1 @c Copyright (C) 1996-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
2 @c This is part of the GAS manual.
3 @c For copying conditions, see the file as.texinfo.
8 @chapter ARM Dependent Features
12 @node Machine Dependencies
13 @chapter ARM Dependent Features
19 * ARM Options:: Options
21 * ARM Floating Point:: Floating Point
22 * ARM Directives:: ARM Machine Directives
23 * ARM Opcodes:: Opcodes
24 * ARM Mapping Symbols:: Mapping Symbols
25 * ARM Unwinding Tutorial:: Unwinding
30 @cindex ARM options (none)
31 @cindex options for ARM (none)
35 @cindex @code{-mcpu=} command-line option, ARM
36 @item -mcpu=@var{processor}[+@var{extension}@dots{}]
37 This option specifies the target processor. The assembler will issue an
38 error message if an attempt is made to assemble an instruction which
39 will not execute on the target processor. The following processor names are
84 @code{fa526} (Faraday FA526 processor),
85 @code{fa626} (Faraday FA626 processor),
104 @code{fa606te} (Faraday FA606TE processor),
105 @code{fa616te} (Faraday FA616TE processor),
106 @code{fa626te} (Faraday FA626TE processor),
107 @code{fmp626} (Faraday FMP626 processor),
108 @code{fa726te} (Faraday FA726TE processor),
145 @code{cortex-r52plus},
154 @code{cortex-m0plus},
159 @code{marvell-whitney},
166 @code{i80200} (Intel XScale processor)
167 @code{iwmmxt} (Intel XScale processor with Wireless MMX technology coprocessor)
170 The special name @code{all} may be used to allow the
171 assembler to accept instructions valid for any ARM processor.
173 In addition to the basic instruction set, the assembler can be told to
174 accept various extension mnemonics that extend the processor using the
175 co-processor instruction space. For example, @code{-mcpu=cortex-a53+simd}
176 enables the Advanced SIMD extension.
178 Multiple extensions may be specified, separated by a @code{+}. The
179 extensions should be specified in ascending alphabetical order.
181 Some extensions may be restricted to particular architectures; this is
182 documented in the list of extensions below.
184 Extension mnemonics may also be removed from those the assembler accepts.
185 This is done be prepending @code{no} to the option that adds the extension.
186 Extensions that are removed should be listed after all extensions which have
187 been added, again in ascending alphabetical order.
190 The following extensions are currently supported:
191 @code{bf16} (BFloat16 extensions for v8.6-A architecture),
192 @code{i8mm} (Int8 Matrix Multiply extensions for v8.6-A architecture),
194 @code{crypto} (Cryptography Extensions for v8-A architecture, implies @code{fp+simd}),
195 @code{dotprod} (Dot Product Extensions for v8.2-A architecture, implies @code{fp+simd}),
196 @code{fp} (Floating Point Extensions for v8-A architecture),
197 @code{fp16} (FP16 Extensions for v8.2-A architecture, implies @code{fp}),
198 @code{fp16fml} (FP16 Floating Point Multiplication Variant Extensions for v8.2-A architecture, implies @code{fp16}),
199 @code{idiv} (Integer Divide Extensions for v7-A and v7-R architectures),
203 @code{mp} (Multiprocessing Extensions for v7-A and v7-R
205 @code{os} (Operating System for v6M architecture),
206 @code{predres} (Execution and Data Prediction Restriction Instruction for
207 v8-A architectures, added by default from v8.5-A),
208 @code{sb} (Speculation Barrier Instruction for v8-A architectures, added by
209 default from v8.5-A),
210 @code{sec} (Security Extensions for v6K and v7-A architectures),
211 @code{simd} (Advanced SIMD Extensions for v8-A architecture, implies @code{fp}),
212 @code{virt} (Virtualization Extensions for v7-A architecture, implies
214 @code{pan} (Privileged Access Never Extensions for v8-A architecture),
215 @code{ras} (Reliability, Availability and Serviceability extensions
216 for v8-A architecture),
217 @code{rdma} (ARMv8.1 Advanced SIMD extensions for v8-A architecture, implies
222 @cindex @code{-march=} command-line option, ARM
223 @item -march=@var{architecture}[+@var{extension}@dots{}]
224 This option specifies the target architecture. The assembler will issue
225 an error message if an attempt is made to assemble an instruction which
226 will not execute on the target architecture. The following architecture
227 names are recognized:
265 @code{armv8.1-m.main},
280 If both @code{-mcpu} and
281 @code{-march} are specified, the assembler will use
282 the setting for @code{-mcpu}.
284 The architecture option can be extended with a set extension options. These
285 extensions are context sensitive, i.e. the same extension may mean different
286 things when used with different architectures. When used together with a
287 @code{-mfpu} option, the union of both feature enablement is taken.
288 See their availability and meaning below:
290 For @code{armv5te}, @code{armv5texp}, @code{armv5tej}, @code{armv6}, @code{armv6j}, @code{armv6k}, @code{armv6z}, @code{armv6kz}, @code{armv6zk}, @code{armv6t2}, @code{armv6kt2} and @code{armv6zt2}:
293 @item @code{+fp}: Enables VFPv2 instructions.
294 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU instrunctions.
300 @item @code{+fp}: Enables VFPv3 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
301 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU instructions.
307 @item @code{+fp}: Enables VFPv3 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
308 @item @code{+vfpv3-d16}: Alias for @code{+fp}.
309 @item @code{+vfpv3}: Enables VFPv3 instructions with 32 double-word registers.
310 @item @code{+vfpv3-d16-fp16}: Enables VFPv3 with half precision floating-point
311 conversion instructions and 16 double-word registers.
312 @item @code{+vfpv3-fp16}: Enables VFPv3 with half precision floating-point conversion
313 instructions and 32 double-word registers.
314 @item @code{+vfpv4-d16}: Enables VFPv4 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
315 @item @code{+vfpv4}: Enables VFPv4 instructions with 32 double-word registers.
316 @item @code{+simd}: Enables VFPv3 and NEONv1 instructions with 32 double-word
318 @item @code{+neon}: Alias for @code{+simd}.
