# `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
/* C translation: the xenia-rs interpreter arm below in */
/* Implementation References is the authoritative semantic */
/* snapshot. Translate it line-by-line: */
/* - ctx.gpr[N] -> r[N] (or f[]/v[] for FPRs/VRs) */
/* - mem.read_u*/write_u* -> mem_read_u*_be / mem_write_u*_be */
/* - ctx.update_cr_signed(fld, v) -> update_cr_signed(fld, v) */
/* - ctx.xer_ca / xer_ov / xer_so -> xer.CA / xer.OV / xer.SO */
/* The Register Effects and Status-Register Effects tables above */
/* enumerate every side effect a faithful translation must emit. */
```
## Implementation References
**`lfs`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfs"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:960`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L960)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:38`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L38)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:371`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L371)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1140-1145`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1140-L1145)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::lfs => {
let ea = if instr.ra() == 0 { 0u64 } else { ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] };
let ea = ea.wrapping_add(instr.d() as i64 as u64) as u32;
ctx.fpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_f32(ea) as f64;
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
**`lfsu`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfsu"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:974`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L974)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:38`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L38)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:372`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L372)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1164-1169`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1164-L1169)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::lfsu => {
let ea = ctx.gpr[instr.ra()].wrapping_add(instr.d() as i64 as u64) as u32;
ctx.fpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_f32(ea) as f64;
ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] = ea as u64;
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
**`lfsux`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfsux"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:986`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L986)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:38`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L38)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:823`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L823)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1170-1175`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1170-L1175)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::lfsux => {
let ea = ctx.gpr[instr.ra()].wrapping_add(ctx.gpr[instr.rb()]) as u32;
ctx.fpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_f32(ea) as f64;
ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] = ea as u64;
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
**`lfsx`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lfsx"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:998`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L998)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:38`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L38)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:819`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L819)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1146-1151`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1146-L1151)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::lfsx => {
let ea = if instr.ra() == 0 { 0u64 } else { ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] };
let ea = ea.wrapping_add(ctx.gpr[instr.rb()]) as u32;
ctx.fpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_f32(ea) as f64;
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
## 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]`. Xenia's `mem.read_f32` handles host byte-swap.
- **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)