs/CHANGELOG.rst

@@ -1,6 +1,26 @@
 Changelog
 ---------
 
+0.54.4 (2026-04-24)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Changed
+^^^^^^^
+
+* Removed per-call GPU→CPU synchronizations from
+  :class:`~isaaclab.utils.buffers.CircularBuffer` by replacing the
+  ``torch.any(...)`` probes in ``append`` and ``__getitem__`` with a
+  CPU-side flag maintained by :meth:`reset`. Also removed a redundant
+  ``.clone()`` from :meth:`~isaaclab.utils.buffers.DelayBuffer.compute`
+  (the underlying advanced-indexing gather already allocates fresh
+  storage). Public API and first-push replication semantics are
+  unchanged; on CUDA at large ``num_envs`` this yields a meaningful
+  speedup for consumers that call the delay buffer every physics step
+  (e.g. :class:`~isaaclab.actuators.DelayedPDActuator`,
+  :class:`~isaaclab.actuators.RemotizedPDActuator`, and observation
+  history buffers).
+
+
 0.54.3 (2026-02-04)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

source/isaaclab/isaaclab/utils/buffers/circular_buffer.py

@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ def __init__(self, max_len: int, batch_size: int, device: str):
         # the actual buffer for data storage
         # note: this is initialized on the first call to :meth:`append`
         self._buffer: torch.Tensor = None  # type: ignore
+        # CPU-side flag that mirrors ``any(self._num_pushes == 0)`` without
+        # requiring a GPU→CPU synchronization in the hot path. It flips True
+        # whenever :meth:`reset` marks any batch index for first-push
+        # replication, and clears when the next :meth:`append` performs that
+        # replication. Reads in :meth:`__getitem__` use this to raise the same
+        # "buffer empty" error as before but without a per-call sync.
+        self._any_first_push_pending: bool = False
 
     """
     Properties.
@@ -108,6 +115,10 @@ def reset(self, batch_ids: Sequence[int] | None = None):
             # set buffer at batch_id reset indices to 0.0 so that the buffer()
             # getter returns the cleared circular buffer after reset.
             self._buffer[:, batch_ids, :] = 0.0
+        # mark that at least one batch index now has ``num_pushes == 0`` so
+        # the next :meth:`append` performs the first-push history replication
+        # and :meth:`__getitem__` rejects reads until that append happens.
+        self._any_first_push_pending = True
 
     def append(self, data: torch.Tensor):
         """Append the data to the circular buffer.
@@ -129,14 +140,28 @@ def append(self, data: torch.Tensor):
         if self._buffer is None:
             self._pointer = -1
             self._buffer = torch.empty((self.max_length, *data.shape), dtype=data.dtype, device=self._device)
+            # the buffer was just created, so every batch index starts with
+            # ``num_pushes == 0`` and must be replicated on this first append
+            self._any_first_push_pending = True
         # move the head to the next slot
         self._pointer = (self._pointer + 1) % self.max_length
         # add the new data to the last layer
         self._buffer[self._pointer] = data
-        # Check for batches with zero pushes and initialize all values in batch to first append
-        is_first_push = self._num_pushes == 0
-        if torch.any(is_first_push):
-            self._buffer[:, is_first_push] = data[is_first_push]
+        # Check for batches with zero pushes and initialize all values in
+        # batch to first append. The CPU flag ``_any_first_push_pending``
+        # mirrors ``torch.any(num_pushes == 0)`` but is maintained by
+        # :meth:`reset` and cleared here, so we avoid a GPU→CPU sync every
+        # append in the common case where no batch just reset.
+        if self._any_first_push_pending:
+            is_first_push = self._num_pushes == 0
+            # Broadcast-safe write that works for arbitrary trailing data
+            # shape. Equivalent to ``self._buffer[:, is_first_push] =
+            # data[is_first_push]`` but without materializing the dynamic
+            # boolean index (which would reintroduce a sync on some torch
+            # versions via shape inference).
+            mask = is_first_push.view(1, -1, *([1] * (data.ndim - 1)))
+            self._buffer = torch.where(mask, data.unsqueeze(0), self._buffer)
+            self._any_first_push_pending = False
         # increment number of number of pushes for all batches
         self._num_pushes += 1
 
@@ -160,8 +185,11 @@ def __getitem__(self, key: torch.Tensor) -> torch.Tensor:
         # check the batch size
         if len(key) != self.batch_size:
             raise ValueError(f"The argument 'key' has length {key.shape[0]}, while expecting {self.batch_size}")
-        # check if the buffer is empty
-        if torch.any(self._num_pushes == 0) or self._buffer is None:
+        # check if the buffer is empty — equivalent to
+        # ``torch.any(self._num_pushes == 0)`` but sync-free: the CPU flag
+        # flips True in :meth:`reset` (or on buffer construction) and back to
+        # False when :meth:`append` has filled every reset index's history.
+        if self._any_first_push_pending or self._buffer is None:
             raise RuntimeError("Attempting to retrieve data on an empty circular buffer. Please append data first.")
 