319 @item @code{+neon-vfpv3}: Alias for @code{+simd}.
320 @item @code{+neon-fp16}: Enables VFPv3, half precision floating-point conversion and
321 NEONv1 instructions with 32 double-word registers.
322 @item @code{+neon-vfpv4}: Enables VFPv4 and NEONv1 with Fused-MAC instructions and 32
323 double-word registers.
324 @item @code{+mp}: Enables Multiprocessing Extensions.
325 @item @code{+sec}: Enables Security Extensions.
326 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU and NEON instructions.
327 @item @code{+nosimd}: Disables all NEON instructions.
333 @item @code{+fp}: Enables VFPv4 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
334 @item @code{+vfpv4-d16}: Alias for @code{+fp}.
335 @item @code{+vfpv3-d16}: Enables VFPv3 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
336 @item @code{+vfpv3}: Enables VFPv3 instructions with 32 double-word registers.
337 @item @code{+vfpv3-d16-fp16}: Enables VFPv3 with half precision floating-point
338 conversion instructions and 16 double-word registers.
339 @item @code{+vfpv3-fp16}: Enables VFPv3 with half precision floating-point conversion
340 instructions and 32 double-word registers.
341 @item @code{+vfpv4}: Enables VFPv4 instructions with 32 double-word registers.
342 @item @code{+simd}: Enables VFPv4 and NEONv1 with Fused-MAC instructions and 32
343 double-word registers.
344 @item @code{+neon-vfpv4}: Alias for @code{+simd}.
345 @item @code{+neon}: Enables VFPv3 and NEONv1 instructions with 32 double-word
347 @item @code{+neon-vfpv3}: Alias for @code{+neon}.
348 @item @code{+neon-fp16}: Enables VFPv3, half precision floating-point conversion and
349 NEONv1 instructions with 32 double-word registers.
350 double-word registers.
351 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU and NEON instructions.
352 @item @code{+nosimd}: Disables all NEON instructions.
358 @item @code{+fp.sp}: Enables single-precision only VFPv3 instructions with 16
359 double-word registers.
360 @item @code{+vfpv3xd}: Alias for @code{+fp.sp}.
361 @item @code{+fp}: Enables VFPv3 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
362 @item @code{+vfpv3-d16}: Alias for @code{+fp}.
363 @item @code{+vfpv3xd-fp16}: Enables single-precision only VFPv3 and half
364 floating-point conversion instructions with 16 double-word registers.
365 @item @code{+vfpv3-d16-fp16}: Enables VFPv3 and half precision floating-point
366 conversion instructions with 16 double-word registers.
367 @item @code{+idiv}: Enables integer division instructions in ARM mode.
368 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU instructions.
374 @item @code{+fp}: Enables single-precision only VFPv4 instructions with 16
375 double-word registers.
376 @item @code{+vfpvf4-sp-d16}: Alias for @code{+fp}.
377 @item @code{+fpv5}: Enables single-precision only VFPv5 instructions with 16
378 double-word registers.
379 @item @code{+fp.dp}: Enables VFPv5 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
380 @item @code{+fpv5-d16"}: Alias for @code{+fp.dp}.
381 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU instructions.
384 For @code{armv8-m.main}:
387 @item @code{+dsp}: Enables DSP Extension.
388 @item @code{+fp}: Enables single-precision only VFPv5 instructions with 16
389 double-word registers.
390 @item @code{+fp.dp}: Enables VFPv5 instructions with 16 double-word registers.
391 @item @code{+cdecp0} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 0),
392 @item @code{+cdecp1} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 1),
393 @item @code{+cdecp2} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 2),
394 @item @code{+cdecp3} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 3),
395 @item @code{+cdecp4} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 4),
396 @item @code{+cdecp5} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 5),
397 @item @code{+cdecp6} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 6),
398 @item @code{+cdecp7} (CDE extensions for v8-m architecture with coprocessor 7),
399 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU instructions.
400 @item @code{+nodsp}: Disables DSP Extension.
403 For @code{armv8.1-m.main}:
406 @item @code{+dsp}: Enables DSP Extension.
407 @item @code{+fp}: Enables single and half precision scalar Floating Point Extensions
408 for Armv8.1-M Mainline with 16 double-word registers.
409 @item @code{+fp.dp}: Enables double precision scalar Floating Point Extensions for
410 Armv8.1-M Mainline, implies @code{+fp}.
411 @item @code{+mve}: Enables integer only M-profile Vector Extension for
412 Armv8.1-M Mainline, implies @code{+dsp}.
413 @item @code{+mve.fp}: Enables Floating Point M-profile Vector Extension for
414 Armv8.1-M Mainline, implies @code{+mve} and @code{+fp}.
415 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU instructions.
416 @item @code{+nodsp}: Disables DSP Extension.
417 @item @code{+nomve}: Disables all M-profile Vector Extensions.
423 @item @code{+crc}: Enables CRC32 Extension.
424 @item @code{+simd}: Enables VFP and NEON for Armv8-A.
425 @item @code{+crypto}: Enables Cryptography Extensions for Armv8-A, implies @code{+simd}.
426 @item @code{+sb}: Enables Speculation Barrier Instruction for Armv8-A.
427 @item @code{+predres}: Enables Execution and Data Prediction Restriction Instruction
429 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU, NEON and Cryptography Extensions.
430 @item @code{+nocrypto}: Disables Cryptography Extensions.
433 For @code{armv8.1-a}:
436 @item @code{+simd}: Enables VFP and NEON for Armv8.1-A.
437 @item @code{+crypto}: Enables Cryptography Extensions for Armv8-A, implies @code{+simd}.
438 @item @code{+sb}: Enables Speculation Barrier Instruction for Armv8-A.
439 @item @code{+predres}: Enables Execution and Data Prediction Restriction Instruction
441 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU, NEON and Cryptography Extensions.
442 @item @code{+nocrypto}: Disables Cryptography Extensions.
445 For @code{armv8.2-a} and @code{armv8.3-a}:
448 @item @code{+simd}: Enables VFP and NEON for Armv8.1-A.
449 @item @code{+fp16}: Enables FP16 Extension for Armv8.2-A, implies @code{+simd}.
