# `lfs` — Load Floating-Point Single
> **Category:** [Memory](../categories/memory.md) · **Form:** [D](../forms/D.md) · **Opcode:** `0xc0000000`
## Assembler Mnemonics
| Mnemonic | XML entry | Flags | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `lfs` | `lfs` | — | Load Floating-Point Single |
| `lfsu` | `lfsu` | — | Load Floating-Point Single with Update |
| `lfsux` | `lfsux` | — | Load Floating-Point Single with Update Indexed |
| `lfsx` | `lfsx` | — | Load Floating-Point Single Indexed |
## Syntax
```asm
lfs [FD], [d]([RA0])
lfsu [FD], [d]([RA])
lfsux [FD], [RA], [RB]
lfsx [FD], [RA0], [RB]
```
## Encoding
### `lfs` — form `D`
- **Opcode word:** `0xc0000000`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `48`
- **Extended opcode:** —
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode |
| 6–10 | `RT` | destination GPR (or RS when storing) |
| 11–15 | `RA` | source GPR (0 ⇒ literal 0 for RA0 forms) |
| 16–31 | `D/SI/UI` | 16-bit signed or unsigned immediate |
### `lfsu` — form `D`
- **Opcode word:** `0xc4000000`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `49`
- **Extended opcode:** —
- **Synchronising:** no
| Bits | Field | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–5 | `OPCD` | primary opcode |
| 6–10 | `RT` | destination GPR (or RS when storing) |
| 11–15 | `RA` | source GPR (0 ⇒ literal 0 for RA0 forms) |
| 16–31 | `D/SI/UI` | 16-bit signed or unsigned immediate |
### `lfsux` — form `X`
- **Opcode word:** `0x7c00046e`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31`
- **Extended opcode:** `567`
- **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 |
### `lfsx` — form `X`
- **Opcode word:** `0x7c00042e`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31`
- **Extended opcode:** `535`
- **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 |
## Operands
| Field | Role | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `RA0` | lfs: read; lfsx: read | Source GPR; when the encoded register number is 0 the operand is the literal 64-bit zero, **not** `r0`. |
| `d` | lfs: read; lfsu: read | 16-bit signed displacement (`d`) added to the base address register. |
| `FD` | lfs: write; lfsu: write; lfsux: write; lfsx: write | Destination floating-point register. |
| `RA` | lfsu: read; lfsu: write; lfsux: read; lfsux: write | Source GPR (`r0`–`r31`). |
| `RB` | lfsux: read; lfsx: read | Source GPR. |
## Register Effects
### `lfs`
- **Reads (always):** `RA0`, `d`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `FD`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `lfsu`
- **Reads (always):** `RA`, `d`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `FD`, `RA`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `lfsux`
- **Reads (always):** `RA`, `RB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `FD`, `RA`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `lfsx`
- **Reads (always):** `RA0`, `RB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `FD`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
## Status-Register Effects
_No condition-register or status-register effects._
## Operation (pseudocode)
```
EA <- (RA|0) + EXTS(d)
FRT <- DoubleFromSingle(MEM(EA, 4))
```
## 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
**`lfs`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfs"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:960`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L960)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:117`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L117)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:486`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L486)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_lfs(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
// if RA = 0 then
// b <- 0
// else
// b <- (RA)
// EA <- b + EXTS(D)
// FRT <- DOUBLE(MEM(EA, 4))
Value* ea = CalculateEA_0_i(f, i.D.RA, XEEXTS16(i.D.DS));
Value* rt = f.Convert(
f.Cast(f.ByteSwap(f.Load(ea, INT32_TYPE)), FLOAT32_TYPE), FLOAT64_TYPE);
f.StoreFPR(i.D.RT, rt);
return 0;
}
```
**`lfsu`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfsu"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:974`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L974)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:118`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L118)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:487`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L487)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_lfsu(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
// EA <- (RA) + EXTS(D)
