ADD

RISC-V ADD Instruction Details

Instruction ManualR-type

Add rs1 and rs2, place result in rd

ADD is an R-type instruction in the RISC-V RV32I/RV64I base integer set. Its assembly syntax is `add rd, rs1, rs2` — it adds the values in registers rs1 and rs2 and writes the result to rd. Overflow is silently ignored; only the lower XLEN bits are kept (32-bit result on RV32, 64-bit on RV64). ADD uses opcode 0110011 with funct3=000 and funct7=0000000. For immediate addition, use ADDI instead.

Instruction Syntax

add rd, rs1, rs2
Operand Breakdown
Destination rd: register receiving the operation result.
Source rs1: register holding the first operand.
Source rs2: register holding the second operand.
RV32IRV64IArithmetic

Instruction Behavior

ADD (R-type) adds rs1 and rs2 (overflow ignored, low XLEN bits retained), writing to rd. funct7=0000000, funct3=000. The most fundamental arithmetic operation in RISC-V. Paired with ADDI for base+offset address computations.

ADD Decode And Execute Animation

Starts with machine-code field decoding, then shows operand reads, instruction-specific execution, and ISA-visible state update.

rd
rs1
rs2
add
,
,
Execution Context
t1(x6)
0x00000014
t2(x7)
0x00000007
31..25
24..20
19..15
14..12
11..7
6..0
0000000
funct7
00111
rs2
00110
rs1
000
funct3
00101
rd
0110011
opcode
Execution Data Path
instruction
0x007302B3
opcode
0110011 -> OP
funct3
000 -> ADD
funct7
0000000 -> base ALU op
rd / rs1 / rs2
t0(x5) / t1(x6) / t2(x7)
ALU
0x00000014 + 0x00000007 = 0x0000001B
x5
t0(x5) = 0x0000001B
Current Step

Concept Step: receive the 32-bit instruction encoding

The machine code is split by the current instruction format; the animation starts from encoding/decode.

encoding: 0x007302B3
syntax : add t0(x5), t1(x6), t2(x7)
result : t0(x5) = 0x0000001B
Architectural Result
t0(x5) = 0x0000001B

This animation shows ISA-visible decode and state changes, not any specific CPU pipeline, cache, prediction, or timing implementation.

Quick Understanding & Search Notes

ADD is register-to-register integer addition. In RV32I/RV64I semantics it adds rs1 and rs2, writes rd, does not trap on arithmetic overflow, and keeps the XLEN-wide result.

Both source operands come from registers; use ADDI for a small immediate add.
ADD and SUB share opcode and funct3 and are mainly distinguished by funct7.

Official Spec Notes

These notes are checked against the RISC-V Unprivileged ISA manual and summarize operation semantics, immediate ranges, and edge behavior.

Instruction Comparisons

ADD vs ADDI

ADD takes two register operands (rs1 + rs2), while ADDI takes one register and a 12-bit signed immediate (rs1 + imm). ADD is an R-type instruction (opcode 0110011); ADDI is I-type (opcode 0010011). If you need to add a constant outside the -2048 to 2047 range, load it into a temporary register first (using LUI+ADDI) and then use ADD.

ADD vs SUB

ADD and SUB are both R-type instructions sharing the same opcode (0110011) and funct3 (000). They are distinguished solely by the funct7 field: ADD uses funct7 = 0000000 while SUB uses funct7 = 0100000. In other words, bit 30 of the instruction word selects between addition (bit30=0) and subtraction (bit30=1). RISC-V designed it this way to simplify decode logic and avoid wasting extra opcode space.

Common Usage Scenarios

Address & Pointer

Understand this scenario with real code like «add x5, x6, x7 # x5 = x6 + x7».

Basic Arithmetic

Understand this scenario with real code like «add x5, x6, x7 # x5 = x6 + x7».

Register Operations

Understand this scenario with real code like «add x5, x6, x7 # x5 = x6 + x7».

Pre-Use Checklist

Syntax Check
  • Verify rd, rs1, rs2 (and rs3) are valid GPRs.
  • Confirm funct3 and funct7 encoding is correct.
Semantic Check
  • Check if the result affects subsequent branches or address calculations.
  • Ensure the rd register is not overwritten by another instruction.

Pitfalls / Common Confusions

Overflow is silently ignored, no exception raised
rd=x0 discards result (HINT space); x0 is hardwired to zero
Do not confuse with ADDI: ADD has two register operands, ADDI takes an immediate

FAQ

Does ADD trap on overflow?

No. Base integer addition ignores arithmetic overflow; software must add explicit checks when overflow detection is required.

When should I use ADD instead of ADDI?

Use ADD when both operands are registers. Use ADDI when the second operand is a sign-extended 12-bit immediate.