450 @item @code{+fp16fml}: Enables FP16 Floating Point Multiplication Variant Extensions
451 for Armv8.2-A, implies @code{+fp16}.
452 @item @code{+crypto}: Enables Cryptography Extensions for Armv8-A, implies @code{+simd}.
453 @item @code{+dotprod}: Enables Dot Product Extensions for Armv8.2-A, implies @code{+simd}.
454 @item @code{+sb}: Enables Speculation Barrier Instruction for Armv8-A.
455 @item @code{+predres}: Enables Execution and Data Prediction Restriction Instruction
457 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU, NEON, Cryptography and Dot Product Extensions.
458 @item @code{+nocrypto}: Disables Cryptography Extensions.
461 For @code{armv8.4-a}:
464 @item @code{+simd}: Enables VFP and NEON for Armv8.1-A and Dot Product Extensions for
466 @item @code{+fp16}: Enables FP16 Floating Point and Floating Point Multiplication
467 Variant Extensions for Armv8.2-A, implies @code{+simd}.
468 @item @code{+crypto}: Enables Cryptography Extensions for Armv8-A, implies @code{+simd}.
469 @item @code{+sb}: Enables Speculation Barrier Instruction for Armv8-A.
470 @item @code{+predres}: Enables Execution and Data Prediction Restriction Instruction
472 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU, NEON, Cryptography and Dot Product Extensions.
473 @item @code{+nocryptp}: Disables Cryptography Extensions.
476 For @code{armv8.5-a}:
479 @item @code{+simd}: Enables VFP and NEON for Armv8.1-A and Dot Product Extensions for
481 @item @code{+fp16}: Enables FP16 Floating Point and Floating Point Multiplication
482 Variant Extensions for Armv8.2-A, implies @code{+simd}.
483 @item @code{+crypto}: Enables Cryptography Extensions for Armv8-A, implies @code{+simd}.
484 @item @code{+nofp}: Disables all FPU, NEON, Cryptography and Dot Product Extensions.
485 @item @code{+nocryptp}: Disables Cryptography Extensions.
488 @cindex @code{-mfpu=} command-line option, ARM
489 @item -mfpu=@var{floating-point-format}
491 This option specifies the floating point format to assemble for. The
492 assembler will issue an error message if an attempt is made to assemble
493 an instruction which will not execute on the target floating point unit.
494 The following format options are recognized:
507 @code{vfpv3-d16-fp16},
523 @code{neon-fp-armv8},
524 @code{crypto-neon-fp-armv8},
525 @code{neon-fp-armv8.1}
527 @code{crypto-neon-fp-armv8.1}.
529 In addition to determining which instructions are assembled, this option
530 also affects the way in which the @code{.double} assembler directive behaves
531 when assembling little-endian code.
533 The default is dependent on the processor selected. For Architecture 5 or
534 later, the default is to assemble for VFP instructions; for earlier
535 architectures the default is to assemble for no floating point.
537 @cindex @code{-mfp16-format=} command-line option
538 @item -mfp16-format=@var{format}
539 This option specifies the half-precision floating point format to use
540 when assembling floating point numbers emitted by the @code{.float16}
542 The following format options are recognized:
545 If @code{ieee} is specified then the IEEE 754-2008 half-precision floating
546 point format is used, if @code{alternative} is specified then the Arm
547 alternative half-precision format is used. If this option is set on the
548 command line then the format is fixed and cannot be changed with
549 the @code{float16_format} directive. If this value is not set then
550 the IEEE 754-2008 format is used until the format is explicitly set with
551 the @code{float16_format} directive.
553 @cindex @code{-mthumb} command-line option, ARM
555 This option specifies that the assembler should start assembling Thumb
556 instructions; that is, it should behave as though the file starts with a
557 @code{.code 16} directive.
559 @cindex @code{-mthumb-interwork} command-line option, ARM
560 @item -mthumb-interwork
561 This option specifies that the output generated by the assembler should
562 be marked as supporting interworking. It also affects the behaviour
563 of the @code{ADR} and @code{ADRL} pseudo opcodes.
565 @cindex @code{-mimplicit-it} command-line option, ARM
566 @item -mimplicit-it=never
567 @itemx -mimplicit-it=always
568 @itemx -mimplicit-it=arm
569 @itemx -mimplicit-it=thumb
570 The @code{-mimplicit-it} option controls the behavior of the assembler when
571 conditional instructions are not enclosed in IT blocks.
572 There are four possible behaviors.
573 If @code{never} is specified, such constructs cause a warning in ARM
574 code and an error in Thumb-2 code.
575 If @code{always} is specified, such constructs are accepted in both
576 ARM and Thumb-2 code, where the IT instruction is added implicitly.
577 If @code{arm} is specified, such constructs are accepted in ARM code
578 and cause an error in Thumb-2 code.
579 If @code{thumb} is specified, such constructs cause a warning in ARM
580 code and are accepted in Thumb-2 code. If you omit this option, the
581 behavior is equivalent to @code{-mimplicit-it=arm}.
583 @cindex @code{-mapcs-26} command-line option, ARM
584 @cindex @code{-mapcs-32} command-line option, ARM
587 These options specify that the output generated by the assembler should
588 be marked as supporting the indicated version of the Arm Procedure.
591 @cindex @code{-matpcs} command-line option, ARM
593 This option specifies that the output generated by the assembler should
594 be marked as supporting the Arm/Thumb Procedure Calling Standard. If
595 enabled this option will cause the assembler to create an empty
596 debugging section in the object file called .arm.atpcs. Debuggers can
597 use this to determine the ABI being used by.
599 @cindex @code{-mapcs-float} command-line option, ARM
601 This indicates the floating point variant of the APCS should be
602 used. In this variant floating point arguments are passed in FP
603 registers rather than integer registers.
605 @cindex @code{-mapcs-reentrant} command-line option, ARM
606 @item -mapcs-reentrant
607 This indicates that the reentrant variant of the APCS should be used.
608 This variant supports position independent code.
610 @cindex @code{-mfloat-abi=} command-line option, ARM
611 @item -mfloat-abi=@var{abi}
612 This option specifies that the output generated by the assembler should be
613 marked as using specified floating point ABI.
