40d0b142d894a176d45c650aa6d95926402bae57
[libreriscv.git] / openpower / sv / rfc / ls008.mdwn
1 # RFC ls008 SVP64 Management instructions
2
3 [[!tag opf_rfc]]
4
5 **URLs**:
6
7 * <https://libre-soc.org/openpower/sv/>
8 * <https://libre-soc.org/openpower/sv/rfc/ls008/>
9 * <https://bugs.libre-soc.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1040>
10 * <https://git.openpower.foundation/isa/PowerISA/issues/87>
11
12 **Severity**: Major
13
14 **Status**: New
15
16 **Date**: 24 Mar 2023
17
18 **Target**: v3.2B
19
20 **Source**: v3.0B
21
22 **Books and Section affected**:
23
24 ```
25 Book I, new Scalar Chapter. (Or, new Book on "Zero-Overhead Loop Subsystem")
26 Appendix E Power ISA sorted by opcode
27 Appendix F Power ISA sorted by version
28 Appendix G Power ISA sorted by Compliancy Subset
29 Appendix H Power ISA sorted by mnemonic
30 ```
31
32 **Summary**
33
34 ```
35 Instructions added
36 setvl - Cray-style "Set Vector Length" instruction
37 svstep - Vertical-First Mode explicit Step and Status
38 svremap - Re-Mapping of Register Element Offsets
39 svindex - General-purpose setting of SHAPEs to be re-mapped
40 svshape - Hardware-level setting of SHAPEs for element re-mapping
41 svshape2 - Hardware-level setting of SHAPEs for element re-mapping (v2)
42 ```
43
44 **Submitter**: Luke Leighton (Libre-SOC)
45
46 **Requester**: Libre-SOC
47
48 **Impact on processor**:
49
50 ```
51 Addition of six new "Zero-Overhead-Loop-Control" DSP-style Vector-style
52 Management Instructions which can be implemented extremely efficiently
53 and effectively by inserting an additional phase between Decode and Issue.
54 More complex designs are NOT adversely impacted and in fact greatly benefit
55 whilst still retaining an obvious linear sequential execution programming model.
56 ```
57
58 **Impact on software**:
59
60 ```
61 Requires support for new instructions in assembler, debuggers,
62 and related tools.
63 ```
64
65 **Keywords**:
66
67 ```
68 Cray Supercomputing, Vectorisation, Zero-Overhead-Loop-Control (ZOLC),
69 Scalable Vectors, Multi-Issue Out-of-Order, Sequential Programming Model,
70 Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
71 ```
72
73 **Motivation**
74
75 Power ISA is synonymous with Supercomputing and the early Supercomputers
76 (ETA-10, ILLIAC-IV, CDC200, Cray) had Vectorisation. It is therefore anomalous
77 that Power ISA does not have Scalable Vectors, instead having the legacy
78 "PackedSIMD" paradigm. Fortunately this presents
79 the opportunity to modernise Power ISA learning from both past ISA features and
80 mistakes placing it far above the top of Supercomputing for the next two decades
81 and beyond.
82
83 **Notes and Observations**:
84
85 1. SVP64 is very much designed for ultra-light-weight Embedded use-cases all the
86 way up to moving the bar of Supercomputing orders of magnitude above its present
87 perception, whilst retaining at all times the Sequential Programming Execution
88 Model.
89 2. This proposal is the **base** for further Extensions. These include
90 extending SVP64 onto the Scalar VSX instructions (with a **LONG TERM** view in 10+ years
91 to deprecating the PackedSIMD aspects of VSX), to be discussed at a later
92 time, the potential for extending VSX registers to 128 or beyond, and Arithmetic
93 operations to a runtime-selectable choice of 128-bit, 256-bit, 512-bit or 1024-bit.
94 3. Massive reductions in instruction count of between 2x and 20x have been demonstrated
95 with SVP64, which is far beyond anything ever achieved by any *general-purpose*
96 ISA Extension added to any ISA in the history of Computing. Normal reductions
97 expected are of the order of 5 to 10% being considered a highly worthwhile exercise
98 to pursue inclusion. not fractions of former sizes.
99 4. Other potential extensions include work inspired by EXTRA-V and Eth-Zurich "Snitch"
100 to reduce CPU workload by 95% in the case of EXTRA-V and power consumption by
101 85% in the case of Snitch. Addition massive reductions from ZOLC Research are
102 also anticipated.
