On Mon, Jan 19, 2026 at 8:12 PM Soumya AR <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Ping.
>
> I split the files from the previous mail so it's hopefully easier to review.

I can review this but the approval won't be for until stage1. This
pass at this point is too risky for this point of the release cycle.

Though I also wonder how much of this can/should be done on the gimple
level in a generic way.
And if there is a way to get the zero-bits from the gimple level down
to the RTL level still so we don't need to keep on recomputing them
(this is useful for other passes too).

Thanks,
Andrew Pinski

>
> Also CC'ing Alex Coplan to this thread.
>
> Thanks,
> Soumya
>
> > On 12 Jan 2026, at 12:42 PM, Soumya AR <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Tamar,
> >
> > Attaching an updated version of this patch that enables the pass at O2 and 
> > above
> > on aarch64, and can be optionally disabled with -mno-narrow-gp-writes.
> >
> > Enabling it by default at O2 touched quite a large number of tests, which I
> > have updated in this patch.
> >
> > Most of the updates are straightforward, which involve changing x registers 
> > to
> > (w|x) registers (e.g., x[0-9]+ -> [wx][0-9]+).
> >
> > There are some tests (eg. aarch64/int_mov_immediate_1.c) where the
> > representation of the immediate changes:
> >
> >         mov w0, 4294927974 -> mov w0, -39322
> >
> > This is because when the following RTL is narrowed to SI:
> >         (set (reg/i:DI 0 x0)
> >                 (const_int 4294927974 [0xffff6666]))
> >
> > Due to the MSB changing to Bit 31, which is set, the output is printed as
> > signed.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Soumya
> >
> >
> >
> > > On 1 Dec 2025, at 2:03 PM, Soumya AR <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >
> > > External email: Use caution opening links or attachments
> > >
> > >
> > > Ping.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Soumya
> > >
> > >> On 13 Nov 2025, at 11:43 AM, Soumya AR <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> AArch64: Add RTL pass to narrow 64-bit GP reg writes to 32-bit
> > >>
> > >> This patch adds a new AArch64 RTL pass that optimizes 64-bit
> > >> general purpose register operations to use 32-bit W-registers when the
> > >> upper 32 bits of the register are known to be zero.
> > >>
> > >> This is beneficial for the Olympus core, which benefits from using 32-bit
> > >> W-registers over 64-bit X-registers if possible. This is recommended by 
> > >> the
> > >> updated Olympus Software Optimization Guide, which will be published 
> > >> soon.
> > >>
> > >> This pass can be controlled with -mnarrow-gp-writes and is active at -O2 
> > >> and
> > >> above, but not enabled by default, except for -mcpu=olympus.
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> In AArch64, each 64-bit X register has a corresponding 32-bit W register
> > >> that maps to its lower half.  When we can guarantee that the upper 32 
> > >> bits
> > >> are never used, we can safely narrow operations to use W registers 
> > >> instead.
> > >>
> > >> For example, this code:
> > >> uint64_t foo(uint64_t a) {
> > >>     return (a & 255) + 3;
> > >> }
> > >>
> > >> Currently compiles to:
> > >> and x8, x0, #0xff
> > >> add x0, x8, #3
> > >>
> > >> But with this pass enabled, it optimizes to:
> > >> and x8, x0, #0xff
> > >> add w0, w8, #3      // Using W register instead of X
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> The pass operates in two phases:
> > >>
> > >> 1) Analysis Phase:
> > >> - Using RTL-SSA, iterates through extended basic blocks (EBBs)
> > >> - Computes nonzero bit masks for each register definition
> > >> - Recursively processes PHI nodes
> > >> - Identifies candidates for narrowing
> > >> 2) Transformation Phase:
> > >> - Applies narrowing to validated candidates
> > >> - Converts DImode operations to SImode where safe
> > >>
> > >> The pass runs late in the RTL pipeline, after register allocation, to 
> > >> ensure
> > >> stable def-use chains and avoid interfering with earlier optimizations.
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> nonzero_bits(src, DImode) is a function defined in rtlanal.cc that 
> > >> recursively
> > >> analyzes RTL expressions to compute a bitmask. However, nonzero_bits has 
> > >> a
> > >> limitation: when it encounters a register, it conservatively returns the 
> > >> mode
> > >> mask (all bits potentially set). Since this pass analyzes all defs in an