614 The following values are recognized:
620 @cindex @code{-eabi=} command-line option, ARM
621 @item -meabi=@var{ver}
622 This option specifies which EABI version the produced object files should
624 The following values are recognized:
630 @cindex @code{-EB} command-line option, ARM
632 This option specifies that the output generated by the assembler should
633 be marked as being encoded for a big-endian processor.
635 Note: If a program is being built for a system with big-endian data
636 and little-endian instructions then it should be assembled with the
637 @option{-EB} option, (all of it, code and data) and then linked with
638 the @option{--be8} option. This will reverse the endianness of the
639 instructions back to little-endian, but leave the data as big-endian.
641 @cindex @code{-EL} command-line option, ARM
643 This option specifies that the output generated by the assembler should
644 be marked as being encoded for a little-endian processor.
646 @cindex @code{-k} command-line option, ARM
647 @cindex PIC code generation for ARM
649 This option specifies that the output of the assembler should be marked
650 as position-independent code (PIC).
652 @cindex @code{--fix-v4bx} command-line option, ARM
654 Allow @code{BX} instructions in ARMv4 code. This is intended for use with
655 the linker option of the same name.
657 @cindex @code{-mwarn-deprecated} command-line option, ARM
658 @item -mwarn-deprecated
659 @itemx -mno-warn-deprecated
660 Enable or disable warnings about using deprecated options or
661 features. The default is to warn.
663 @cindex @code{-mccs} command-line option, ARM
665 Turns on CodeComposer Studio assembly syntax compatibility mode.
667 @cindex @code{-mwarn-syms} command-line option, ARM
669 @itemx -mno-warn-syms
670 Enable or disable warnings about symbols that match the names of ARM
671 instructions. The default is to warn.
679 * ARM-Instruction-Set:: Instruction Set
680 * ARM-Chars:: Special Characters
681 * ARM-Regs:: Register Names
682 * ARM-Relocations:: Relocations
683 * ARM-Neon-Alignment:: NEON Alignment Specifiers
686 @node ARM-Instruction-Set
687 @subsection Instruction Set Syntax
688 Two slightly different syntaxes are support for ARM and THUMB
689 instructions. The default, @code{divided}, uses the old style where
690 ARM and THUMB instructions had their own, separate syntaxes. The new,
691 @code{unified} syntax, which can be selected via the @code{.syntax}
692 directive, and has the following main features:
696 Immediate operands do not require a @code{#} prefix.
699 The @code{IT} instruction may appear, and if it does it is validated
700 against subsequent conditional affixes. In ARM mode it does not
701 generate machine code, in THUMB mode it does.
704 For ARM instructions the conditional affixes always appear at the end
705 of the instruction. For THUMB instructions conditional affixes can be
706 used, but only inside the scope of an @code{IT} instruction.
709 All of the instructions new to the V6T2 architecture (and later) are
710 available. (Only a few such instructions can be written in the
711 @code{divided} syntax).
714 The @code{.N} and @code{.W} suffixes are recognized and honored.
717 All instructions set the flags if and only if they have an @code{s}
722 @subsection Special Characters
724 @cindex line comment character, ARM
725 @cindex ARM line comment character
726 The presence of a @samp{@@} anywhere on a line indicates the start of
727 a comment that extends to the end of that line.
729 If a @samp{#} appears as the first character of a line then the whole
730 line is treated as a comment, but in this case the line could also be
731 a logical line number directive (@pxref{Comments}) or a preprocessor
732 control command (@pxref{Preprocessing}).
734 @cindex line separator, ARM
735 @cindex statement separator, ARM
736 @cindex ARM line separator
737 The @samp{;} character can be used instead of a newline to separate
740 @cindex immediate character, ARM
741 @cindex ARM immediate character
742 Either @samp{#} or @samp{$} can be used to indicate immediate operands.
744 @cindex identifiers, ARM
745 @cindex ARM identifiers
746 *TODO* Explain about /data modifier on symbols.
749 @subsection Register Names
751 @cindex ARM register names
752 @cindex register names, ARM
753 *TODO* Explain about ARM register naming, and the predefined names.
755 @node ARM-Relocations
756 @subsection ARM relocation generation
758 @cindex data relocations, ARM
759 @cindex ARM data relocations
760 Specific data relocations can be generated by putting the relocation name
761 in parentheses after the symbol name. For example:
767 This will generate an @samp{R_ARM_TARGET1} relocation against the symbol
769 The following relocations are supported:
785 For compatibility with older toolchains the assembler also accepts
786 @code{(PLT)} after branch targets. On legacy targets this will
787 generate the deprecated @samp{R_ARM_PLT32} relocation. On EABI
788 targets it will encode either the @samp{R_ARM_CALL} or
789 @samp{R_ARM_JUMP24} relocation, as appropriate.
791 @cindex MOVW and MOVT relocations, ARM
792 Relocations for @samp{MOVW} and @samp{MOVT} instructions can be generated
793 by prefixing the value with @samp{#:lower16:} and @samp{#:upper16}
794 respectively. For example to load the 32-bit address of foo into r0:
797 MOVW r0, #:lower16:foo
798 MOVT r0, #:upper16:foo
801 Relocations @samp{R_ARM_THM_ALU_ABS_G0_NC}, @samp{R_ARM_THM_ALU_ABS_G1_NC},
802 @samp{R_ARM_THM_ALU_ABS_G2_NC} and @samp{R_ARM_THM_ALU_ABS_G3_NC} can be
803 generated by prefixing the value with @samp{#:lower0_7:#},
804 @samp{#:lower8_15:#}, @samp{#:upper0_7:#} and @samp{#:upper8_15:#}
805 respectively. For example to load the 32-bit address of foo into r0:
808 MOVS r0, #:upper8_15:#foo
810 ADDS r0, #:upper0_7:#foo
812 ADDS r0, #:lower8_15:#foo
814 ADDS r0, #:lower0_7:#foo
817 @node ARM-Neon-Alignment
818 @subsection NEON Alignment Specifiers
820 @cindex alignment for NEON instructions
821 Some NEON load/store instructions allow an optional address
823 The ARM documentation specifies that this is indicated by
824 @samp{@@ @var{align}}. However GAS already interprets
825 the @samp{@@} character as a "line comment" start,
826 so @samp{: @var{align}} is used instead. For example:
829 vld1.8 @{q0@}, [r0, :128]
832 @node ARM Floating Point
833 @section Floating Point
835 @cindex floating point, ARM (@sc{ieee})
836 @cindex ARM floating point (@sc{ieee})
