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SIMD

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This is an experimental technology
Because this technology's specification has not stabilized, check the compatibility table for usage in various browsers. Also note that the syntax and behavior of an experimental technology is subject to change in future versions of browsers as the specification changes.

SIMD (pronounced "sim-dee") is short for Single Instruction/Multiple Data which is one classification of computer architectures. SIMD operations perform the same computation on multiple data points resulting in data level parallelism and thus performance gains, for example for 3D graphics and video processing, physics simulations or cryptography, and other domains.

This page and sub pages are the SIMD API reference documentation. See also SIMD types for an article that describes SIMD in JavaScript more generally.

Description

The JavaScript SIMD API consists of several new types and operations. Browsers provide highly optimized implementations of this API depending on the underlying hardware of the user. Currently, SIMD is especially modeled for ARMv7 platforms with NEON and x86 platforms with SSE.

The SIMD API types are installed on a SIMD module. Unlike the other global objects, SIMD is not a constructor. You can not use it with a new operator or invoke the SIMD object as a function. All properties and methods of SIMD are static (as is the case with the Math object).

Overview

A SIMD value has multiple lanes. For a vector of length 4, the lanes are named x, y, z, and w. Now, instead of having to perform 4 separate operations on each of these lanes, SIMD allows you to perform the operation on all 4 lanes simultaneously. This requires fewer operations, which leads to performance improvements and better energy efficiency compared to scalar operations (SISD). Note that SIMD operations cannot be used to process multiple data in different ways. In the following figure, there is only a single instruction (addition) and thus it could be operated with SIMD:

SISD SIMD

Figures 1 and 2: SISD and SIMD compared.

Simple addition arithmetic

The JavaScript code for a simple SIMD operation like in figure 2 looks like this:

var a = SIMD.Float32x4(1, 2, 3, 4);
var b = SIMD.Float32x4(5, 6, 7, 8);
var c = SIMD.Float32x4.add(a,b); // Float32x4[6,8,10,12]

Data types

All SIMD data types are immutable. You can not alter them directly. Instead, you perform operations that create new immutable SIMD data types.

The following figure shows the different SIMD data types in a 128-bit SIMD register. The current SIMD JavaScript API has 12 different types with lane lengths of either 2, 4, 8 or 16.

Lanes per type in a 128-bit SIMD register

Figure 3: Lanes per type in a 128-bit SIMD register.

SIMD boolean types

SIMD.Bool8x16
128-bits divided into 16 lanes storing boolean values.
SIMD.Bool16x8
128-bits divided into 8 lanes storing boolean values.
SIMD.Bool32x4
128-bits divided into 4 lanes storing boolean values.
SIMD.Bool64x2
128-bits divided into 2 lanes storing boolean values.

SIMD signed integer types

SIMD.Int8x16
128-bits divided into 16 lanes storing 8-bit signed integer values.
SIMD.Int16x8
128-bits divided into 8 lanes storing 16-bit signed integer values.
SIMD.Int32x4
128-bits divided into 4 lanes storing 32-bit signed integer values.

SIMD unsigned integer types

SIMD.Uint8x16
128-bits divided into 16 lanes storing 8-bit unsigned integer values.
SIMD.Uint16x8
128-bits divided into 8 lanes storing 16-bit unsigned integer values.
SIMD.Uint32x4
128-bits divided into 4 lanes storing 32-bit unsigned integer values.

SIMD floating-point types

SIMD.Float32x4
128-bits divided into 4 lanes storing single precision floating point values.
SIMD.Float64x2
128-bits divided into 2 lanes storing double precision floating point values.

Constructor functions

In addition to the simple creator functions (e.g. SIMD.Int32x4(1,2,3,4)), the SIMD API provides the following constructor functions:

SIMD.%type%.splat()
Creates SIMD data type with all lanes set to a given value.

You can also convert from one SIMD data type to another.

Note: SIMD types don't work with new, as SIMD values are no "boxed" objects (comparable to String(s) vs. new String(s), which creates a String object).

var v = new SIMD.Float32x4(0,1,2,3);
// TypeError: SIMD.Float32x4 is not a constructor

Instead, you just write:

var v = SIMD.Float32x4(0,1,2,3);

Operations

To actually do something with SIMD types, SIMD operations are needed that work on SIMD data types.

Note: Not all SIMD operations are available on all SIMD types, see the individual reference pages for details and availability.

Checking SIMD types

SIMD.%type%.check()
Returns a new instance if the parameter is a valid SIMD data type and the same as %type%. Throws a TypeError otherwise.

Accessing and mutating lanes

SIMD.%type%.extractLane()
Returns the value of the given lane.
SIMD.%type%.replaceLane()
Returns a new instance with the given lane value replaced.

Loading from and storing into typed arrays

SIMD.%type%.load()
SIMD.%type%.load1()
SIMD.%type%.load2()
SIMD.%type%.load3()
Returns a new instance with the lane values loaded from a typed array.
SIMD.%type%.store()
SIMD.%type%.store1()
SIMD.%type%.store2()
SIMD.%type%.store3()
Store a SIMD data type into a typed array.

