Streamlining SIMD ISA Extensions with Takum Arithmetic: A Case Study on Intel AVX10.2

Fuente: arXiv
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1. Verfasser: Hunhold, Laslo
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Hunhold, Laslo
author_facet Hunhold, Laslo
contents Modern microprocessors extend their instruction set architecture (ISA) with Single Instruction, Multiple Data (SIMD) operations to improve performance. The Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) enhance the x86 ISA and are widely supported in Intel and AMD processors. The latest version, AVX10.2, places a strong emphasis on low-precision, non-standard floating-point formats, including bfloat16 and E4M3/E5M2 float8 (OCP 8-bit Floating Point, OFP8), primarily catering to deep learning applications rather than general-purpose arithmetic. However, as these formats remain within the IEEE 754 framework, they inherit its limitations, introducing inconsistencies and added complexity into the ISA. This paper examines the recently proposed tapered-precision takum floating-point format, which has been shown to offer significant advantages over IEEE 754 and its derivatives as a general-purpose number format. Using AVX10.2 as a case study, the paper explores the potential benefits of replacing the multitude of floating-point formats with takum as a uniform basis. The results indicate a more consistent instruction set, improving readability and flexibility while offering potential for 8- and 16-bit general-purpose SIMD arithmetic.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_14067
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Streamlining SIMD ISA Extensions with Takum Arithmetic: A Case Study on Intel AVX10.2
Hunhold, Laslo
Hardware Architecture
C.1.2; B.2.0
Modern microprocessors extend their instruction set architecture (ISA) with Single Instruction, Multiple Data (SIMD) operations to improve performance. The Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) enhance the x86 ISA and are widely supported in Intel and AMD processors. The latest version, AVX10.2, places a strong emphasis on low-precision, non-standard floating-point formats, including bfloat16 and E4M3/E5M2 float8 (OCP 8-bit Floating Point, OFP8), primarily catering to deep learning applications rather than general-purpose arithmetic. However, as these formats remain within the IEEE 754 framework, they inherit its limitations, introducing inconsistencies and added complexity into the ISA. This paper examines the recently proposed tapered-precision takum floating-point format, which has been shown to offer significant advantages over IEEE 754 and its derivatives as a general-purpose number format. Using AVX10.2 as a case study, the paper explores the potential benefits of replacing the multitude of floating-point formats with takum as a uniform basis. The results indicate a more consistent instruction set, improving readability and flexibility while offering potential for 8- and 16-bit general-purpose SIMD arithmetic.
title Streamlining SIMD ISA Extensions with Takum Arithmetic: A Case Study on Intel AVX10.2
topic Hardware Architecture
C.1.2; B.2.0
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.14067