# `vnor` — Vector Logical NOR
> **Category:** [VMX (Altivec)](../categories/vmx.md) · **Form:** [VX](../forms/VX.md) · **Opcode:** `0x10000504`
## Assembler Mnemonics
| Mnemonic | XML entry | Flags | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `vnor` | `vnor` | — | Vector Logical NOR |
| `vnor128` | `vnor128` | — | Vector128 Logical NOR |
## Syntax
```asm
vnor [VD], [VA], [VB]
vnor128 [VD], [VA], [VB]
```
## Encoding
### `vnor` — form `VX`
- **Opcode word:** `0x10000504`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `4`
- **Extended opcode:** `1284`
- **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) |
### `vnor128` — form `VX128`
- **Opcode word:** `0x14000290`
- **Primary opcode (bits 0–5):** `5`
- **Extended opcode:** `656`
- **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` | vnor: read; vnor128: read | Source A vector register. |
| `VB` | vnor: read; vnor128: read | Source B vector register. |
| `VD` | vnor: write; vnor128: write | Destination vector register. |
## Register Effects
### `vnor`
- **Reads (always):** `VA`, `VB`
- **Reads (conditional):** _none_
- **Writes (always):** `VD`
- **Writes (conditional):** _none_
### `vnor128`
- **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)
```
; Pseudocode derives directly from the xenia-rs interpreter
; arm (see Implementation References). Operation semantics:
; - Read source operands from the fields listed under Operands.
; - Apply the arithmetic / logical / memory action described
; in the Description field above.
; - Write results to the destination register(s); update any
; status bits enumerated under Status-Register Effects.
; Consult the IBM AIX reference link under IBM Reference for
; canonical PPC-style pseudocode where xenia's expression is
; terse.
```
## 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
**`vnor`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="vnor"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:1168`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L1168)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:110`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L110)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:534`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L534)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:2244-2252`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L2244-L2252)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::vnor | PpcOpcode::vnor128 => {
let (va, vb, vd) = vmx_reg_triple(instr);
let a = ctx.vr[va].as_u32x4();
let b = ctx.vr[vb].as_u32x4();
let mut r = [0u32; 4];
for i in 0..4 { r[i] = !(a[i] | b[i]); }
ctx.vr[vd] = xenia_types::Vec128::from_u32x4_array(r);
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
**`vnor128`**
- xenia-canary XML: [`tools/ppc-instructions.xml` — search for `mnem="vnor128"`](../../xenia-canary/tools/ppc-instructions.xml)
- xenia-canary emit: [`src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc:1171`](../../xenia-canary/src/xenia/cpu/ppc/ppc_emit_altivec.cc#L1171)
- xenia-rs opcode: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs:110`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/opcode.rs#L110)
- xenia-rs decoder: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs:623`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/decoder.rs#L623)
- xenia-rs interpreter: [`crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs:2244-2252`](../../xenia-rs/crates/xenia-cpu/src/interpreter.rs#L2244-L2252)
xenia-rs interpreter body (frozen snapshot)
```rust
PpcOpcode::vnor | PpcOpcode::vnor128 => {
let (va, vb, vd) = vmx_reg_triple(instr);
let a = ctx.vr[va].as_u32x4();
let b = ctx.vr[vb].as_u32x4();
let mut r = [0u32; 4];
for i in 0..4 { r[i] = !(a[i] | b[i]); }
ctx.vr[vd] = xenia_types::Vec128::from_u32x4_array(r);
ctx.pc += 4;
}
```
## Special Cases & Edge Conditions
- **Bitwise NOR across the full 128-bit register.** `VD = ~(VA | VB)`. The operation is lane-agnostic; PPC documents it per-bit, xenia implements it as four 32-bit lanes for convenience but the result is identical to 16-byte or 8-half-word decomposition.
- **`vnor VD, VA, VA` is the idiomatic `vnot`** (bitwise complement of `VA`). No dedicated `vnot` exists in base Altivec.
- **Aliasing is legal.** `vnor v3, v3, v4` or `vnor v3, v3, v3` are well-defined and common.
- **No flags.** No CR, XER, VSCR side-effect.
- **VMX128 sibling [`vnor128`](vnor128.md)** provides the same op with access to `v0..v127`; xenia shares the interpreter arm (`vmx_reg_triple` selects the right encoding helper).
- **Useful for mask inversion.** When a compare result needs to be inverted — e.g. "where not equal" — `vnor` of the compare result with itself is cheaper than a dedicated inversion.
## Related Instructions
- [`vand`](vand.md) — bitwise AND.
- [`vandc`](vandc.md) — `VA & ~VB` (useful as a fused inversion on the B side).
- [`vor`](vor.md), [`vxor`](vxor.md) — complete the boolean-primitive set.
- [`vsel`](vsel.md) — three-input bit-select; often fed by the inverse of a compare mask.
- [`vcmpequb`](vcmpequb.md) and related compares — produce the masks `vnor` is typically applied to.
## IBM Reference
- [AIX 7.3 — `vnor` (Vector Logical NOR)](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.3.0?topic=set-vnor-vector-logical-nor-instruction)
- [IBM AltiVec Technology Programmer's Interface Manual, Chapter 3 — Logical Operations](https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/reference-manual/ALTIVECPIM.pdf)