// FRT <- DOUBLE(MEM(EA, 4))
// RA <- EA
Value* ea = CalculateEA_i(f, i.D.RA, XEEXTS16(i.D.DS));
Value* rt = f.Convert(
f.Cast(f.ByteSwap(f.Load(ea, INT32_TYPE)), FLOAT32_TYPE), FLOAT64_TYPE);
f.StoreFPR(i.D.RT, rt);
StoreEA(f, i.D.RA, ea);
return 0;
}
```
**`lfsux`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfsux"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:986`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L986)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:119`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L119)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:938`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L938)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_lfsux(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
// EA <- (RA) + (RB)
// FRT <- DOUBLE(MEM(EA, 4))
// RA <- EA
Value* ea = CalculateEA(f, i.X.RA, i.X.RB);
Value* rt = f.Convert(
f.Cast(f.ByteSwap(f.Load(ea, INT32_TYPE)), FLOAT32_TYPE), FLOAT64_TYPE);
f.StoreFPR(i.X.RT, rt);
StoreEA(f, i.X.RA, ea);
return 0;
}
```
**`lfsx`**
- Canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfsx"`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- Canary emitter: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:998`](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/blob/f21ebd49e979e44f081f474df78c3fbfee9cb3f2/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L998)
- Sylpheed opcode: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs:120`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/opcode.rs#L120)
- Sylpheed decoder: [`crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs:934`](../../../crates/sylpheed-ppc/src/decoder.rs#L934)
Canary emitter (frozen snapshot @ f21ebd49e9)
```cpp
int InstrEmit_lfsx(PPCHIRBuilder& f, const InstrData& i) {
// if RA = 0 then
// b <- 0
// else
// b <- (RA)
// EA <- b + (RB)
// FRT <- DOUBLE(MEM(EA, 4))
Value* ea = CalculateEA_0(f, i.X.RA, i.X.RB);
Value* rt = f.Convert(
f.Cast(f.ByteSwap(f.Load(ea, INT32_TYPE)), FLOAT32_TYPE), FLOAT64_TYPE);
f.StoreFPR(i.X.RT, rt);
return 0;
}
```
## Special Cases & Edge Conditions
- **Single → double in-register.** Reads 4 bytes as IEEE binary32, then exactly converts to binary64 (every binary32 has a representation in binary64). The result occupies all 64 bits of the FPR; subsequent FP arithmetic operates in double regardless of the value's origin.
- **No FPSCR side effects.** The single→double widening is exact, so `lfs` cannot raise inexact, overflow, underflow, or invalid. A signalling NaN passes through unchanged into the FPR — it will signal at the next FP arithmetic instruction.
- **Subnormals.** A binary32 subnormal expands to a binary64 normal — `lfs` quietly normalises. There is no "FPSCR[NI] non-IEEE mode" subnormal-to-zero behaviour applied at this stage on Xenon (NI affects arithmetic, not loads).
- **`RA0` semantics.** In `lfs` / `lfsx`, `RA = 0` selects literal zero. Update forms `lfsu` / `lfsux` are invalid with `RA = 0`.
- **Alignment.** Xenon tolerates unaligned 4-byte loads; PowerISA permits implementations to raise alignment exceptions for FP loads on cache-inhibited storage.
- **Big-endian read.** Bytes `EA..EA+3` form the binary32 pattern, sign bit at `EA[7]`. Canary byte-swaps the loaded word, reinterprets it as binary32 and widens it with `vcvtss2sd`, carrying a NaN's quiet/signalling bit across unchanged.
- **MSR[FP] required.** Disabled FP unit raises Floating-Point Unavailable.
- **Pair with [`stfs`](stfs.md).** Store-single performs the inverse double→single rounding (which **can** raise FPSCR exceptions because that direction may be inexact).
## Related Instructions
- [`lfd`](lfd.md) — double-precision load (no format conversion).
- [`stfs`](stfs.md), [`stfsu`](stfs.md), [`stfsx`](stfs.md), [`stfsux`](stfs.md) — corresponding stores; these can round.
- [`stfiwx`](stfiwx.md) — store-FP-as-integer-word.
- [`lwz`](lwz.md) — integer word load (same width, GPR target).
## IBM Reference
- [AIX 7.3 — `lfs` (Load Floating-Point Single)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-lfs-load-floating-point-single-instruction)
- [AIX 7.3 — `lfsu` / `lfsx` / `lfsux`](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-lfsu-load-floating-point-single-update-instruction)