103
104 **Changes**
105
106 Add the following entries to:
107
108 * Section 1.3.2 Notation
109 * the Appendices of Book I
110 * Instructions of Book I as a new Section
111 * SVL-Form of Book I Section 1.6.1.6 and 1.6.2
112
113 ----------------
114
115 \newpage{}
116
117 # Notation, Section 1.3.2
118
119 When register operands (RA, RT, BF) are prefixed by a single underscore
120 (_RT, _RA, _BF) the variable contains the contents of the instruction field
121 not the contents of the Register File referenced *by* that field. Example:
122 `_RT` contains the contents of bits 5 thru 10. The relationship
123 `RT = GPR(_RT)` is thus always true. Uses include making alternative
124 decisions within an instruction based on whether the operand field
125 is zero or non-zero.
126
127 ----------------
128
129 \newpage{}
130
131 # svstep: Vertical-First Stepping and status reporting
132
133 SVL-Form
134
135 * svstep RT,SVi,vf (Rc=0)
136 * svstep. RT,SVi,vf (Rc=1)
137
138 | 0-5|6-10|11.15|16..22| 23-25 | 26-30 |31| Form |
139 |----|----|-----|------|----------|-------|--|--------- |
140 |PO | RT | / | SVi | / / vf | XO |Rc| SVL-Form |
141
142 Pseudo-code:
143
144 ```
145 if SVi[3:4] = 0b11 then
146 # store pack and unpack in SVSTATE
147 SVSTATE[53] <- SVi[5]
148 SVSTATE[54] <- SVi[6]
149 RT <- [0]*62 || SVSTATE[53:54]
150 else
151 # Vertical-First explicit stepping.
152 step <- SVSTATE_NEXT(SVi, vf)
153 RT <- [0]*57 || step
154 ```
155
156 Special Registers Altered:
157
158 CR0 (if Rc=1)
159
160 **Description**
161
162 svstep may be used
163 to enquire about the REMAP Schedule and it may be used to alter Vectorisation
164 State. When `vf=1` then stepping occurs.
165 When `vf=0` the enquiry is performed without altering internal
166 state. If `SVi=0, Rc=0, vf=0` the instruction is a `nop`.
167
168 The following Modes exist:
169
170 * `SVi=0`: appropriately step srcstep, dststep, subsrcstep and subdststep to the next
171 element, taking pack and unpack into consideration.
172 * When `SVi` is 1-4 the REMAP Schedule for a given SVSHAPE may be
173 returned in `RT`. SVi=1 selects SVSHAPE0 current state,
174 through to SVi=4 selects SVSHAPE3.
175 * When `SVi` is 5, `SVSTATE.srcstep` is returned.
176 * When `SVi` is 6, `SVSTATE.dststep` is returned.
177 * When `SVi` is 0b1100 pack/unpack in SVSTATE is cleared
178 * When `SVi` is 0b1101 pack in SVSTATE is set, unpack is cleared
179 * When `SVi` is 0b1110 unpack in SVSTATE is set, pack is cleared
180 * When `SVi` is 0b1111 pack/unpack in SVSTATE are set
181
182 As this is a Single-Predicated (1P) instruction, predication may be applied
183 to skip (or zero) elements.
184
185 * Vertical-First Mode will return the requested index
186 (and move to the next state if `vf=1`)
187 * Horizontal-First Mode can be used to return all indices,
188 i.e. walks through all possible states.
189
190 **Vectorisation of svstep itself**
191
192 As a 32-bit instruction, `svstep` may be itself be Vector-Prefixed, as
193 `sv.svstep`. This will work perfectly well in Horizontal-First
194 as it will in Vertical-First Mode.
195
196 Example: to obtain the full set of possible computed element
197 indices use `sv.svstep RT.v,SVI,1` which will store all computed element
198 indices, starting from RT. If Rc=1 then a co-result Vector of CR Fields
199 will also be returned, comprising the "loop end-points" of each of the inner
200 loops when either Matrix Mode or DCT/FFT is set. In other words,
201 for example, when the `xdim` inner loop reaches the end and on the next
202 iteration it will begin again at zero, the CR Field `EQ` will be set.