837 The ARM family uses @sc{ieee} floating-point numbers.
840 @section ARM Machine Directives
842 @cindex machine directives, ARM
843 @cindex ARM machine directives
846 @c AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
849 @cindex @code{.2byte} directive, ARM
850 @cindex @code{.4byte} directive, ARM
851 @cindex @code{.8byte} directive, ARM
852 @item .2byte @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
853 @itemx .4byte @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
854 @itemx .8byte @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
855 These directives write 2, 4 or 8 byte values to the output section.
858 @cindex @code{.align} directive, ARM
859 @item .align @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]
860 This is the generic @var{.align} directive. For the ARM however if the
861 first argument is zero (ie no alignment is needed) the assembler will
862 behave as if the argument had been 2 (ie pad to the next four byte
863 boundary). This is for compatibility with ARM's own assembler.
865 @cindex @code{.arch} directive, ARM
866 @item .arch @var{name}
867 Select the target architecture. Valid values for @var{name} are the same as
868 for the @option{-march} command-line option without the instruction set
871 Specifying @code{.arch} clears any previously selected architecture
874 @cindex @code{.arch_extension} directive, ARM
875 @item .arch_extension @var{name}
876 Add or remove an architecture extension to the target architecture. Valid
877 values for @var{name} are the same as those accepted as architectural
878 extensions by the @option{-mcpu} and @option{-march} command-line options.
880 @code{.arch_extension} may be used multiple times to add or remove extensions
881 incrementally to the architecture being compiled for.
883 @cindex @code{.arm} directive, ARM
885 This performs the same action as @var{.code 32}.
887 @c BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
888 @c CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
890 @cindex @code{.cantunwind} directive, ARM
892 Prevents unwinding through the current function. No personality routine
893 or exception table data is required or permitted.
895 @cindex @code{.code} directive, ARM
896 @item .code @code{[16|32]}
897 This directive selects the instruction set being generated. The value 16
898 selects Thumb, with the value 32 selecting ARM.
900 @cindex @code{.cpu} directive, ARM
901 @item .cpu @var{name}
902 Select the target processor. Valid values for @var{name} are the same as
903 for the @option{-mcpu} command-line option without the instruction set
906 Specifying @code{.cpu} clears any previously selected architecture
909 @c DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
911 @cindex @code{.dn} and @code{.qn} directives, ARM
912 @item @var{name} .dn @var{register name} [@var{.type}] [[@var{index}]]
913 @itemx @var{name} .qn @var{register name} [@var{.type}] [[@var{index}]]
915 The @code{dn} and @code{qn} directives are used to create typed
916 and/or indexed register aliases for use in Advanced SIMD Extension
917 (Neon) instructions. The former should be used to create aliases
918 of double-precision registers, and the latter to create aliases of
919 quad-precision registers.
921 If these directives are used to create typed aliases, those aliases can
922 be used in Neon instructions instead of writing types after the mnemonic
923 or after each operand. For example:
932 This is equivalent to writing the following:
938 Aliases created using @code{dn} or @code{qn} can be destroyed using
941 @c EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
943 @cindex @code{.eabi_attribute} directive, ARM
944 @item .eabi_attribute @var{tag}, @var{value}
945 Set the EABI object attribute @var{tag} to @var{value}.
947 The @var{tag} is either an attribute number, or one of the following:
948 @code{Tag_CPU_raw_name}, @code{Tag_CPU_name}, @code{Tag_CPU_arch},
949 @code{Tag_CPU_arch_profile}, @code{Tag_ARM_ISA_use},
950 @code{Tag_THUMB_ISA_use}, @code{Tag_FP_arch}, @code{Tag_WMMX_arch},
951 @code{Tag_Advanced_SIMD_arch}, @code{Tag_MVE_arch}, @code{Tag_PCS_config},
952 @code{Tag_ABI_PCS_R9_use}, @code{Tag_ABI_PCS_RW_data},
953 @code{Tag_ABI_PCS_RO_data}, @code{Tag_ABI_PCS_GOT_use},
954 @code{Tag_ABI_PCS_wchar_t}, @code{Tag_ABI_FP_rounding},
955 @code{Tag_ABI_FP_denormal}, @code{Tag_ABI_FP_exceptions},
956 @code{Tag_ABI_FP_user_exceptions}, @code{Tag_ABI_FP_number_model},
957 @code{Tag_ABI_align_needed}, @code{Tag_ABI_align_preserved},
958 @code{Tag_ABI_enum_size}, @code{Tag_ABI_HardFP_use},
959 @code{Tag_ABI_VFP_args}, @code{Tag_ABI_WMMX_args},
960 @code{Tag_ABI_optimization_goals}, @code{Tag_ABI_FP_optimization_goals},
961 @code{Tag_compatibility}, @code{Tag_CPU_unaligned_access},
962 @code{Tag_FP_HP_extension}, @code{Tag_ABI_FP_16bit_format},
963 @code{Tag_MPextension_use}, @code{Tag_DIV_use},
964 @code{Tag_nodefaults}, @code{Tag_also_compatible_with},
965 @code{Tag_conformance}, @code{Tag_T2EE_use},
966 @code{Tag_Virtualization_use}
968 The @var{value} is either a @code{number}, @code{"string"}, or
969 @code{number, "string"} depending on the tag.