Arithmetic operations

SIMD.%FloatType%.abs()
Returns a new instance with the absolute lane values.
SIMD.%type%.add()
Returns a new instance with the lane values added (a + b).
SIMD.%type%.addSaturate()
Returns a new instance with the lane values added (a + b) and saturating behavior on overflow.
SIMD.%FloatType%.div()
Returns a new instance with the lane values divided (a / b).
SIMD.%type%.mul()
Returns a new instance with the lane values multiplied (a * b).
SIMD.%type%.neg()
Returns a new instance with the negated lane values.
SIMD.%FloatType%.reciprocalApproximation()
Returns a new instance with an approximation of the reciprocal lane values.
SIMD.%FloatType%.reciprocalSqrtApproximation()
Returns a new instance with an approximation of the reciprocal square root lane values.
SIMD.%type%.sub()
Returns a new instance with the lane values subtracted (a - b).
SIMD.%type%.subSaturate()
Returns a new instance with the lane values subtracted (a - b) and saturating behavior on overflow.
SIMD.%FloatType%.sqrt()
Returns a new instance with the square root of the lane values.

Shuffling and swizzling

SIMD.%type%.shuffle()
Returns a new instance with the lane values shuffled.
SIMD.%type%.swizzle()
Returns a new instance with the lane values swizzled.

Min and max values

SIMD.%FloatType%.max()
Returns a new instance with the maximum of the lane values.
SIMD.%FloatType%.maxNum()
Returns a new instance with the maximum of the lane values, preferring numbers over NaN.
SIMD.%FloatType%.min()
Returns a new instance with the minimum of the lane values.
SIMD.%FloatType%.minNum()
Returns a new instance with the minimum of the lane values, preferring numbers over NaN.

Selections

SIMD.%type%.select()
Returns a new instance with the lane values being a mix of the lanes depending on the selector mask.

Comparisons

SIMD.%type%.equal()
Returns a selection mask depending on a == b.
SIMD.%type%.notEqual()
Returns a selection mask depending on a != b.
SIMD.%type%.lessThan()
Returns a selection mask depending on a < b.
SIMD.%type%.lessThanOrEqual()
Returns selection mask depending on a <= b.
SIMD.%type%.greaterThan()
Returns a selection mask depending on a > b.
SIMD.%type%.greaterThanOrEqual()
Returns a selection mask depending on a >= b.

Bitwise logical operations

SIMD.%type%.and()
Returns a new instance with the logical AND of the lane values (a & b).
SIMD.%type%.or()
Returns a new instance with the logical OR of the lane values (a | b).
SIMD.%type%.xor()
Returns a new instance with the logical XOR of the lane values (a ^ b).
SIMD.%type%.not()
Returns a new instance with the logical NOT of the lane values (~a).

Bitwise shift operations

SIMD.%IntegerType%.shiftLeftByScalar()
Returns a new instance with the lane values shifted left by a given bit count (a << bits).
SIMD.%IntegerType%.shiftRightByScalar()
Returns a new instance with the lane values shifted right. Behavior depends on whether the underlying type is signed or unsigned.

Boolean operations

SIMD.%BooleanType%.allTrue()
Checks if all lanes hold a true value.
SIMD.%BooleanType%.anyTrue()
Checks if any of the lanes hold a true value.

Data conversions

SIMD.%type%.fromFloat32x4()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a float conversion from a Float32x4.
SIMD.%type%.fromFloat32x4Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from a Float32x4.
SIMD.%type%.fromFloat64x2Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from a Float64x2.
SIMD.%type%.fromInt32x4()
Creates a new SIMD data type with an integer conversion from an In32x4.
SIMD.%type%.fromInt32x4Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from an Int32x4.
SIMD.%type%.fromInt16x8Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from an Int16x8.
SIMD.%type%.fromInt8x16Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from an Int8x16.
SIMD.%type%.fromUint32x4()
Creates a new SIMD data type with an integer conversion from a Uin32x4.
SIMD.%type%.fromUint32x4Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from a Uint32x4.
SIMD.%type%.fromUint16x8Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from a Uint16x8.
SIMD.%type%.fromUint8x16Bits()
Creates a new SIMD data type with a bit-wise copy from a Uint8x16.

SIMD prototype

The following methods and properties are installed on the SIMD.%type%.prototype.

SIMD.%type%.prototype.constructor
Specifies the function that creates a SIMD object's prototype.
SIMD.%type%.prototype.toLocaleString()
Returns a localized string representing the SIMD type and its elements. Overrides the Object.prototype.toLocaleString() method.
SIMD.%type%.prototype.toString()
Returns a string representing the SIMD type and its elements. Overrides the Object.prototype.toString() method.
SIMD.%type%.prototype.valueOf()
Returns the primitive value of a SIMD object.
SIMD.%type%.prototype.toSource()
Returns a string representing the source code of the object. Overrides the Object.prototype.toSource() method.

Polyfill

A Polyfill implementation based on typed arrays, is available at the ecmascript_simd GitHub repository.

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
SIMD
The definition of 'SIMD' in that specification.
Draft Initial definition.

Browser compatibility

Feature Chrome Firefox (Gecko) Edge Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Float32x4 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Float64x2 No support Nightly build No support No support No support No support
SIMD.Int8x16 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Int16x8 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Int32x4 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Uint8x16 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Uint16x8 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Uint32x4 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool8x16 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool16x8 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool32x4 No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool64x2 No support Nightly build No support No support No support No support
Feature Android Chrome for Android Firefox Mobile (Gecko) Edge IE Mobile Opera Mobile Safari Mobile
Basic support No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Float32x4 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Float64x2 No support No support Nightly build No support No support No support No support
SIMD.Int8x16 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Int16x8 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Int32x4 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Uint8x16 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Uint16x8 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Uint32x4 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool8x16 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool16x8 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool32x4 No support No support Nightly build Nightly build No support No support No support
SIMD.Bool64x2 No support No support Nightly build No support No support No support No support

Status notes

See also

Document Tags and Contributors

 Contributors to this page: snlacks, fscholz, Sunfishcode
 Last updated by: snlacks,