203 With a maximum of three loops within both Matrix and DCT/FFT Modes,
204 the CR Field's EQ bit will be set at the end of the first inner loop,
205 the LE bit for the second, the GT bit for the outermost loop and the
206 SO bit set on the very last element, when all loops reach their maximum
207 extent.
208
209 *Programmer's note (1): VL in some situations, particularly larger Matrices,
210 may exceed 64,
211 meaning that `sv.svshape` returning a considerable number of values. Under
212 such circumstances `sv.svshape/ew=8` is recommended.*
213
214 *Programmer's note (2): having conveniently obtained a pre-computed
215 Schedule with `sv.svstep`,
216 it may then be used as the input to Indexed REMAP Mode
217 to achieve the exact same Schedule. It is evident however that
218 before use some of the Indices may be arbitrarily altered as desired.
219 `sv.svstep` helps the programmer avoid having to manually recreate
220 Indices for certain
221 types of common Loop patterns, and in its simplest form, without REMAP
222 (SVi=5 or SVi=6),
223 is equivalent to the `iota` instruction found in other Vector ISAs*
224
225 **Vertical First Mode**
226
227 Vertical First is effectively like an implicit single bit predicate
228 applied to every SVP64 instruction. **ONLY** one element in each
229 SVP64 Vector instruction is executed; srcstep and dststep do **not**
230 increment, and the Program Counter progresses **immediately** to
231 the next instruction just as it would for any standard scalar v3.0B
232 instruction.
233
234 A mode of srcstep (SVi=0) is called which can move srcstep and
235 dststep on to the next element, still respecting predicate
236 masks.
237
238 In other words, where normal SVP64 Vectorisation acts "horizontally"
239 by looping first through 0 to VL-1 and only then moving the PC
240 to the next instruction, Vertical-First moves the PC onwards
241 (vertically) through multiple instructions **with the same
242 srcstep and dststep**, then an explict instruction used to
243 advance srcstep/dststep. An outer loop is expected to be
244 used (branch instruction) which completes a series of
245 Vector operations.
246
247 Testing any end condition of any loop of any REMAP state allows branches to be
248 used to create loops.
249
250 Programmer's note: when Predicate Non-Zeroing is used this indicates to
251 the underlying hardware that any masked-out element must be skipped.
252 *This includes in Vertical-First Mode*, and programmers should be keenly
253 aware that srcstep or dststep or both *may* jump by more than one as
254 a result, because the actual request under these circumstances was to execute
255 on the first available next *non-masked-out* element.
256
257 *Programmers should be aware that VL, srcstep and dststep are global in nature.
258 Nested looping with different schedules is perfectly possible, as is
259 calling of functions, however SVSTATE (and any associated SVSTATE) should
260 obviously be stored on the stack in order to achieve this benefit*
261
262 -------------
263
264 \newpage{}
265
266
267 # setvl
268
269 SVL-Form
270
271 | 0-5|6-10|11-15|16-22 | 23 24 25 | 26-30 |31| FORM |
272 | -- | -- | --- | ---- |----------| ----- |--|----------|
273 |PO | RT | RA | SVi | ms vs vf | XO |Rc| SVL-Form |
274
275 * setvl RT,RA,SVi,vf,vs,ms (Rc=0)
276 * setvl. RT,RA,SVi,vf,vs,ms (Rc=1)
277
278 Pseudo-code:
279
280 ```
281 overflow <- 0b0 # sets CR.SO if set and if Rc=1
282 VLimm <- SVi + 1
283 # set or get MVL
284 if ms = 1 then MVL <- VLimm[0:6]
285 else MVL <- SVSTATE[0:6]
286 # set or get VL
287 if vs = 0 then VL <- SVSTATE[7:13]
288 else if _RA != 0 then
289 if (RA) >u 0b1111111 then
290 VL <- 0b1111111
291 overflow <- 0b1
292 else VL <- (RA)[57:63]
293 else if _RT = 0 then VL <- VLimm[0:6]
294 else if CTR >u 0b1111111 then
295 VL <- 0b1111111
296 overflow <- 0b1
297 else VL <- CTR[57:63]
298 # limit VL to within MVL
299 if VL >u MVL then
300 overflow <- 0b1
301 VL <- MVL
302 SVSTATE[0:6] <- MVL
303 SVSTATE[7:13] <- VL
304 if _RT != 0 then
305 GPR(_RT) <- [0]*57 || VL
306 # MAXVL is a static "state-reset" opportunity so VF is only set then.