> > >> instruction, this information can be used to refine the mask. The pass 
> > >> maintains
> > >> a hash map of computed bit masks and installs a custom RTL hooks callback
> > >> to consult this mask when encountering a register.
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> PHI nodes require special handling to merge masks from all inputs. This 
> > >> is done
> > >> by combine_mask_from_phi. 3 cases are tackled here:
> > >> 1. Input Edge has a Definition: This is the simplest case. For each input
> > >> edge to the PHI, the def information is retreived and its mask is looked 
> > >> up.
> > >> 2. Input Edge has no Definition: A conservative mask is assumed for that
> > >> input.
> > >> 3. Input Edge is a PHI: Recursively call combine_mask_from_phi to
> > >> merge the masks of all incoming values.
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> When processing regular instructions, the pass first tackles SET and 
> > >> PARALLEL
> > >> patterns with compare instructions.
> > >>
> > >> Single SET instructions:
> > >>
> > >> If the upper 32 bits of the source are known to be zero, then the 
> > >> instruction
> > >> qualifies for narrowing. Instead of just using lowpart_subreg for the 
> > >> source,
> > >> we define narrow_dimode_src to attempt further optimizations:
> > >>
> > >> - Bitwise operations (AND/OR/XOR/ASHIFT): simplified via 
> > >> simplify_gen_binary
> > >> - IF_THEN_ELSE: simplified via simplify_gen_ternary
> > >>
> > >> PARALLEL Instructions (Compare + SET):
> > >>
> > >> The pass tackles flag-setting operations (ADDS, SUBS, ANDS, etc.) where 
> > >> the SET
> > >> source equals the first operand of the COMPARE. Depending on the 
> > >> condition code
> > >> for the compare, the pass checks for the required bits to be zero:
> > >>
> > >> - CC_Zmode/CC_NZmode: Upper 32 bits
> > >> - CC_NZVmode: Upper 32 bits and bit 31 (for overflow)
> > >>
> > >> If the instruction does not match the above patterns (or matches but 
> > >> cannot be
> > >> optimized), the pass still analyzes all its definitions to ensure 
> > >> nzero_map is
> > >> complete. This ensures every definition has an entry in nzero_map.
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> When transforming the qualified instructions, the pass uses 
> > >> rtl_ssa::recog and
> > >> rtl_ssa::change_is_worthwhile to verify the new pattern and determine if 
> > >> the
> > >> transformation is worthwhile.
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> As an additional benefit, testing on Neoverse-V2 shows that instances of
> > >> 'and x1, x2, #0xffffffff' are converted to zero-latency 'mov w1, w2'
> > >> instructions after this pass narrows them.
> > >>
> > >> ---
> > >>
> > >> The patch was bootstrapped and regtested on aarch64-linux-gnu, no 
> > >> regression.
> > >> OK for mainline?
> > >>
> > >> Co-authored-by: Kyrylo Tkachov <[email protected]>
> > >> Signed-off-by: Soumya AR <[email protected]>
> > >>
> > >> gcc/ChangeLog:
> > >>
> > >>    * config.gcc: Add aarch64-narrow-gp-writes.o.
> > >>    * config/aarch64/aarch64-passes.def (INSERT_PASS_BEFORE): Insert
> > >>    pass_narrow_gp_writes before pass_cleanup_barriers.
> > >>    * config/aarch64/aarch64-tuning-flags.def 
> > >> (AARCH64_EXTRA_TUNING_OPTION):
> > >>    Add AARCH64_EXTRA_TUNE_NARROW_GP_WRITES.
> > >>    * config/aarch64/tuning_models/olympus.h:
> > >>    Add AARCH64_EXTRA_TUNE_NARROW_GP_WRITES to tune_flags.
> > >>    * config/aarch64/aarch64-protos.h (make_pass_narrow_gp_writes): 
> > >> Declare.
> > >>    * config/aarch64/aarch64.opt (mnarrow-gp-writes): New option.
> > >>    * config/aarch64/t-aarch64: Add aarch64-narrow-gp-writes.o rule.
> > >>    * doc/invoke.texi: Document -mnarrow-gp-writes.
> > >>    * config/aarch64/aarch64-narrow-gp-writes.cc: New file.
> > >>
> > >> gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog:
> > >>
> > >>    * gcc.target/aarch64/narrow-gp-writes-1.c: New test.
> > >>    * gcc.target/aarch64/narrow-gp-writes-2.c: New test.
> > >>    * gcc.target/aarch64/narrow-gp-writes-3.c: New test.
> > >>    * gcc.target/aarch64/narrow-gp-writes-4.c: New test.
> > >>    * gcc.target/aarch64/narrow-gp-writes-5.c: New test.
> > >>    * gcc.target/aarch64/narrow-gp-writes-6.c: New test.
> > >>    * gcc.target/aarch64/narrow-gp-writes-7.c: New test.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> <0001-AArch64-Add-RTL-pass-to-narrow-64-bit-GP-reg-writes-.patch>
> > >
> >

Reply via email to