# `lvlx` — Load Vector Left Indexed
> **Category:** [Memory](../categories/memory.md) · **Form:** [X](../forms/X.md) · **Opcode:** `0x7c00040e`
## Assembler Mnemonics
| Mnemonic | XML entry | Flags | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `lvlx` | `lvlx` | — | Load Vector Left Indexed |
| `lvlx128` | `lvlx128` | — | Load Vector Left Indexed 128 |
## Syntax
```asm
lvlx [VD], [RA0], [RB]
lvlx128 [VD], [RA0], [RB]
```
## Encoding
### `lvlx` — form `X`
- **Opcode word:** `0x7c00040e`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31`
- **Extended opcode:** `519`
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode |
| 6–10 | `RT/FRT/VRT` | destination |
| 11–15 | `RA/FRA/VRA` | source A |
| 16–20 | `RB/FRB/VRB` | source B |
| 21–30 | `XO` | extended opcode (10 bits) |
| 31 | `Rc` | record-form flag |
### `lvlx128` — form `VX128_1`
- **Opcode word:** `0x10000403`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `4`
- **Extended opcode:** `1027`
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode (4) |
| 6–10 | `VD128l` | destination low 5 bits |
| 11–15 | `RA` | address register |
| 16–20 | `RB` | offset register |
| 21–27 | `XO` | extended opcode |
| 28–29 | `VD128h` | destination high 2 bits |
| 30–31 | `—` | reserved |
## Operands
| Field | Role | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `RA0` | lvlx: read; lvlx128: read | Source GPR; when the encoded register number is 0 the operand is the literal 64-bit zero, **not** `r0`. |
| `RB` | lvlx: read; lvlx128: read | Source GPR. |
| `VD` | lvlx: write; lvlx128: write | Destination vector register. |
## Register Effects
### `lvlx`
- **Reads (always):** `RA0`, `RB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `VD`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `lvlx128`
- **Reads (always):** `RA0`, `RB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `VD`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
## Status-Register Effects
_No condition-register or status-register effects._
## Operation (pseudocode)
```
; No hand-written pseudocode for this instruction yet.
; The authoritative semantics are the Canary emitter snapshot under
; Implementation References; about half of Canary's emitters open
; with the PPC-style definition as a comment (`RD <- (RA) + (RB)`).
; Every side effect is also enumerated in the Register Effects and
; Status-Register Effects tables above.
```
## C Translation Example
```c
/* No hand-written C yet. Translate the Canary emitter snapshot */
/* under Implementation References; its HIR maps directly: */
/* f.LoadGPR(n) / f.StoreGPR(n, v) -> r[n] / r[n] = v */
/* f.LoadFPR / StoreFPR, f.LoadVR / StoreVR -> f[n], v[n] */
/* f.Load(ea, T), f.Store(ea, v) -> raw read / write; emitters */
/* wrap them in f.ByteSwap for the big-endian guest value */
/* f.UpdateCR(n, v) -> CR field n from v's LOW 32 BITS vs 0 */
/* f.LoadCA / f.StoreCA -> xer.CA; f.StoreSAT -> vscr.SAT */
/* i.XO.RA, i.D.DS, ... -> the bit-fields listed under Operands */
/* The Register Effects and Status-Register Effects tables above */
/* enumerate every side effect a faithful translation must emit. */
```
## Implementation References
**`lvlx`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lvlx"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:216`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L216)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:140`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L140)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:930`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L930)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_lvlx(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
return InstrEmit_lvlx_(f, i, i.X.RT, i.X.RA, i.X.RB);
}
// ── delegates to (src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:208) ──
int InstrEmit_lvlx_(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i, uint32_t vd,
uint32_t ra, uint32_t rb) {
Value* ea = CalculateEA_0(f, ra, rb);
Value* val = f.LoadVectorLeft(ea);
f.StoreVR(vd, val);
return 0;
}
```
**`lvlx128`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lvlx128"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:219`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L219)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:141`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L141)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:535`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L535)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_lvlx128(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
return InstrEmit_lvlx_(f, i, VX128_1_VD128, i.VX128_1.RA, i.VX128_1.RB);
}
// ── delegates to (src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:208) ──
int InstrEmit_lvlx_(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i, uint32_t vd,
uint32_t ra, uint32_t rb) {
Value* ea = CalculateEA_0(f, ra, rb);
Value* val = f.LoadVectorLeft(ea);
f.StoreVR(vd, val);
return 0;
}
```
## Special Cases & Edge Conditions
- **Load-left half of an unaligned vector.** `lvlx` reads `(16 - (EA mod 16))` bytes starting at the **exact** `EA` and places them in the **left** (high-address-byte → low-lane) of the destination vector; the remaining lanes on the right are zero-filled. Combine with `lvrx` at `EA + 15` to assemble a full unaligned vector across an alignment boundary.
- **Companion idiom.** `lvlx VD, RA, RB ; lvrx Vtemp, RA, RB ; vor VD, VD, Vtemp` produces the unaligned 16 bytes at `EA` regardless of alignment. This was the canonical unaligned-vector-read recipe before `lvsl`/`vperm` shuffles became the more common idiom.
- **No alignment masking.** Unlike `lvx`, the EA is **not** rounded down. `EA mod 16` controls how the data is shifted into the destination.
- **`RA0` semantics.** `RA = 0` selects literal zero.
- **Microsoft Xbox 360 specific.** `lvlx` and `lvrx` are not in the standard Altivec specification — they are part of Microsoft's VMX128 / Cell BE-style extension, defined in PowerPC Cell and later VMX. The Xbox 360 Xenon supports them, and Canary implements them (its comment: "in Cell docs only").
- **Implementation in Canary.** Canary emits its `LoadVectorLeft` op: the x64 sequence reads the 16-byte aligned block containing `EA`, shuffles the bytes from `EA` onward into the left of `VD` and zero-fills the right side.
- **VMX128 sibling (`lvlx128`).** Same semantics; different operand encoding (7-bit register field, addressing `v0..v127`).
- **`lvlxl` is the LRU-hint variant.** Same data behaviour, hint ignored under emulation.
## Related Instructions
- [`lvrx`](lvrx.md), [`lvrx128`](lvrx.md) — load-right partner; combine to read unaligned 16 bytes.
- [`lvlxl`](lvlxl.md), [`lvlxl128`](lvlxl.md) — LRU-hint variants.
- [`lvx`](lvx.md), [`lvx128`](lvx.md) — aligned load (the EA-masking sibling).
- [`stvlx`](stvlx.md), [`stvrx`](stvrx.md) — symmetric unaligned stores.
## IBM Reference
- [AIX 7.3 — `lvlx` (Load Vector Left Indexed)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-lvlx-load-vector-left-indexed-instruction)
- `PowerISA v2.07B Book I` "Vector Facility"; Microsoft Xbox 360 XDK for VMX128 details.