307 if ms = 1 then
308 SVSTATE[63] <- vf # set Vertical-First mode
309 SVSTATE[62] <- 0b0 # clear persist bit
310 ```
311
312 Special Registers Altered:
313
314 ```
315 CR0 (if Rc=1)
316 ```
317
318 * `SVi` - bits 16-22 - an immediate operand for setting MVL and/or VL
319 * `ms` - bit 23 - allows for setting of MVL
320 * `vs` - bit 24 - allows for setting of VL
321 * `vf` - bit 25 - sets "Vertical First Mode".
322
323 Note that in immediate setting mode VL and MVL start from **one**
324 but that this is compensated for in the assembly notation.
325 i.e. that an immediate value of 1 in assembler notation
326 actually places the value 0b0000000 in the `SVi` field bits:
327 on execution the `setvl` instruction adds one to the decoded
328 `SVi` field bits, resulting in
329 VL/MVL being set to 1. This allows VL to be set to values
330 ranging from 1 to 128 with only 7 bits instead of 8.
331 Setting VL/MVL
332 to 0 would result in all Vector operations becoming `nop`. If this is
333 truly desired (nop behaviour) then setting VL and MVL to zero is to be
334 done via the [[SVSTATE SPR|sv/sprs]].
335
336 Note that setmvli is a pseudo-op, based on RA/RT=0, and setvli likewise
337
338 setvli VL=8 : setvl r0, r0, VL=8, vf=0, vs=1, ms=0
339 setvli. VL=8 : setvl. r0, r0, VL=8, vf=0, vs=1, ms=0
340 setmvli MVL=8 : setvl r0, r0, MVL=8, vf=0, vs=0, ms=1
341 setmvli. MVL=8 : setvl. r0, r0, MVL=8, vf=0, vs=0, ms=1
342
343 Additional pseudo-op for obtaining VL without modifying it (or any state):
344
345 getvl r5 : setvl r5, r0, vf=0, vs=0, ms=0
346 getvl. r5 : setvl. r5, r0, vf=0, vs=0, ms=0
347
348 Note that whilst it is possible to set both MVL and VL from the same
349 immediate, it is not possible to set them to different immediates in
350 the same instruction. Doing so would require two instructions.
351
352 **Selecting sources for VL**
353
354 There is considerable opcode pressure, consequently to set MVL and VL
355 from different sources is as follows:
356
357 | condition | effect |
358 | - | - |
359 | `vs=1, RA=0, RT!=0` | VL,RT set to MIN(MVL, CTR) |
360 | `vs=1, RA=0, RT=0` | VL set to MIN(MVL, SVi+1) |
361 | `vs=1, RA!=0, RT=0` | VL set to MIN(MVL, RA) |
362 | `vs=1, RA!=0, RT!=0` | VL,RT set to MIN(MVL, RA) |
363
364 The reasoning here is that the opportunity to set RT equal to the
365 immediate `SVi+1` is sacrificed in favour of setting from CTR.
366
367 # Unusual Rc=1 behaviour
368
369 Normally, the return result from an instruction is in `RT`. With
370 it being possible for `RT=0` to mean that `CTR` mode is to be read,
371 some different semantics are needed.
372
373 CR Field 0, when `Rc=1`, may be set even if `RT=0`. The reason is that
374 overflow may occur: `VL`, if set either from an immediate or from `CTR`,
375 may not exceed `MAXVL`, and if it is, `CR0.SO` must be set.
376
377 Additionally, in reality it is **`VL`** being set. Therefore, rather
378 than `CR0` testing `RT` when `Rc=1`, CR0.EQ is set if `VL=0`, CR0.GE
379 is set if `VL` is non-zero.
380
381 **SUBVL**
382
383 Sub-vector elements are not be considered "Vertical". The vec2/3/4
384 is to be considered as if the "single element". Caveats exist for
385 [[sv/mv.swizzle]] and [[sv/mv.vec]] when Pack/Unpack is enabled,
386 due to the order in which VL and SUBVL loops are applied being
387 swapped (outer-inner becomes inner-outer)
388
389 # Examples
390
391 ## Core concept loop
392
393 ```
394 loop:
395 setvl a3, a0, MVL=8 # update a3 with vl
396 # (# of elements this iteration)
397 # set MVL to 8
398 # do vector operations at up to 8 length (MVL=8)
399 # ...
