* <https://bugs.libre-soc.org/show_bug.cgi?id=558#c47>
* [[discussion]]
-Rationale:
-
-Condition Registers are conceptually perfect for use as predicate masks,
-the only problem being that typical Vector ISAs have quite comprehensive
-mask-based instructions: set-before-first, popcount and much more.
-In fact many Vector ISAs can use Vectors *as* masks, consequently the
-entire Vector ISA is usually available for use in creating masks (one
-exception being AVX512 which has a dedicated Mask regfile and opcodes).
-Duplication of such operations (popcount etc) is not practical for SV
-given the strategy of leveraging pre-existing Scalar instructions in a
-minimalist way.
-
-With the scalar OpenPOWER v3.0B ISA having already popcnt, cntlz and
-others normally seen in Vector Mask operations it makes sense to allow
-*both* scalar integers *and* CR-Vectors to be predicate masks. That in
-turn means that much more comprehensive interaction between CRs and scalar
-Integers is required, because with the CR Predication Modes designating
-CR *Fields* (not CR bits) as Predicate Elements, fast transfers between
-CR *Fields* and the Integer Register File is needed.
-
-The opportunity is therefore taken to also augment CR logical arithmetic
-as well, using a mask-based paradigm that takes into consideration
-multiple bits of each CR Field (eq/lt/gt/ov). By contrast v3.0B Scalar
-CR instructions (crand, crxor) only allow a single bit calculation, and
-both mtcr and mfcr are CR-orientated rather than CR *Field* orientated.
-
-Also strangely there is no v3.0 instruction for directly moving CR Fields,
-only CR *bits*, so that is corrected here with `mcrfm`. The opportunity
-is taken to allow inversion of CR Field bits, when copied.
-
-Basic concept:
-
-* CR-based instructions that perform simple AND/OR from any four bits
- of a CR field to create a single bit value (0/1) in an integer register
-* Inverse of the same, taking a single bit value (0/1) from an integer
- register to selectively target any four bits of a given CR Field
-* CR-to-CR version of the same, allowing multiple bits to be AND/OR/XORed
- in one hit.
-* Optional Vectorisation of the same when SVP64 is implemented
-
-Purpose:
-
-* To provide a merged version of what is currently a multi-sequence of
- CR operations (crand, cror, crxor) with mfcr and mtcrf, reducing
- instruction count.
-* To provide a vectorised version of the same, suitable for advanced
- predication
-
-Useful side-effects:
-
-* mtcrweird when RA=0 is a means to set or clear
- multiple arbitrary CR Field bits simultaneously,
- using immediates embedded within the instruction.
-* With SVP64 on the weird instructions there is bit-for-bit interaction
- between GPR predicate masks (r3, r10, r31) and the source
- or destination GPR, in ways that are not possible with other
- SVP64 instructions because normal SVP64 is bit-per-element.
- On these weird instructions the element in effect *is* a bit.
-* `mfcrweird` mitigates a need to add `conflictd`, part of
- [[sv/vector_ops]], as well as allowing more complex comparisons.
-
# Bit ordering.
Please see [[svp64/appendix]] regarding CR bit ordering and for