# `vmaxfp` — Vector Maximum Floating Point
> **Category:** [VMX (Altivec)](../categories/vmx.md) · **Form:** [VX](../forms/VX.md) · **Opcode:** `0x1000040a`
## Assembler Mnemonics
| Mnemonic | XML entry | Flags | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `vmaxfp` | `vmaxfp` | — | Vector Maximum Floating Point |
| `vmaxfp128` | `vmaxfp128` | — | Vector128 Maximum Floating Point |
## Syntax
```asm
vmaxfp [VD], [VA], [VB]
vmaxfp128 [VD], [VA], [VB]
```
## Encoding
### `vmaxfp` — form `VX`
- **Opcode word:** `0x1000040a`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `4`
- **Extended opcode:** `1034`
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode (4) |
| 6–10 | `VRT/VD` | destination vector register |
| 11–15 | `VRA/VA` | source A vector register |
| 16–20 | `VRB/VB` | source B vector register |
| 21–31 | `XO` | extended opcode (11 bits) |
### `vmaxfp128` — form `VX128`
- **Opcode word:** `0x18000280`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `6`
- **Extended opcode:** `640`
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode (4 or 5) |
| 6–10 | `VD128l` | destination low 5 bits |
| 11–15 | `VA128l` | source A low 5 bits |
| 16–20 | `VB128l` | source B low 5 bits |
| 21 | `VA128H` | source A high bit |
| 22 | `—` | reserved |
| 23–25 | `VC` | optional VC / XO sub-field |
| 26 | `VA128h` | source A middle bit |
| 27 | `—` | reserved |
| 28–29 | `VD128h` | destination high 2 bits |
| 30–31 | `VB128h` | source B high 2 bits |
## Operands
| Field | Role | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `VA` | vmaxfp: read; vmaxfp128: read | Source A vector register. |
| `VB` | vmaxfp: read; vmaxfp128: read | Source B vector register. |
| `VD` | vmaxfp: write; vmaxfp128: write | Destination vector register. |
## Register Effects
### `vmaxfp`
- **Reads (always):** `VA`, `VB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `VD`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `vmaxfp128`
- **Reads (always):** `VA`, `VB`
- **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
**`vmaxfp`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="vmaxfp"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:818`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L818)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:350`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L350)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:637`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L637)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_vmaxfp(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
return InstrEmit_vmaxfp_(f, i.VX.VD, i.VX.VA, i.VX.VB);
}
// ── delegates to (src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:812) ──
int InstrEmit_vmaxfp_(PPCHIRBuilder& f, uint32_t vd, uint32_t va, uint32_t vb) {
// (VD) <- max((VA), (VB))
Value* v = f.Max(f.LoadVR(va), f.LoadVR(vb));
f.StoreVR(vd, v);
return 0;
}
```
**`vmaxfp128`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="vmaxfp128"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:821`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L821)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:351`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L351)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:811`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L811)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_vmaxfp128(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
return InstrEmit_vmaxfp_(f, VX128_VD128, VX128_VA128, VX128_VB128);
}
// ── delegates to (src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:812) ──
int InstrEmit_vmaxfp_(PPCHIRBuilder& f, uint32_t vd, uint32_t va, uint32_t vb) {
// (VD) <- max((VA), (VB))
Value* v = f.Max(f.LoadVR(va), f.LoadVR(vb));
f.StoreVR(vd, v);
return 0;
}
```
## Special Cases & Edge Conditions
- **Per-lane IEEE max.** Four word lanes; `VD[i] = (VA[i] > VB[i]) ? VA[i] : VB[i]`.
- **NaN propagation.** The IBM manual specifies "the larger of `VA[i]` and `VB[i]`, with NaN handling such that any NaN input yields a NaN result". Canary's x64 `MAX` matches: it blends the NaN back in when either lane is NaN (`VA`'s when both are), and takes `max(+0, −0) = +0` by AND-ing both operand orders of `vmaxps`.
- **Sign of zero.** Canary's `vmaxfp(+0, -0)` returns `+0`: it ANDs both operand orders of `vmaxps` (its comment: "if 0 and -0, return 0! opposite of minfp"). What Xenon returns is unverified.
- **`VSCR[NJ]` denormals.** With `NJ = 1` (Xenon default), denormal inputs are flushed to `±0` before comparison.
- **No `VSCR[SAT]` change, no XER change, no exceptions.**
- **Big-endian word lanes.** Lane 0 is the most-significant word.
- **Aliasing legal.** `vmaxfp v3, v3, v4` is the standard "clamp from below by `v4`" idiom.
- **VMX128 sibling (`vmaxfp128`).** Identical comparator semantics with the extended encoding.
## Related Instructions
- [`vminfp`](vminfp.md) — the per-lane minimum.
- [`vcmpgtfp`](vcmpgtfp.md), [`vcmpgefp`](vcmpgefp.md) — separate compare-and-mask path.
- [`vsel`](vsel.md) — combine masks with arbitrary alternatives.
- [`vmaddfp`](vmaddfp.md) — fused multiply-add when the max is part of a polynomial.
- [`vmaxsw`](vmaxsw.md) — integer-word max if the lanes are signed integers.
## IBM Reference
- [AIX 7.3 — `vmaxfp` (Vector Maximum Floating Point)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-vmaxfp-vector-maximum-floating-point-instruction)
- [IBM AltiVec Technology Programmer's Interface Manual, Chapter 5 — Floating-Point Min/Max](https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/reference-manual/ALTIVECPIM.pdf)