400 sub a0, a0, a3 # Decrement count by vl
401 bnez a0, loop # Any more?
402 ```
403
404 ## Loop using Rc=1
405
406 my_fn:
407 li r3, 1000
408 b test
409 loop:
410 sub r3, r3, r4
411 ...
412 test:
413 setvli. r4, r3, MVL=64
414 bne cr0, loop
415 end:
416 blr
417
418 ## Load/Store-Multi (selective)
419
420 Up to 64 FPRs will be loaded, here. `r3` is set one per bit
421 for each FP register required to be loaded. The block of memory
422 from which the registers are loaded is contiguous (no gaps):
423 any FP register which has a corresponding zero bit in `r3`
424 is *unaltered*. In essence this is a selective LD-multi with
425 "Scatter" capability.
426
427 setvli r0, MVL=64, VL=64
428 sv.fld/dm=r3 *r0, 0(r30) # selective load 64 FP registers
429
430 Up to 64 FPRs will be saved, here. Again, `r3`
431
432 setvli r0, MVL=64, VL=64
433 sv.stfd/sm=r3 *fp0, 0(r30) # selective store 64 FP registers
434
435 -------------
436
437 \newpage{}
438
439 # SVSTATE SPR
440
441 The format of the SVSTATE SPR is as follows:
442
443 | Field | Name | Description |
444 | ----- | -------- | --------------------- |
445 | 0:6 | maxvl | Max Vector Length |
446 | 7:13 | vl | Vector Length |
447 | 14:20 | srcstep | for srcstep = 0..VL-1 |
448 | 21:27 | dststep | for dststep = 0..VL-1 |
449 | 28:29 | dsubstep | for substep = 0..SUBVL-1 |
450 | 30:31 | ssubstep | for substep = 0..SUBVL-1 |
451 | 32:33 | mi0 | REMAP RA/FRA/BFA SVSHAPE0-3 |
452 | 34:35 | mi1 | REMAP RB/FRB/BFB SVSHAPE0-3 |
453 | 36:37 | mi2 | REMAP RC/FRT SVSHAPE0-3 |
454 | 38:39 | mo0 | REMAP RT/FRT/BF SVSHAPE0-3 |
455 | 40:41 | mo1 | REMAP EA/RS/FRS SVSHAPE0-3 |
456 | 42:46 | SVme | REMAP enable (RA-RT) |
457 | 47:52 | rsvd | reserved |
458 | 53 | pack | PACK (srcstrp reorder) |
459 | 54 | unpack | UNPACK (dststep order) |
460 | 55:61 | hphint | Horizontal Hint |
461 | 62 | RMpst | REMAP persistence |
462 | 63 | vfirst | Vertical First mode |
463
464 Notes:
465
466 * The entries are truncated to be within range. Attempts to set VL to
467 greater than MAXVL will truncate VL.
468 * Setting srcstep, dststep to 64 or greater, or VL or MVL to greater
469 than 64 is reserved and will cause an illegal instruction trap.
470
471 **SVSTATE Fields**
472
473 SVSTATE is a standard SPR that (if REMAP is not activated) contains sufficient
474 self-contaned information for a full context save/restore.
475 SVSTATE contains (and permits setting of):
476
477 * MVL (the Maximum Vector Length) - declares (statically) how
478 much of a regfile is to be reserved for Vector elements
479 * VL - Vector Length
480 * dststep - the destination element offset of the current parallel
481 instruction being executed
482 * srcstep - for twin-predication, the source element offset as well.
483 * ssubstep - the source subvector element offset of the current
484 parallel instruction being executed
485 * dsubstep - the destination subvector element offset of the current
486 parallel instruction being executed
487 * vfirst - Vertical First mode. srcstep, dststep and substep
488 **do not advance** unless explicitly requested to do so with
489 pseudo-op svstep (a mode of setvl)
490 * RMpst - REMAP persistence. REMAP will apply only to the following
491 instruction unless this bit is set, in which case REMAP "persists".
492 Reset (cleared) on use of the `setvl` instruction if used to
493 alter VL or MVL.
494 * Pack - if set then srcstep/substep VL/SUBVL loop-ordering is inverted.
495 * UnPack - if set then dststep/substep VL/SUBVL loop-ordering is inverted.