971 Note - the following legacy values are also accepted by @var{tag}:
972 @code{Tag_VFP_arch}, @code{Tag_ABI_align8_needed},
973 @code{Tag_ABI_align8_preserved}, @code{Tag_VFP_HP_extension},
975 @cindex @code{.even} directive, ARM
977 This directive aligns to an even-numbered address.
979 @cindex @code{.extend} directive, ARM
980 @cindex @code{.ldouble} directive, ARM
981 @item .extend @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
982 @itemx .ldouble @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
983 These directives write 12byte long double floating-point values to the
984 output section. These are not compatible with current ARM processors
987 @c FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
989 @cindex @code{.float16} directive, ARM
990 @item .float16 @var{value [,...,value_n]}
991 Place the half precision floating point representation of one or more
992 floating-point values into the current section. The exact format of the
993 encoding is specified by @code{.float16_format}. If the format has not
994 been explicitly set yet (either via the @code{.float16_format} directive or
995 the command line option) then the IEEE 754-2008 format is used.
997 @cindex @code{.float16_format} directive, ARM
998 @item .float16_format @var{format}
999 Set the format to use when encoding float16 values emitted by
1000 the @code{.float16} directive.
1001 Once the format has been set it cannot be changed.
1002 @code{format} should be one of the following: @code{ieee} (encode in
1003 the IEEE 754-2008 half precision format) or @code{alternative} (encode in
1004 the Arm alternative half precision format).
1007 @cindex @code{.fnend} directive, ARM
1009 Marks the end of a function with an unwind table entry. The unwind index
1010 table entry is created when this directive is processed.
1012 If no personality routine has been specified then standard personality
1013 routine 0 or 1 will be used, depending on the number of unwind opcodes
1016 @anchor{arm_fnstart}
1017 @cindex @code{.fnstart} directive, ARM
1019 Marks the start of a function with an unwind table entry.
1021 @cindex @code{.force_thumb} directive, ARM
1023 This directive forces the selection of Thumb instructions, even if the
1024 target processor does not support those instructions
1026 @cindex @code{.fpu} directive, ARM
1027 @item .fpu @var{name}
1028 Select the floating-point unit to assemble for. Valid values for @var{name}
1029 are the same as for the @option{-mfpu} command-line option.
1031 @c GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
1032 @c HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
1034 @cindex @code{.handlerdata} directive, ARM
1036 Marks the end of the current function, and the start of the exception table
1037 entry for that function. Anything between this directive and the
1038 @code{.fnend} directive will be added to the exception table entry.
1040 Must be preceded by a @code{.personality} or @code{.personalityindex}
1043 @c IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
1045 @cindex @code{.inst} directive, ARM
1046 @item .inst @var{opcode} [ , @dots{} ]
1047 @itemx .inst.n @var{opcode} [ , @dots{} ]
1048 @itemx .inst.w @var{opcode} [ , @dots{} ]
1049 Generates the instruction corresponding to the numerical value @var{opcode}.
1050 @code{.inst.n} and @code{.inst.w} allow the Thumb instruction size to be
1051 specified explicitly, overriding the normal encoding rules.
1053 @c JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
1054 @c KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
1055 @c LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
1057 @item .ldouble @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
1060 @cindex @code{.ltorg} directive, ARM
1062 This directive causes the current contents of the literal pool to be
1063 dumped into the current section (which is assumed to be the .text
1064 section) at the current location (aligned to a word boundary).
1065 @code{GAS} maintains a separate literal pool for each section and each
1066 sub-section. The @code{.ltorg} directive will only affect the literal
1067 pool of the current section and sub-section. At the end of assembly
1068 all remaining, un-empty literal pools will automatically be dumped.
1070 Note - older versions of @code{GAS} would dump the current literal
1071 pool any time a section change occurred. This is no longer done, since
1072 it prevents accurate control of the placement of literal pools.
1074 @c MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
1076 @cindex @code{.movsp} directive, ARM
1077 @item .movsp @var{reg} [, #@var{offset}]
1078 Tell the unwinder that @var{reg} contains an offset from the current
1079 stack pointer. If @var{offset} is not specified then it is assumed to be
1082 @c NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
1083 @c OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
1085 @cindex @code{.object_arch} directive, ARM
1086 @item .object_arch @var{name}
1087 Override the architecture recorded in the EABI object attribute section.
1088 Valid values for @var{name} are the same as for the @code{.arch} directive.
1089 Typically this is useful when code uses runtime detection of CPU features.
1091 @c PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
1093 @cindex @code{.packed} directive, ARM
1094 @item .packed @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
1095 This directive writes 12-byte packed floating-point values to the
1096 output section. These are not compatible with current ARM processors
1099 @anchor{arm_pacspval}
1100 @cindex @code{.pacspval} directive, ARM
1102 Generate unwinder annotations to use effective vsp as modifier in PAC
1106 @cindex @code{.pad} directive, ARM
1107 @item .pad #@var{count}
1108 Generate unwinder annotations for a stack adjustment of @var{count} bytes.
1109 A positive value indicates the function prologue allocated stack space by
1110 decrementing the stack pointer.
1112 @cindex @code{.personality} directive, ARM
1113 @item .personality @var{name}
1114 Sets the personality routine for the current function to @var{name}.
1116 @cindex @code{.personalityindex} directive, ARM
1117 @item .personalityindex @var{index}
1118 Sets the personality routine for the current function to the EABI standard
1119 routine number @var{index}
1121 @cindex @code{.pool} directive, ARM
1123 This is a synonym for .ltorg.
1125 @c QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
1126 @c RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
1128 @cindex @code{.req} directive, ARM
1129 @item @var{name} .req @var{register name}
1130 This creates an alias for @var{register name} called @var{name}. For
1137 @c SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
1140 @cindex @code{.save} directive, ARM
1141 @item .save @var{reglist}
1142 Generate unwinder annotations to restore the registers in @var{reglist}.
1143 The format of @var{reglist} is the same as the corresponding store-multiple
1147 @exdent @emph{core registers}
1148 .save @{r4, r5, r6, lr@}
1149 stmfd sp!, @{r4, r5, r6, lr@}
1150 @exdent @emph{VFP registers}
1151 .save @{d8, d9, d10@}
1152 fstmdx sp!, @{d8, d9, d10@}
1153 @exdent @emph{iWMMXt registers}
1154 .save @{wr10, wr11@}
1155 wstrd wr11, [sp, #-8]!
1156 wstrd wr10, [sp, #-8]!
1159 wstrd wr11, [sp, #-8]!
1161 wstrd wr10, [sp, #-8]!
