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