496 * hphint - Horizontal Parallelism Hint. Indicates that
497 no Hazards exist between groups of elements in sequential multiples of this number
498 (before REMAP). By definition: elements for which `FLOOR(srcstep/hphint)` is
499 equal *before REMAP* are in the same parallelism "group". In Vertical First Mode
500 hardware **MUST ONLY** process elements in the same group, and must stop
501 Horizontal Issue at the last element of a given group. Set to zero to indicate "no hint".
502 * SVme - REMAP enable bits, indicating which register is to be
503 REMAPed: RA, RB, RC, RT and EA are the canonical (typical) register names
504 associated with each bit, with RA being the LSB and EA being the MSB.
505 See table below for ordering. When `SVme` is zero (0b00000) REMAP
506 is **fully disabled and inactive** regardless of the contents of
507 `SVSTATE`, `mi0-mi2/mo0-mo1`, or the four `SVSHAPEn` SPRs
508 * mi0-mi2/mo0-mo1 - when the corresponding SVme bit is enabled, these
509 indicate the SVSHAPE (0-3) that the corresponding register (RA etc)
510 should use, as long as the register's corresponding SVme bit is set
511
512 Programmer's Note: the fact that REMAP is entirely dormant when `SVme` is zero
513 allows establishment of REMAP context well in advance, followed by utilising `svremap`
514 at a precise (or the very last) moment. Some implementations may exploit this
515 to cache (or take some time to prepare caches) in the background whilst other
516 (unrelated) instructions are being executed. This is particularly important to
517 bear in mind when using `svindex` which will require hardware to perform (and
518 cache) additional GPR reads.
519
520 Programmer's Note: when REMAP is activated it becomes necessary on any
521 context-switch (Interrupt or Function call) to detect (or know in advance)
522 that REMAP is enabled and to additionally save/restore the four SVSHAPE
523 SPRs, SVHAPE0-3. Given that this is expected to be a rare occurrence it was
524 deemed unreasonable to burden every context-switch or function call with
525 mandatory save/restore of SVSHAPEs, and consequently it is a *callee*
526 (and Trap Handler) responsibility. Callees (and Trap Handlers) **MUST**
527 avoid using all and any SVP64 instructions during the period where state
528 could be adversely affected. SVP64 purely relies on Scalar instructions,
529 so Scalar instructions (except the SVP64 Management ones and mtspr and
530 mfspr) are 100% guaranteed to have zero impact on SVP64 state.
531
532 **Max Vector Length (maxvl)** <a name="mvl" />
533
534 MAXVECTORLENGTH is the same concept as MVL in RISC-V RVV, except that it
535 is variable length and may be dynamically set (normally from an immediate
536 field only). MVL is limited to 7 bits
537 (in the first version of SVP64) and consequently the maximum number of
538 elements is limited to between 0 and 127.
539
540 Programmer's Note: Except by directly using `mtspr` on SVSTATE, which may
541 result in performance penalties on some hardware implementations, SVSTATE's `maxvl`
542 field may only be set **statically** as an immediate, by the `setvl` instruction.
543 It may **NOT** be set dynamically from a register. Compiler writers and assembly
544 programmers are expected to perform static register file analysis, subdivision,
545 and allocation and only utilise `setvl`. Direct writing to SVSTATE in order to
546 "bypass" this Note could, in less-advanced implementations, potentially cause stalling,
547 particularly if SVP64 instructions are issued directly after the `mtspr` to SVSTATE.
548
549 **Vector Length (vl)** <a name="vl" />
550
551 The actual Vector length, the number of elements in a "Vector", `SVSTATE.vl` may be set
552 entirely dynamically at runtime from a number of sources. `setvl` is the primary
553 instruction for setting Vector Length.
554 `setvl` is conceptually similar but different from the Cray, SX Aurora, and RISC-V RVV
555 equivalent. Similar to RVV, VL is set to be within
556 the range 0 <= VL <= MVL. Unlike RVV, VL is set **exactly** according to the following:
557
558 VL = (RT|0) = MIN(vlen, MVL)
559
560 where 0 <= MVL <= 127 and vlen may come from an immediate, `RA`, or from the `CTR` SPR,
561 depending on options selected with the `setvl` instruction.
