VFMV.V.F

RISC-V VFMV.V.F Instruction Details

Instruction ManualR-type

Copy scalar f register rs1 to all active elements of vd (VL elements); tail follows policy.

Instruction Syntax

vfmv.v.f vd, rs1
Operand Breakdown
vd: destination vector register group.
vs2/vs1 or scalar source: selected by suffixes such as .vv, .vx, .vi, or .vf.
vm: when present, vm=0 uses v0 as the execution mask and vm=1 is unmasked.
VZvfhVector OperationsRegister Move

Instruction Behavior

VFMV.V.F broadcasts floating-point scalar f[rs1] to active elements of vd; it is the unmasked FP scalar splat form.

Quick Understanding & Search Notes

VFMV.V.F is FP scalar broadcast, writing f[rs1] to the current active elements.

The scalar value is written only to active elements within vl; inactive and tail elements follow the current policies.
VFMV.V.F is encoded as the unmasked scalar splat form, has no execution-mask operand, and does not use v0 for selection.

Vector Execution Context

When reading VFMV.V.F, do not stop at the mnemonic. Official V-extension semantics also depend on the current vl, vtype, and mask state. The suffix and operand form determine whether sources are vector, scalar, or immediate values.

Check vl first

The current vl determines the number of body elements. Typical code executes vsetvli, vsetivli, or vsetvl before this instruction.

Then check vtype

The current vtype supplies SEW, LMUL, tail policy, and mask policy; these affect element width, register-group size, and inactive/tail destination elements.

Then check vm/v0

For ordinary vector instructions with vm, vm=0 uses v0 as the execution mask and vm=1 is unmasked. A few forms such as VMERGE use v0 as data-selection input.

Official source: RISC-V V Standard Extension for Vector Operations

Common Usage Scenarios

Vector Init

Understand this scenario with real code like «vsetvli t0, a0, e32, m1, ta, ma vfmv.v.f v1, ft0 # v1[0..VL-1] = ft0».

Constant Broadcast

Understand this scenario with real code like «vsetvli t0, a0, e32, m1, ta, ma vfmv.v.f v1, ft0 # v1[0..VL-1] = ft0».

Pre-Use Checklist

Syntax Check
  • Confirm the current instruction format is R-type.
  • Confirm the operand order matches the example.
Semantic Check
  • Ensure the destination register usage is compatible with the calling convention.
  • Confirm this is not the lower-level form of a pseudo-instruction expansion.

Pitfalls / Common Confusions

This broadcasts to active elements; it is not an element-0-only move.
Inactive and tail elements still follow the current policies.

FAQ

How is it different from VFMV.S.F?

VFMV.S.F writes only element 0; VFMV.V.F broadcasts the scalar to active elements.