1165 @cindex @code{.setfp} directive, ARM
1166 @item .setfp @var{fpreg}, @var{spreg} [, #@var{offset}]
1167 Make all unwinder annotations relative to a frame pointer. Without this
1168 the unwinder will use offsets from the stack pointer.
1170 The syntax of this directive is the same as the @code{add} or @code{mov}
1171 instruction used to set the frame pointer. @var{spreg} must be either
1172 @code{sp} or mentioned in a previous @code{.movsp} directive.
1182 @cindex @code{.secrel32} directive, ARM
1183 @item .secrel32 @var{expression} [, @var{expression}]*
1184 This directive emits relocations that evaluate to the section-relative
1185 offset of each expression's symbol. This directive is only supported
1188 @cindex @code{.syntax} directive, ARM
1189 @item .syntax [@code{unified} | @code{divided}]
1190 This directive sets the Instruction Set Syntax as described in the
1191 @ref{ARM-Instruction-Set} section.
1193 @c TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
1195 @cindex @code{.thumb} directive, ARM
1197 This performs the same action as @var{.code 16}.
1199 @cindex @code{.thumb_func} directive, ARM
1201 This directive specifies that the following symbol is the name of a
1202 Thumb encoded function. This information is necessary in order to allow
1203 the assembler and linker to generate correct code for interworking
1204 between Arm and Thumb instructions and should be used even if
1205 interworking is not going to be performed. The presence of this
1206 directive also implies @code{.thumb}
1208 This directive is not necessary when generating EABI objects. On these
1209 targets the encoding is implicit when generating Thumb code.
1211 @cindex @code{.thumb_set} directive, ARM
1213 This performs the equivalent of a @code{.set} directive in that it
1214 creates a symbol which is an alias for another symbol (possibly not yet
1215 defined). This directive also has the added property in that it marks
1216 the aliased symbol as being a thumb function entry point, in the same
1217 way that the @code{.thumb_func} directive does.
1219 @cindex @code{.tlsdescseq} directive, ARM
1220 @item .tlsdescseq @var{tls-variable}
1221 This directive is used to annotate parts of an inlined TLS descriptor
1222 trampoline. Normally the trampoline is provided by the linker, and
1223 this directive is not needed.
1225 @c UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
1227 @cindex @code{.unreq} directive, ARM
1228 @item .unreq @var{alias-name}
1229 This undefines a register alias which was previously defined using the
1230 @code{req}, @code{dn} or @code{qn} directives. For example:
1237 An error occurs if the name is undefined. Note - this pseudo op can
1238 be used to delete builtin in register name aliases (eg 'r0'). This
1239 should only be done if it is really necessary.
1241 @cindex @code{.unwind_raw} directive, ARM
1242 @item .unwind_raw @var{offset}, @var{byte1}, @dots{}
1243 Insert one of more arbitrary unwind opcode bytes, which are known to adjust
1244 the stack pointer by @var{offset} bytes.
1246 For example @code{.unwind_raw 4, 0xb1, 0x01} is equivalent to
1249 @c VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
1251 @cindex @code{.vsave} directive, ARM
1252 @item .vsave @var{vfp-reglist}
1253 Generate unwinder annotations to restore the VFP registers in @var{vfp-reglist}
1254 using FLDMD. Also works for VFPv3 registers
1255 that are to be restored using VLDM.
1256 The format of @var{vfp-reglist} is the same as the corresponding store-multiple
1260 @exdent @emph{VFP registers}
1261 .vsave @{d8, d9, d10@}
1262 fstmdd sp!, @{d8, d9, d10@}
1263 @exdent @emph{VFPv3 registers}
1264 .vsave @{d15, d16, d17@}
1265 vstm sp!, @{d15, d16, d17@}
1268 Since FLDMX and FSTMX are now deprecated, this directive should be
1269 used in favour of @code{.save} for saving VFP registers for ARMv6 and above.
1271 @c WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
1272 @c XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
1273 @c YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
1274 @c ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
1282 @cindex opcodes for ARM
1283 @code{@value{AS}} implements all the standard ARM opcodes. It also
1284 implements several pseudo opcodes, including several synthetic load
1289 @cindex @code{NOP} pseudo op, ARM
1295 This pseudo op will always evaluate to a legal ARM instruction that does
1296 nothing. Currently it will evaluate to MOV r0, r0.
1298 @cindex @code{LDR reg,=<label>} pseudo op, ARM
1301 ldr <register> , = <expression>
1304 If expression evaluates to a numeric constant then a MOV or MVN
1305 instruction will be used in place of the LDR instruction, if the
1306 constant can be generated by either of these instructions. Otherwise
1307 the constant will be placed into the nearest literal pool (if it not
1308 already there) and a PC relative LDR instruction will be generated.
1310 @cindex @code{ADR reg,<label>} pseudo op, ARM
1313 adr <register> <label>
1316 This instruction will load the address of @var{label} into the indicated
1317 register. The instruction will evaluate to a PC relative ADD or SUB
1318 instruction depending upon where the label is located. If the label is
1319 out of range, or if it is not defined in the same file (and section) as
1320 the ADR instruction, then an error will be generated. This instruction
1321 will not make use of the literal pool.
1323 If @var{label} is a thumb function symbol, and thumb interworking has
1324 been enabled via the @option{-mthumb-interwork} option then the bottom
1325 bit of the value stored into @var{register} will be set. This allows
1326 the following sequence to work as expected:
1329 adr r0, thumb_function
1333 @cindex @code{ADRL reg,<label>} pseudo op, ARM
1336 adrl <register> <label>
1339 This instruction will load the address of @var{label} into the indicated
1340 register. The instruction will evaluate to one or two PC relative ADD
1341 or SUB instructions depending upon where the label is located. If a
1342 second instruction is not needed a NOP instruction will be generated in
1343 its place, so that this instruction is always 8 bytes long.
1345 If the label is out of range, or if it is not defined in the same file
1346 (and section) as the ADRL instruction, then an error will be generated.
1347 This instruction will not make use of the literal pool.
1349 If @var{label} is a thumb function symbol, and thumb interworking has
1350 been enabled via the @option{-mthumb-interwork} option then the bottom
1351 bit of the value stored into @var{register} will be set.