562
563 Programmer's Note: conceptual understanding of Cray-style Vectors is far beyond the scope
564 of the Power ISA Technical Reference. Guidance on the 50-year-old Cray Vector paradigm is
565 best sought elsewhere: good studies include Academic Courses given on the 1970s
566 Cray Supercomputers over at least the past three decades.
567
568 **SUBVL - Sub Vector Length**
569
570 This is a "group by quantity" that effectively asks each iteration
571 of the hardware loop to load SUBVL elements of width elwidth at a
572 time. Effectively, SUBVL is like a SIMD multiplier: instead of just 1
573 operation issued, SUBVL operations are issued.
574
575 The main effect of SUBVL is that predication bits are applied per
576 **group**, rather than by individual element. Legal values are 0 to 3,
577 representing 1 operation (1 element) thru 4 operations (4 elements) respectively.
578 Elements are best though of in the context of 3D, Audio and Video: two Left and Right
579 Channel "elements" or four ARGB "elements", or three XYZ coordinate "elements".
580
581 `subvl` is again primarily set by the `setvl` instruction. Not to be confused
582 with `hphint`.
583
584 Directly related to `subvl` is the `pack` and `unpack` Mode bits of `SVSTATE`.
585 See `svstep` instruction for how to set Pack and Unpack Modes.
586
587
588 **Horizontal Parallelism**
589
590 A problem exists for hardware where it may not be able to detect
591 that a programmer (or compiler) knows of opportunities for parallelism
592 and lack of overlap between loops.
593
594 For hphint, the number chosen must be consistently
595 executed **every time**. Hardware is not permitted to execute five
596 computations for one instruction then three on the next.
597 hphint is a hint from the compiler to hardware that exactly this
598 many elements may be safely executed in parallel, without hazards
599 (including Memory accesses).
600 Interestingly, when hphint is set equal to VL, it is in effect
601 as if Vertical First mode were not set, because the hardware is
602 given the option to run through all elements in an instruction.
603 This is exactly what Horizontal-First is: a for-loop from 0 to VL-1
604 except that the hardware may *choose* the number of elements.
605
606 *Note to programmers: changing VL during the middle of such modes
607 should be done only with due care and respect for the fact that SVSTATE
608 has exactly the same peer-level status as a Program Counter.*
609
610 -------------
611
612 \newpage{}
613
614 # SVL-Form
615
616 Add the following to Book I, 1.6.1, SVL-Form
617
618 ```
619 |0 |6 |11 |16 |23 |24 |25 |26 |31 |
620 | PO | RT | RA | SVi |ms |vs |vf | XO |Rc |
621 | PO | RT | / | SVi |/ |/ |vf | XO |Rc |
622 ```
623
624 * Add `SVL` to `RA (11:15)` Field in Book I, 1.6.2
625 * Add `SVL` to `RT (6:10)` Field in Book I, 1.6.2
626 * Add `SVL` to `Rc (31)` Field in Book I, 1.6.2
627 * Add `SVL` to `XO (26:31)` Field in Book I, 1.6.2
628
629 Add the following to Book I, 1.6.2
630
631 ```
632 ms (23)
633 Field used in Simple-V to specify whether MVL (maxvl in the SVSTATE SPR)
634 is to be set
635 Formats: SVL
636 vf (25)
637 Field used in Simple-V to specify whether "Vertical" Mode is set
638 (vfirst in the SVSTATE SPR)
639 Formats: SVL
640 vs (24)
641 Field used in Simple-V to specify whether VL (vl in the SVSTATE SPR) is to be set
642 Formats: SVL
643 SVi (16:22)
644 Simple-V immediate field used by setvl for setting VL or MVL
645 (vl, maxvl in the SVSTATE SPR)
646 and used as a "Mode of Operation" selector in svstep
647 Formats: SVL
648 ```
649
650 # Appendices
651
652 Appendix E Power ISA sorted by opcode
653 Appendix F Power ISA sorted by version
654 Appendix G Power ISA sorted by Compliancy Subset
655 Appendix H Power ISA sorted by mnemonic
656
657 | Form | Book | Page | Version | mnemonic | Description |
658 |------|------|------|---------|----------|-------------|
659 | SVL | I | # | 3.0B | svstep | Vertical-First Stepping and status reporting |
660 | SVL | I | # | 3.0B | setvl | Cray-like establishment of Looping (Vector) context |
661