# `lha` — Load Half Word Algebraic > **Category:** [Memory](../categories/memory.md) · **Form:** [D](../forms/D.md) · **Opcode:** `0xa8000000` ## Assembler Mnemonics | Mnemonic | XML entry | Flags | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `lha` | `lha` | — | Load Half Word Algebraic | | `lhau` | `lhau` | — | Load Half Word Algebraic with Update | | `lhaux` | `lhaux` | — | Load Half Word Algebraic with Update Indexed | | `lhax` | `lhax` | — | Load Half Word Algebraic Indexed | ## Syntax ```asm lha [RD], [d]([RA0]) lhau [RD], [d]([RA]) lhaux [RD], [RA], [RB] lhax [RD], [RA0], [RB] ``` ## Encoding ### `lha` — form `D` - **Opcode word:** `0xa8000000` - **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `42` - **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 | ### `lhau` — form `D` - **Opcode word:** `0xac000000` - **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `43` - **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 | ### `lhaux` — form `X` - **Opcode word:** `0x7c0002ee` - **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31` - **Extended opcode:** `375` - **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 | ### `lhax` — form `X` - **Opcode word:** `0x7c0002ae` - **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `31` - **Extended opcode:** `343` - **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` | lha: read; lhax: read | Source GPR; when the encoded register number is 0 the operand is the literal 64-bit zero, **not** `r0`. | | `d` | lha: read; lhau: read | 16-bit signed displacement (`d`) added to the base address register. | | `RD` | lha: write; lhau: write; lhaux: write; lhax: write | Destination GPR. | | `RA` | lhau: read; lhau: write; lhaux: read; lhaux: write | Source GPR (`r0`–`r31`). | | `RB` | lhaux: read; lhax: read | Source GPR. | ## Register Effects ### `lha` - **Reads (always):** `RA0`, `d` - **Reads (conditional):** _none_ - **Writes (always):** `RD` - **Writes (conditional):** _none_ ### `lhau` - **Reads (always):** `RA`, `d` - **Reads (conditional):** _none_ - **Writes (always):** `RD`, `RA` - **Writes (conditional):** _none_ ### `lhaux` - **Reads (always):** `RA`, `RB` - **Reads (conditional):** _none_ - **Writes (always):** `RD`, `RA` - **Writes (conditional):** _none_ ### `lhax` - **Reads (always):** `RA0`, `RB` - **Reads (conditional):** _none_ - **Writes (always):** `RD` - **Writes (conditional):** _none_ ## Status-Register Effects _No condition-register or status-register effects._ ## Operation (pseudocode) ``` EA <- (RA|0) + EXTS(d) RT <- SEXT16_to_64(MEM(EA, 2)) ``` ## 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 **`lha`** - xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lha"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml) - xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:128`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L128) - xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:40`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L40) - xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:365`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L365) - xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1066-1071`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1066-L1071)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot) ```rust PpcOpcode::lha => { 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.gpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_u16(ea) as i16 as i32 as u32 as u64; ctx.pc += 4; } ```
**`lhau`** - xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lhau"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml) - xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:149`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L149) - xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:40`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L40) - xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:366`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L366) - xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1084-1089`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1084-L1089)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot) ```rust PpcOpcode::lhau => { let ea = ctx.gpr[instr.ra()].wrapping_add(instr.d() as i64 as u64) as u32; ctx.gpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_u16(ea) as i16 as i32 as u32 as u64; ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] = ea as u64; ctx.pc += 4; } ```
**`lhaux`** - xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lhaux"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml) - xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:162`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L162) - xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:40`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L40) - xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:805`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L805) - xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1090-1095`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1090-L1095)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot) ```rust PpcOpcode::lhaux => { let ea = ctx.gpr[instr.ra()].wrapping_add(ctx.gpr[instr.rb()]) as u32; ctx.gpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_u16(ea) as i16 as i32 as u32 as u64; ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] = ea as u64; ctx.pc += 4; } ```
**`lhax`** - xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="lhax"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml) - xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc:173`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_memory.cc#L173) - xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:40`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L40) - xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:801`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L801) - xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:1072-1077`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L1072-L1077)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot) ```rust PpcOpcode::lhax => { let ea = if instr.ra() == 0 { 0u64 } else { ctx.gpr[instr.ra()] }; let ea = ea.wrapping_add(ctx.gpr[instr.rb()]) as u32; ctx.gpr[instr.rd()] = mem.read_u16(ea) as i16 as i32 as u32 as u64; ctx.pc += 4; } ```
## Special Cases & Edge Conditions - **Sign-extending half-word load.** Reads 2 bytes big-endian, treats them as a signed 16-bit integer, sign-extends to 64 bits. Compare with [`lhz`](lhz.md), which zero-extends. Xenia's snapshot does the cast chain `u16 -> i16 -> i64 -> u64` to obtain the canonical sign-extended bit pattern. - **Big-endian read.** Byte at `EA` is the most-significant 8 bits of the half; byte at `EA+1` is the least-significant. On little-endian hosts `mem.read_u16` returns the big-endian word in host-native form already. - **`RA0` (non-update forms).** `RA = 0` in `lha` and `lhax` selects literal zero — useful for absolute-address access patterns. - **Update-form invalid forms.** `lhau` / `lhaux` invoke `RA = 0` and `RA = RT` as invalid forms; xenia performs the load before writing back `RA ← EA`, so an `RA = RT` collision silently destroys the loaded value. - **No alignment requirement.** Xenon executes unaligned half-word loads without a fault. - **Common in audio / graphics code.** `lha` is the standard load for signed 16-bit PCM samples and signed 16-bit packed vertex deltas. - **Use `lha` rather than `lhz` + `extsh`.** Both produce the same result, but `lha` is one fused instruction and the compiler will pick it whenever the source type is `int16_t` / `short`. ## Related Instructions - [`lhz`](lhz.md), [`lhzu`](lhz.md), [`lhzx`](lhz.md), [`lhzux`](lhz.md) — zero-extending counterparts. - [`lwa`](lwa.md), [`lwax`](lwa.md), [`lwaux`](lwaux.md) — sign-extending word loads (32→64). - [`lbz`](lbz.md) — byte load (no sign-extending byte load exists; use `lbz` + `extsb`). - [`lhbrx`](lhbrx.md) — byte-reversed half-word load (zero-extending). - [`sth`](sth.md), [`sthu`](sth.md), [`sthx`](sth.md), [`sthux`](sth.md) — corresponding stores. ## IBM Reference - [AIX 7.3 — `lha` (Load Half Algebraic)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-lha-load-half-algebraic-instruction) - [AIX 7.3 — `lhau` / `lhax` / `lhaux`](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-lhau-load-half-algebraic-update-instruction)