1355 For information on the ARM or Thumb instruction sets, see @cite{ARM
1356 Software Development Toolkit Reference Manual}, Advanced RISC Machines
1359 @node ARM Mapping Symbols
1360 @section Mapping Symbols
1362 The ARM ELF specification requires that special symbols be inserted
1363 into object files to mark certain features:
1369 At the start of a region of code containing ARM instructions.
1373 At the start of a region of code containing THUMB instructions.
1377 At the start of a region of data.
1381 The assembler will automatically insert these symbols for you - there
1382 is no need to code them yourself. Support for tagging symbols ($b,
1383 $f, $p and $m) which is also mentioned in the current ARM ELF
1384 specification is not implemented. This is because they have been
1385 dropped from the new EABI and so tools cannot rely upon their
1388 @node ARM Unwinding Tutorial
1391 The ABI for the ARM Architecture specifies a standard format for
1392 exception unwind information. This information is used when an
1393 exception is thrown to determine where control should be transferred.
1394 In particular, the unwind information is used to determine which
1395 function called the function that threw the exception, and which
1396 function called that one, and so forth. This information is also used
1397 to restore the values of callee-saved registers in the function
1398 catching the exception.
1400 If you are writing functions in assembly code, and those functions
1401 call other functions that throw exceptions, you must use assembly
1402 pseudo ops to ensure that appropriate exception unwind information is
1403 generated. Otherwise, if one of the functions called by your assembly
1404 code throws an exception, the run-time library will be unable to
1405 unwind the stack through your assembly code and your program will not
1408 To illustrate the use of these pseudo ops, we will examine the code
1409 that G++ generates for the following C++ input:
1412 void callee (int *);
1423 This example does not show how to throw or catch an exception from
1424 assembly code. That is a much more complex operation and should
1425 always be done in a high-level language, such as C++, that directly
1426 supports exceptions.
1428 The code generated by one particular version of G++ when compiling the
1435 @ Function supports interworking.
1436 @ args = 0, pretend = 0, frame = 8
1437 @ frame_needed = 1, uses_anonymous_args = 0
1459 Of course, the sequence of instructions varies based on the options
1460 you pass to GCC and on the version of GCC in use. The exact
1461 instructions are not important since we are focusing on the pseudo ops
1462 that are used to generate unwind information.
1464 An important assumption made by the unwinder is that the stack frame
1465 does not change during the body of the function. In particular, since
1466 we assume that the assembly code does not itself throw an exception,
1467 the only point where an exception can be thrown is from a call, such
1468 as the @code{bl} instruction above. At each call site, the same saved
1469 registers (including @code{lr}, which indicates the return address)
1470 must be located in the same locations relative to the frame pointer.
1472 The @code{.fnstart} (@pxref{arm_fnstart,,.fnstart pseudo op}) pseudo
1473 op appears immediately before the first instruction of the function
1474 while the @code{.fnend} (@pxref{arm_fnend,,.fnend pseudo op}) pseudo
1475 op appears immediately after the last instruction of the function.
1476 These pseudo ops specify the range of the function.
1478 Only the order of the other pseudos ops (e.g., @code{.setfp} or
1479 @code{.pad}) matters; their exact locations are irrelevant. In the
1480 example above, the compiler emits the pseudo ops with particular
1481 instructions. That makes it easier to understand the code, but it is
1482 not required for correctness. It would work just as well to emit all
1483 of the pseudo ops other than @code{.fnend} in the same order, but
1484 immediately after @code{.fnstart}.
1486 The @code{.save} (@pxref{arm_save,,.save pseudo op}) pseudo op
1487 indicates registers that have been saved to the stack so that they can
1488 be restored before the function returns. The argument to the
1489 @code{.save} pseudo op is a list of registers to save. If a register
1490 is ``callee-saved'' (as specified by the ABI) and is modified by the
1491 function you are writing, then your code must save the value before it
1492 is modified and restore the original value before the function
1493 returns. If an exception is thrown, the run-time library restores the
1494 values of these registers from their locations on the stack before
1495 returning control to the exception handler. (Of course, if an
1496 exception is not thrown, the function that contains the @code{.save}
1497 pseudo op restores these registers in the function epilogue, as is
1498 done with the @code{ldmfd} instruction above.)
1500 You do not have to save callee-saved registers at the very beginning
1501 of the function and you do not need to use the @code{.save} pseudo op
1502 immediately following the point at which the registers are saved.
1503 However, if you modify a callee-saved register, you must save it on
1504 the stack before modifying it and before calling any functions which
1505 might throw an exception. And, you must use the @code{.save} pseudo
1506 op to indicate that you have done so.
1508 The @code{.pad} (@pxref{arm_pad,,.pad}) pseudo op indicates a
1509 modification of the stack pointer that does not save any registers.
1510 The argument is the number of bytes (in decimal) that are subtracted
1511 from the stack pointer. (On ARM CPUs, the stack grows downwards, so
1512 subtracting from the stack pointer increases the size of the stack.)
1514 The @code{.setfp} (@pxref{arm_setfp,,.setfp pseudo op}) pseudo op
1515 indicates the register that contains the frame pointer. The first
1516 argument is the register that is set, which is typically @code{fp}.
1517 The second argument indicates the register from which the frame
1518 pointer takes its value. The third argument, if present, is the value
1519 (in decimal) added to the register specified by the second argument to
1520 compute the value of the frame pointer. You should not modify the
1521 frame pointer in the body of the function.
1523 If you do not use a frame pointer, then you should not use the
1524 @code{.setfp} pseudo op. If you do not use a frame pointer, then you
1525 should avoid modifying the stack pointer outside of the function
1526 prologue. Otherwise, the run-time library will be unable to find
1527 saved registers when it is unwinding the stack.
1529 The pseudo ops described above are sufficient for writing assembly
1530 code that calls functions which may throw exceptions. If you need to
1531 know more about the object-file format used to represent unwind
1532 information, you may consult the @cite{Exception Handling ABI for the
1533 ARM Architecture} available from @uref{http://infocenter.arm.com}.