# `lvx` — Load Vector Indexed > **Category:** [Memory](../categories/memory.md) · **Form:** [X](../forms/X.md) · **Opcode:** `0x7c0000ce` ## Assembler Mnemonics | Mnemonic | XML entry | Flags | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `lvx` | `lvx` | — | Load Vector Indexed | | `lvx128` | `lvx128` | — | Load Vector Indexed 128 | ## Syntax ```asm lvx [VD], [RA0], [RB] lvx128 [VD], [RA0], [RB] ``` ## Encoding ### `lvx` — form `X` - **Opcode word:** `0x7c0000ce` - **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31` - **Extended opcode:** `103` - **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 | ### `lvx128` — form `VX128_1` - **Opcode word:** `0x100000c3` - **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `4` - **Extended opcode:** `195` - **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` | lvx: read; lvx128: read | Source GPR; when the encoded register number is 0 the operand is the literal 64-bit zero, **not** `r0`. | | `RB` | lvx: read; lvx128: read | Source GPR. | | `VD` | lvx: write; lvx128: write | Destination vector register. | ## Register Effects ### `lvx` - **Reads (always):** `RA0`, `RB` - **Reads (conditional):** _none_ - **Writes (always):** `VD` - **Writes (conditional):** _none_ ### `lvx128` - **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) ``` EA <- ((RA|0) + (RB)) & ~0xF ; align to 16 VD <- byteswap(MEM(EA, 16)) ``` ## C Translation Example ```c /* lvx VD, RA, RB — 16-byte aligned load of a vector register */ uint64_t base = (insn.RA == 0) ? 0 : r[insn.RA]; uint32_t ea = (uint32_t)((base + r[insn.RB]) & ~(uint64_t)0xF); v[insn.VD] = mem_read_vec128_be(ea); ``` ## Implementation References **`lvx`** - Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lvx"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml) - Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:139`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L139) - Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:152`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L152) - Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:890`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L890)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9) ```cpp int InstrEmit_lvx(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) { return InstrEmit_lvx_(f, i, i.X.RT, i.X.RA, i.X.RB); } // ── delegates to (src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:133) ── int InstrEmit_lvx_(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i, uint32_t vd, uint32_t ra, uint32_t rb) { Value* ea = f.And(CalculateEA_0(f, ra, rb), f.LoadConstantInt64(~0xFull)); f.StoreVR(vd, f.ByteSwap(f.Load(ea, VEC128_TYPE))); return 0; } ```
**`lvx128`** - Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lvx128"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml) - Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:142`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L142) - Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:153`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L153) - Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:530`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L530)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9) ```cpp int InstrEmit_lvx128(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) { return InstrEmit_lvx_(f, i, VX128_1_VD128, i.VX128_1.RA, i.VX128_1.RB); } // ── delegates to (src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:133) ── int InstrEmit_lvx_(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i, uint32_t vd, uint32_t ra, uint32_t rb) { Value* ea = f.And(CalculateEA_0(f, ra, rb), f.LoadConstantInt64(~0xFull)); f.StoreVR(vd, f.ByteSwap(f.Load(ea, VEC128_TYPE))); return 0; } ```
## Special Cases & Edge Conditions - **Alignment is forced, not checked.** The low four bits of the effective address are **cleared** before the load — passing an unaligned `EA` silently reads from `EA & ~0xF` rather than trapping. This differs from scalar loads (no alignment enforcement) and from `lvewx` etc. (which architecturally use the exact `EA` for lane placement). - **Big-endian lane layout.** The byte at the aligned base goes into vector lane 0 (most-significant byte); the byte at base+15 lands in lane 15. On little-endian hosts the 16-byte block is byte-swapped at the memory boundary so the PowerPC-visible layout is preserved. - **`RA0` semantics.** When `RA = 0`, the base is the literal zero. Combined with the alignment mask this lets `lvx VD, 0, RB` load from `RB & ~0xF`. - **No update form.** Unlike scalar loads, VMX loads have no `u` variant that post-writes the base. Use [`lvxl`](lvxl.md) for the cache-hint variant ("last" — the line is not expected to be reused soon). - **VMX128 sibling (`lvx128`).** Identical semantics; the only difference is the operand encoding. VMX128 uses a 7-bit register index split across three non-contiguous bit fields (`VD128l ‖ VD128h`), addressing `v0..v127`. - **Atomic 16 bytes.** The read is a single conceptual load; observers see either all 16 old bytes or all 16 new bytes (to the extent the surrounding cache coherency model allows). - **Cache-line behaviour.** A 16-byte aligned load fits within one Xenon 128-byte cache line; cold-line cost is one fill. ## Related Instructions - [`stvx`](stvx.md), [`stvx128`](stvx.md) — the store counterparts. - [`lvxl`](lvxl.md), [`lvxl128`](lvxl.md) — cache-hint "last-use" load variants. - [`lvebx`](lvebx.md), [`lvehx`](lvehx.md), [`lvewx`](lvewx.md) — single-element loads at the exact (sub-aligned) address. - [`lvlx`](lvlx.md), [`lvrx`](lvrx.md) — load-left / load-right for unaligned vector I/O (combine to read across alignment). ## IBM Reference - [AIX 7.3 — `lvx` (Load Vector Indexed)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-lvx-load-vector-indexed-instruction) - `PowerISA v2.07B Book I` "Vector Facility" for full vector-load semantics; `lvx128` is documented in the Xbox 360 XDK.