         # admissible lag

source/isaaclab/isaaclab/utils/buffers/delay_buffer.py

@@ -173,6 +173,9 @@ def compute(self, data: torch.Tensor) -> torch.Tensor:
         """
         # add the new data to the last layer
         self._circular_buffer.append(data)
-        # return output
-        delayed_data = self._circular_buffer[self._time_lags]
-        return delayed_data.clone()
+        # ``CircularBuffer.__getitem__`` uses advanced indexing
+        # (``self._buffer[index_in_buffer, self._ALL_INDICES]``), which
+        # already allocates a fresh storage. Returning the gather result
+        # directly is safe — consumers that mutate it in place won't touch
+        # the internal buffer — and skips one ``(batch, *feat)`` copy per call.
+        return self._circular_buffer[self._time_lags]

source/isaaclab/test/utils/test_circular_buffer.py

@@ -154,6 +154,54 @@ def test_key_greater_than_pushes(circular_buffer):
     assert torch.equal(retrieved_data, data1)
 
 
+def test_partial_reset_then_read_raises(circular_buffer):
+    """``__getitem__`` must still raise after a partial reset without a follow-up append.
+
+    Guards the CPU-side ``_any_first_push_pending`` flag that replaces the
+    previous per-call ``torch.any(num_pushes == 0)`` probe: the flag must be
+    set by :meth:`reset` and only cleared once :meth:`append` replicates the
+    first push, otherwise a reader could silently observe uninitialised slots.
+    """
+    data = torch.ones((circular_buffer.batch_size, 2), device=circular_buffer.device)
+    circular_buffer.append(data)
+    circular_buffer.append(data)
+    circular_buffer.reset(batch_ids=[0])
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        circular_buffer[torch.tensor([0, 0, 0], device=circular_buffer.device)]
+
+
+def test_interleaved_partial_reset_and_append(circular_buffer):
+    """Cycle several partial resets + appends and verify each reset env's
+    history is fully replicated with its first post-reset sample (first-push
+    invariant) while untouched envs keep their real history."""
+    d1 = torch.tensor([[1, 1], [2, 2], [3, 3]], device=circular_buffer.device)
+    d2 = 10 * d1
+    d3 = 100 * d1
+
+    circular_buffer.append(d1)
+    circular_buffer.append(d2)
+
+    # Partial reset env 0 then append d3. Env 0's entire history should now
+    # be d3[0]; envs 1, 2 should have history including d1, d2, d3.
+    circular_buffer.reset(batch_ids=[0])
+    circular_buffer.append(d3)
+    for i in range(circular_buffer.max_length):
+        torch.testing.assert_close(circular_buffer.buffer[0, 0], circular_buffer.buffer[0, i])
+    torch.testing.assert_close(circular_buffer.buffer[1, -1], d3[1])
+    torch.testing.assert_close(circular_buffer.buffer[1, -2], d2[1])
+
+    # Now partial reset env 1 and append d1 again. Env 1's history should
+    # now be d1[1] everywhere; env 0 still keeps its d3 history (plus the new
+    # d1 append at the head), env 2 shifts normally.
+    circular_buffer.reset(batch_ids=[1])
+    circular_buffer.append(d1)
+    for i in range(circular_buffer.max_length):
+        torch.testing.assert_close(circular_buffer.buffer[1, 0], circular_buffer.buffer[1, i])
+    torch.testing.assert_close(circular_buffer.buffer[1, -1], d1[1])
+    torch.testing.assert_close(circular_buffer.buffer[0, -1], d1[0])
+    torch.testing.assert_close(circular_buffer.buffer[2, -1], d1[2])
+
+
 def test_return_buffer_prop(circular_buffer):
     """Test retrieving the whole buffer for correct size and contents.
     Returning the whole buffer should have the shape [batch_size,max_len,data.shape[1:]]